Things to do in Death Valley

Death Valley National Park is the continental United States’ largest park. It’s also the hottest, driest and lowest. Despite harsh conditions, the park’s more than 3 million acres (1.3 million hectares) aren’t simply desert plains. Find mountains, canyons, sand dunes, extinct volcanic craters and even palm trees and wildflowers.

The Furnace Creek Visitor Center is a useful resource and jumping-off point for exploring the surrounding Death Valley National Park. Drop in to the visitor center’s adjoining museum and learn about the region’s cultural and natural history before heading off on your adventure around the park. Join ranger-led tours, watch an informative film about the park or pick up maps and brochures so that you can plan your journey.

Snow-white crystals of salt fill the immense pan of Badwater Basin, a crater-like salt flat in the middle of the valley. Flanked by dusky-pink mountain ranges and purple-hued ridges, Badwater Basin is a dreamlike destination. Explore the moonscape saltpan on foot for the chance to say you’ve walked across the lowest point in North America, at 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level.

The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes is a spectacular natural phenomenon in the heart of Death Valley. It consists of dunes 100 feet (30 meters) high that offer unobstructed views of the surrounding mountains. Notice the ever-changing patterns carved into this sandy landscape.

Look out across the colorful sculpted landscape at the foothills of the Black Mountains from Zabriskie Point. Enjoy the vast scene of undulating badlands, which ripple across mudhills, gullies and mountains. In the distance, notice the gleaming white expanse of saltpans in the main valley. Made famous by the Antonioni-directed film of the same name, Zabriskie Point is a dramatic introduction to Death Valley National Park when entering from the east.

Racetrack Playa is a remarkable dry lakebed in the heart of a remote valley. The area is renowned for its rugged beauty and eerie landscapes, hemmed in by the Cottonwood and Last Chance mountain ranges. Drive around the awe-inspiring Racetrack Valley to reach the lakebed and discover formations, such as the Grandstand. Despite its immense size, the Racetrack Playa is extremely flat, which has allowed some spooky phenomena to occur. Explore the lakebed to solve the mystery of the “sailing stones.”

The story of boom-time prosperity begins at Harmony Borax Works, a historic ore-processing plant in Death Valley National Park. Explore the preserved remains of the old refinery and learn about the region’s mining history. See an example of the 20-mule team wagons that became icons for the industry.

The Devil’s Golf Course is a landmark site in the mystical Mojave Desert. According to the National Park Service guidebook in 1934, the surface is so rough that “only the devil could play golf” on it. Marvel at the expansive saltpan, one of the key features of Death Valley National Park and a fascinating example of the region’s otherworldly landscape.

A roughly 2-mile (3-kilometer) round-trip hike runs through the fascinating rock formations of Natural Bridge Canyon. As its name suggests, the canyon contains a rocky bridge under which you can pass in this picturesque valley. Learn about the formation and geological history of the canyon through the illustrated panel at the trailhead.