Top 10 Attractions in Death Valley National Park

Photo: A sunrise captured in Death Valley National park. The park is located in California, on the border of Nevada. The pink pastels make the mountains in the distance glow behind the unique rock structures. Photo by Koleszar.

Death Valley National Park is a landscape of extremes. Here, salt flats sink below sea level while mountains rise more than 11,000 feet above the desert. Sand dunes spread across broad valleys, colorful badlands glow at sunrise, volcanic craters interrupt the northern desert, and mysterious rocks leave tracks across an isolated dry lakebed.

The park covers an enormous area of eastern California and a small portion of Nevada, so seeing everything in a single day is unrealistic. Fortunately, many of Death Valley’s most famous attractions are concentrated around Furnace Creek and the central valley, making it possible to experience an impressive variety of scenery on a first visit.

These are 10 of the best attractions in Death Valley National Park, from iconic Badwater Basin to the remote Racetrack Playa.

For more places to explore across the country, visit our U.S. National Parks hub.

⚡ Death Valley Fast Facts


State	California, with a small portion in Nevada
Established as a National Monument	1933
Became a National Park	1994
Lowest Point	Badwater Basin — 282 ft / 86 m below sea level
Highest Point	Telescope Peak — 11,049 ft / 3,368 m
Best Known For	Extreme heat, salt flats, desert scenery, dunes and geology
Main Visitor Area	Furnace Creek
Best Season for Most Visitors	Late fall through early spring
Major Hazards	Extreme heat, flash floods, remote roads and dehydration

1. 🧂 Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin is the most famous destination in Death Valley National Park and one of the most extraordinary landscapes in the United States.

At 282 feet below sea level, it is the lowest point in North America.

From the parking area, visitors step onto a vast basin surrounded by mountains. Salt deposits cover portions of the valley floor, sometimes forming geometric polygon patterns that stretch toward the horizon.

The whiteness of the salt creates an almost snow-like appearance despite the intense desert heat.

Across the valley, the Panamint Range rises dramatically above the basin. Telescope Peak reaches more than 11,000 feet above sea level, creating an extraordinary vertical contrast between the valley floor and surrounding mountains.

A sign marking sea level can be seen high on the mountainside above the parking area, helping visitors appreciate just how far below sea level they are standing.

🧂 Walking Onto the Salt Flats

A short boardwalk leads from the parking area onto the basin.

Continuing farther across the salt provides a much better impression of the landscape than simply stopping at the roadside.

The farther visitors walk, the more the parking area, cars, and road disappear behind them. Soon the valley feels almost completely empty.

Conditions on the salt change after rain and flooding, and the famous polygon patterns may not always look the same.

Never drive onto the salt flats. Vehicle tracks can damage the fragile surface and remain visible for years.

2. 🌄 Zabriskie Point

Zabriskie Point is one of Death Valley’s classic viewpoints.

The overlook provides sweeping views across an extraordinary landscape of golden, brown, orange, and cream-colored badlands.

These heavily eroded hills developed from sediments associated with an ancient lake environment that existed millions of years ago.

Wind and water gradually carved those materials into ridges, gullies, and sharp folds.

The result is a landscape that looks almost sculpted.

🌅 Sunrise at Zabriskie Point

Zabriskie Point is particularly famous at sunrise.

Early light begins illuminating the surrounding mountains before gradually spreading across the badlands below.

The colors and shadows change remarkably quickly.

Photographers often arrive before dawn, but you do not need professional equipment to appreciate the experience. Watching the desert transition from darkness into morning is enough.

Sunset can also be beautiful, although sunrise generally produces some of the most dramatic lighting across the badlands.

The overlook is easily reached from the parking area, making Zabriskie Point one of the park’s most accessible major attractions.

3. 🌄 Dante’s View

For the best panoramic view of Death Valley, head to Dante’s View.

The overlook sits high in the Black Mountains, more than a vertical mile above Badwater Basin.

From the viewpoint, visitors can look across the white salt flats of the valley toward the Panamint Range.

On clear days, the scale of Death Valley becomes much easier to understand from here than from the valley floor.

Badwater Basin, which feels enormous when you are standing on it, becomes a white strip far below.

🌅 Sunrise & Night Skies at Dante’s View

Dante’s View is another excellent sunrise destination.

Early light reaches the Panamint Mountains across the valley while the basin remains partly in shadow.

Because the viewpoint is thousands of feet higher than Furnace Creek and Badwater Basin, temperatures can also be substantially cooler.

Dante’s View is impressive after dark as well.

Death Valley is renowned for its night skies, and the elevation gives visitors a broad horizon away from major urban light sources.

A short walk along the ridge can provide additional viewpoints beyond the main parking area.

4. 🏜️ Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes near Stovepipe Wells provide the classic Death Valley dune experience.

Although Death Valley contains several dune fields, Mesquite Flat is the easiest major one to reach.

There is no single designated trail through the dunes.

Visitors simply walk toward whatever ridges or dune crests interest them, making every visit slightly different.

The highest dunes rise only about 100 feet, but walking across loose sand requires considerably more effort than walking the same distance on a normal trail.

🌅 Best Time to Visit the Dunes

Sunrise and late afternoon are especially beautiful.

Low-angle sunlight creates a strong contrast between illuminated ridges and deep shadows.

Footprints are another reason to arrive early. Popular areas near the parking lot can quickly become covered in tracks during busy periods.

Walking farther into the dune field usually provides more pristine scenery.

The dunes are also excellent after sunset, when cooling temperatures and a broad desert sky create an entirely different atmosphere.

During hot weather, however, sand temperatures can become dangerously high. Summer exploration should be extremely limited.

🌿 More Than Empty Sand

Mesquite Flat may look barren, but the dunes support a surprising ecosystem.

Mesquite trees anchor portions of the sand and create habitat for animals.

Insects, reptiles, rodents, birds, and other desert wildlife have adapted to conditions that involve extreme heat, scarce water, and constantly shifting sand.

Tracks left overnight may provide the easiest evidence that animals live here.

For more information about desert ecosystems, explore our Wildlife & Plants hub.

5. 🎨 Artist’s Drive & Artist’s Palette

Artist’s Drive is one of the best scenic drives in Death Valley.

The one-way road winds through the Black Mountains south of Furnace Creek, passing narrow canyons, rocky slopes, dips, curves, and brilliantly colored mineral deposits.

The highlight is Artist’s Palette.

Here, oxidized minerals have produced patches of pink, green, yellow, purple, red, and other colors across the hills.

The effect is particularly striking because the colorful rock appears against an otherwise stark desert background.

🚗 Driving Artist’s Drive

The drive itself is nearly as enjoyable as Artist’s Palette.

Sections feel like a miniature roller coaster as the road twists between hills and through narrow passages.

Vehicle-size restrictions can apply because of tight curves and clearances, so drivers of RVs or other large vehicles should check current park guidance before entering.

Several pullouts provide opportunities to stop and appreciate the geology.

Late afternoon can create particularly rich colors, although the appearance changes depending on cloud cover and the angle of the sun.

6. 🥾 Golden Canyon

Golden Canyon provides one of the best introductions to hiking in Death Valley.

The trail begins close to Furnace Creek and enters a narrow canyon surrounded by golden sedimentary rock.

Side gullies, eroded cliffs, colorful formations, and increasingly expansive views make the route interesting almost immediately.

Hikers can complete a relatively short canyon walk or connect Golden Canyon with longer routes through the surrounding badlands.

🪨 Red Cathedral

One popular destination is Red Cathedral, where reddish cliffs rise above the upper canyon.

The change from pale yellow canyon walls to darker red rock creates one of the area’s most striking geological contrasts.

Visitors can also connect into routes toward Zabriskie Point, Gower Gulch, or Badlands Loop, creating much longer hikes.

This interconnected network makes Golden Canyon one of the best places for visitors who want to experience Death Valley on foot.

Explore additional walking destinations through our Trails & Hiking hub.

⚠️ Avoid Golden Canyon in Extreme Heat

Golden Canyon should not be treated like an ordinary year-round hiking trail.

There is little shade, and canyon walls can radiate intense heat.

During the hottest months, low-elevation hiking can become life-threatening surprisingly quickly.

Death Valley’s summer temperatures routinely exceed 120°F, and the National Park Service strongly discourages low-elevation hiking during extreme heat.

Cool-season hiking offers a completely different—and much safer—experience.

7. 🌋 Ubehebe Crater

At the northern end of Death Valley National Park lies Ubehebe Crater, a dramatic reminder of the region’s volcanic past.

The crater is roughly half a mile across and several hundred feet deep.

Unlike a classic volcano built gradually from repeated lava flows, Ubehebe formed through explosive interactions between rising magma and groundwater.

When hot magma encountered water beneath the surface, rapidly expanding steam helped trigger violent explosions that excavated the crater.

Dark volcanic debris surrounding Ubehebe records those eruptions.

🥾 Hiking Around Ubehebe Crater

Visitors can appreciate Ubehebe from an overlook beside the parking area, but hiking adds another perspective.

A trail travels around the rim, providing changing views into the crater and across surrounding desert.

Visitors can also descend toward the crater floor.

The descent may feel relatively straightforward, but climbing back up loose volcanic material can be much harder.

Strong winds are common around the rim, and there is very little shade.

Ubehebe is also the jumping-off point for the road toward one of Death Valley’s most mysterious destinations: the Racetrack.

8. 🧂 Devil’s Golf Course

Devil’s Golf Course is one of the strangest landscapes in the park.

Here, salt and mud have formed a vast field of jagged pinnacles and irregular crystalline structures.

The name reportedly came from the idea that the terrain was so rough that “only the devil could play golf” on it.

It does not look anything like nearby Badwater Basin.

Badwater often appears comparatively flat and smooth from a distance, while Devil’s Golf Course is sharp, chaotic, and difficult to cross.

⚠️ Look, But Walk Carefully

The formations can be surprisingly hard and sharp.

A fall onto the salt can result in cuts or more serious injury.

There is no need to travel far from the parking area to appreciate the landscape.

Visitors should also avoid breaking the salt structures. They develop through natural processes involving mineral-rich groundwater, evaporation, and weathering.

On a quiet day, you may even hear small cracking or popping sounds as the salt expands and contracts with changing temperatures.

9. 🪨 Mosaic Canyon

Mosaic Canyon near Stovepipe Wells is another excellent short hiking destination.

The trail enters a narrow canyon where water has polished exposed surfaces into smooth, twisting walls.

Some sections contain Noonday Dolomite, while other areas display a natural rock called Mosaic Breccia.

Breccia consists of angular rock fragments cemented together, creating a pattern that inspired the canyon’s name.

The combination of polished marble-like surfaces and fragment-filled rock makes Mosaic Canyon especially interesting for visitors who enjoy geology.

🥾 Walking Mosaic Canyon

The opening section provides plenty to see even for visitors who do not complete the longer route.

As hikers continue, the canyon alternates between narrow polished passages and wider gravel washes.

Some sections require scrambling around obstacles.

Like Golden Canyon, Mosaic Canyon can become dangerously hot. Cooler months and early starts offer much better hiking conditions.

The canyon’s proximity to Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes also makes it easy to combine the two attractions on the same day.

10. 🪨 The Racetrack Playa

The most remote attraction on this list is the Racetrack, a dry lakebed famous for its mysterious moving rocks.

For decades, rocks on the playa puzzled observers because they left long trails behind them even though nobody had seen them moving.

Researchers eventually documented the unusual combination of shallow water, thin ice, wind, and melting conditions that can cause rocks to slide slowly across the surface.

The tracks remain one of Death Valley’s most fascinating natural phenomena.

🚙 Reaching the Racetrack

Getting there is considerably more difficult than reaching the other attractions on this list.

The Racetrack lies deep in the northern park beyond Ubehebe Crater. The unpaved access road is rough, remote, and notorious for tire damage.

High-clearance vehicles with appropriate tires are typically recommended, and four-wheel drive may be necessary depending on conditions.

There is no reliable cell service, and the trip from Furnace Creek can take several hours in each direction.

This is not a casual detour from the paved highway.

Visitors should carry extra water, be prepared for tire trouble, and verify current road conditions before attempting the journey.

🚫 Never Drive Onto the Playa

Driving onto the Racetrack Playa is prohibited.

Vehicle tracks can permanently scar the dry lakebed and destroy the very landscape visitors have traveled so far to experience.

Walking on the playa should also be avoided when the surface is wet. Footprints can leave long-lasting damage in soft mud.

Do not move the rocks or disturb their tracks.

The mystery of the Racetrack only survives if visitors leave the scene exactly as they find it.

🌵 Bonus: Furnace Creek

Although not included as one of the ten scenic attractions, Furnace Creek functions as the practical center of most Death Valley visits.

The Furnace Creek Visitor Center is an excellent first stop for checking road conditions, weather, closures, ranger programs, and current safety information.

The surrounding area also contains historic sites, lodging, food, fuel, and access to many of the park’s best-known destinations.

Badwater Basin, Artist’s Drive, Golden Canyon, Zabriskie Point, and Dante’s View are all relatively accessible from this central portion of the park.

For first-time visitors, staying near Furnace Creek can make exploring the main attractions significantly easier.

🗺️ Which Attractions Can You See in One Day?

A well-planned day can cover many of Death Valley’s central attractions.

A practical route might begin with sunrise at Zabriskie Point, followed by Badwater Basin, Devil’s Golf Course, Artist’s Drive, and a visit to Furnace Creek.

Depending on weather and available daylight, you could add Golden Canyon or finish the day at Dante’s View.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and Mosaic Canyon are farther west but can still be worked into a longer itinerary.

Ubehebe Crater requires additional driving.

The Racetrack deserves substantially more time and should generally be treated as a separate excursion.

📅 How Many Days Do You Need in Death Valley?

Two or three days provides a much better introduction than a rushed day trip.

With one day, concentrate on the Furnace Creek and Badwater area.

With two days, add Stovepipe Wells, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Mosaic Canyon, or Ubehebe Crater.

With three or more days, you can explore additional hiking routes, high mountain areas, historic sites, and more remote sections of the park.

The sheer size of Death Valley is easy to underestimate.

Distances between attractions can be enormous, and fuel, food, water, and cell service are limited in many areas.

Our National Park Travel & Planning hub can help with preparing for longer park trips.

🌤️ Best Time to Visit Death Valley

For most visitors, late fall through early spring offers the best conditions.

Winter daytime temperatures at lower elevations are generally far more comfortable for sightseeing and hiking than summer conditions.

Spring may bring wildflowers when rainfall and temperatures align, though major blooms are never guaranteed.

Autumn temperatures gradually become more comfortable as summer heat retreats.

Summer requires an entirely different approach.

Death Valley is one of the hottest places on Earth, and temperatures on the valley floor can exceed 120°F. Even nighttime may provide little relief.

Visitors traveling during extreme heat should focus on short stops near an air-conditioned vehicle and higher-elevation destinations rather than undertaking low-elevation hikes.

💧 Death Valley Heat Safety

Extreme heat is not simply an inconvenience here. It can become fatal.

Carry far more water than you expect to need, particularly when traveling away from developed areas.

Avoid strenuous low-elevation hiking during hot conditions.

Protect yourself from direct sun and monitor everyone in your group for signs of heat illness.

Vehicles are also vulnerable. A mechanical failure on a remote desert road can turn into a serious emergency during extreme heat.

Checking current weather, alerts, and road conditions should always be part of your daily plans.

🌧️ Flash Floods

A desert receiving little annual rainfall may not seem like a place where flooding would be a major concern, but Death Valley is highly vulnerable to flash floods.

Rain falling on steep, rocky mountains can quickly flow into narrow canyons and across roads.

Even storms occurring miles away can send water into a canyon that remains dry where you are standing.

Floods can damage roads, strand vehicles, and temporarily close large portions of the park.

Never enter a flooded roadway, and reconsider canyon hikes when storms are possible.

🚙 Road Conditions Matter

Death Valley’s paved highways make many major attractions straightforward to reach, but numerous secondary destinations require unpaved roads.

Desert roads can change rapidly after floods.

A route described as easy in an old article may now contain deep washouts, exposed rocks, or other hazards.

The Racetrack is a particularly important example because its access road is remote and hard on tires even under normal conditions.

Before visiting any remote location, check current National Park Service road conditions rather than relying solely on maps or older travel reports.

🌌 Death Valley After Dark

The attractions do not disappear when the sun goes down.

Death Valley’s remote location and dry climate provide outstanding opportunities for viewing stars, planets, the Milky Way, and meteor showers.

Dante’s View, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, and other open areas can be spectacular after dark.

Night photography is particularly popular.

Remember that the park becomes much harder to navigate after sunset. Carry a flashlight or headlamp, know where your vehicle is located, and avoid wandering into rough terrain in darkness.

♻️ Protecting the Desert

Desert landscapes can look indestructible, but many are surprisingly fragile.

Vehicle tracks may remain visible for decades. Salt formations can be broken. Biological soil crusts can be crushed by a single step. Rocks moved from the Racetrack may never again create their distinctive tracks.

Stay on established roads and trails where required.

Never drive across open desert simply because the ground appears firm.

Leave salt, rocks, plants, historic objects, and other features exactly where they are.

Death Valley’s starkness is part of its beauty, and keeping that landscape intact requires visitors to resist the temptation to alter it.

🌄 Which Death Valley Attraction Is the Best?

For a first visit, Badwater Basin is difficult to beat. Standing below sea level on a white salt flat surrounded by mountains is the experience most closely associated with Death Valley.

For photography, choose Zabriskie Point or Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.

For the best sweeping panorama, head to Dante’s View.

For hiking, try Golden Canyon or Mosaic Canyon during cool weather.

For geology, visit Ubehebe Crater, Artist’s Palette, and Devil’s Golf Course.

For true desert remoteness and one of the park’s strangest natural phenomena, the Racetrack Playa stands alone.

The best Death Valley trip includes several of them because every stop reveals a different version of the desert.

🌵 Why Visit Death Valley National Park?

Death Valley can initially look empty.

Spend a little time there and the opposite becomes apparent.

Salt crystals grow across the lowest basin in North America. Wind rearranges sand dunes. Rare rainstorms reshape canyons. Minerals create vividly colored hills. Volcanic explosions have left enormous craters. Rocks occasionally slide across a remote playa under an unusual combination of ice, water, and wind.

Above it all rise mountain ranges high enough to experience snow while the valley below endures some of the hottest temperatures measured on Earth.

That contrast is what makes Death Valley extraordinary.

It is not one landscape but many—salt basin, dune field, mountain wilderness, volcanic terrain, canyon country, and extreme desert—all compressed into one immense national park.