Death Valley National Park

National Park · California, 🇺🇸 United States

Area 13,797 km²

Time zone America/Los_Angeles

Official website nps.gov/deva

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Featured Lists

Scottthezombie / CC BY-SA 3.0

Death Valley National Park: The Absolute Essentials

Death Valley National Park encompasses North America’s lowest elevation at Badwater Basin and the volcanic Ubehebe Crater. This list features the park’s diverse geology, from the colorful volcanic deposits of Artist’s Palette and the golden badlands of Zabriskie Point to the 210-meter-high Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Historical sites include the 1880s Harmony Borax Works and the abandoned Keane Wonder Mine. Notable natural phenomena are also represented, such as the "sailing stones" of Racetrack Playa and the eroded formations along the Golden Canyon Trail.

11 places

Rachot Moragraan / CC BY-SA 3.0

Death Valley's Best Viewpoints

Death Valley National Park features some of the most dramatic geological transitions in North America. This selection includes high-altitude overlooks like Dante’s View and Aguereberry Point, which provide vistas of the salt flats 5,000 feet below. The list also highlights unique surface formations, from the volcanic-tinted hills of Artist's Palette and the golden badlands of Zabriskie Point to the jagged salt spires of the Devil’s Golf Course and the arrowweed mounds of the Devil's Corn Field.

8 places

Generic1139 / CC BY 3.0

Death Valley Historic Ruins

This collection highlights the enduring remnants of Death Valley’s industrial and pioneer history. It features processing plants like the Harmony Borax Works and Ashford Mill, alongside remote mining camps such as Warm Spring and Myers Ranch in the Panamint Range. The list also includes the final resting places of legendary local figures Jean Lemoigne and Walter 'Death Valley Scotty' Scott, providing a physical record of the harsh conditions and ambitious operations that defined the region's development.

10 places

Death Valley Camping

Death Valley National Park offers camping options ranging from full-service sites at Furnace Creek to primitive dry camps in remote corners like Eureka Dunes. Established campgrounds like Stovepipe Wells and Mesquite Spring provide essential amenities, while high-elevation spots like Wildrose offer cooler temperatures. These sites serve as basecamps for exploring the park’s salt flats, sand dunes, and rugged mountain ranges, with several locations operating on a first-come, first-served basis.

12 places