Death Valley National Park
California Est. 1994

Death Valley National Park

Desert Mountains Canyon
Plan a visit Check conditions
Established
1994
Size
3,408,407 acres
Visitors / yr
1.1M
Entrance
$30
Best season
November through March
Nearest airport
LAS Las Vegas McCarran
01

Why Death Valley is worth the trip

California · Established 1994

Death Valley deals in extremes the way other parks deal in views. Badwater Basin sits 282 feet below sea level, the lowest ground in North America, while Telescope Peak rises more than 11,000 feet directly above it. The hottest air temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth, 134 degrees, happened here in 1913. And at 3.4 million acres, this is the largest national park in the contiguous United States, most of it empty enough to make your ears ring.

Come between November and March, when the weather turns merciful and low winter sun sets the badlands at Zabriskie Point glowing. Walk the salt polygons at Badwater, catch dawn on the Mesquite Dunes before the footprints arrive, and drive through Artists Palette in late light. In rare wet years the valley floor erupts in wildflowers, which is exactly the kind of joke this place likes to tell.

Start with our full Death Valley guide, then use the planning below.

02

Top things to do in Death Valley

Where we would start, and what we would plan a day around. Read the full guide.

Death Valley National Park
Start here

25 Things to Do in Death Valley National Park (2026 Guide)

Read the guide
01 Explore Wildflowers in Death Valley Scenic Driving · nps.gov Explore Wildflowers in Death Valley Learn about the different flowers you might be able to see in Death Valley during spring months. 02 Visit the Furnace Creek Visitor Center Museum Exhibits · nps.gov Visit the Furnace Creek Visitor Center Stop by the visitor center to speak with park rangers and pay park fees and purchase national park passes. View the exhibits about Death... 03 Bird Watching Birdwatching · nps.gov Bird Watching Roadrunners and ravens and hummingbirds- oh my! With many resident and migratory species, bird watching opportunities abound in Death Valley. 04 Harmony Borax Works Self Guided Walk Self-Guided Tours - Walking · nps.gov Harmony Borax Works Self Guided Walk Harmony Borax Works was instrumental in drawing people to Death Valley in the late 1800s and in the subsequent popularity of the Furnace Creek...
03

Best hikes in Death Valley

The trails that define the park, with the distance and elevation numbers that decide your day.

Natural Bridge, Death Valley National Park: Hike Guide The trail guide Natural Bridge, Death Valley National Park: Hike Guide 6 min read
Before you go

Get the Death Valley heads-up

Permit windows, closures and seasonal alerts, plus our best Death Valley guides, in your inbox before you go. Free, no spam.

Planning day by day? Death Valley Itinerary: How to Spend 1 to 3 Days
04

Plan your trip

Our guides for the big decisions, plus the gear, maps and lodging we would actually use for Death Valley.

Things to Do Best Hikes When to Visit Itinerary

Where to stay

Gateway towns with lodging, food and outfitters.

  • Furnace Creek, CAGateway town
  • Stovepipe Wells, CAGateway town
  • Pahrump, NVGateway town
Compare stays near Death Valley

Maps & guides

Carry paper. Cell service dies fast inside most parks.

Death Valley Trails Illustrated map
Waterproof National Geographic topo of the park.
View on Amazon
Death Valley field guide
Trail-by-trail detail and planning help in print.
View on Amazon
America the Beautiful pass
$80 a year. Covers entrance fees at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.
Get the pass

What to bring

Field-tested picks we bring on park trips.

  • Sun Hat
    Full-brim coverage for exposed trails with zero shade. View on REI
  • Water Bottles
    Carry at least 2 liters. More in desert heat. View on REI
  • Hiking Boots
    Ankle support and grip for rocky, uneven terrain. View on REI
  • Sun-Protective Shirt
    UPF 50+ fabric keeps you cool and blocks UV all day. View on REI

Getting there

  • LAS Las Vegas McCarran 130 mi
NPS Official Page Reservations Google Maps

Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would use ourselves.

Death Valley map

05

When to go

Read our seasonal guide
Loading weather...

Month-by-Month Conditions

Tap any month for details

Month
High
Low
Crowds
Roads
Jan Best
67°
40°
Moderate
Open
Feb Best
73°
46°
Heavy
Open
Mar Best
82°
54°
Peak
Open
Apr
92°
62°
Heavy
Open
May
101°
72°
Moderate
Open
Jun
111°
81°
Moderate
Open
Jul
117°
88°
Moderate
Open
Aug
116°
85°
Moderate
Open
Sep
108°
76°
Light
Open
Oct
93°
62°
Moderate
Open
Nov Best
77°
48°
Moderate
Open
Dec Best
65°
38°
Heavy
Open
Best months to visit Crowd level (low to peak)
A still from our Death Valley film
Watch our film

Death Valley National Park 8K

The largest park in the lower 48 and the hottest place on earth, so we shot it in winter and hiked most of the trails to do it. The dunes, the Racetrack, Badwater. If a place this brutal can be this beautiful, that's the whole point.

3 min 43 sec Filmed in 8K
Watch on YouTube
Browse all our national park films
06

More Death Valley guides

07

Parks near Death Valley

Within reach if you are building a longer trip.

Sequoia National Park
California

Sequoia

97 miles away
Kings Canyon National Park
California

Kings Canyon

100 miles away
Yosemite National Park
California

Yosemite

177 miles away
Joshua Tree National Park
California

Joshua Tree

189 miles away

Worth protecting

Death Valley belongs to all of us

Protections that took generations to win can be rolled back in a single session of Congress. We keep watch so they hold.

See what's at stake Join the fight for California

Threatened Lands Map

Follow what's happening on federal lands across the country with our interactive map.

View the Tracker
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