Death Valley National Park

Death Valley straddles the Nevada-California line and every visitor from Las Vegas enters through Nevada's Beatty gateway on NV-374. The park holds the world air-temperature record — 134°F at Furnace Creek in July 1913 — and the lowest point in North America at Badwater Basin, 282 feet below sea level. But it is also unexpectedly beautiful: sand dunes that shift shape by the hour, painted mudstone hills, a Spanish-Mediterranean castle in a canyon, and star-scattered skies designated Gold Tier by the International Dark-Sky Association. From Beatty it's a 45-minute drive to Furnace Creek, the park's beating heart.

Standard Death Valley loop: enter via NV-374, descend past Rhyolite ghost town (technically outside the park), drop into Hell's Gate and stop at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes — 100-foot dunes best walked at sunrise. Continue to Furnace Creek Visitor Center, then hit Zabriskie Point overlook, Twenty Mule Team Canyon (2.7-mile one-way dirt road), Golden Canyon trail (2 miles round trip), Artist's Palette (9-mile scenic loop of oxidised hills), and Badwater Basin salt flats. Ubehebe Crater and the sailing stones at Racetrack Playa require a full extra day and, for Racetrack, a high-clearance 4WD.

Visit October to April only — summer is genuinely dangerous, with tourists dying in the park every year. Even in winter, carry two gallons of water per person and a full tank of fuel; the closest gas is Stovepipe Wells or Beatty. The Ranch at Death Valley has restaurants and a spring-fed pool for day guests. Book Furnace Creek accommodations 4-6 months ahead for November-March. Skip the park entirely in July-August or, if you must, restrict yourself to Dante's View (5,475 feet, always 25°F cooler than the valley floor).

Hours & entry

Free entry on federal fee-free days (5 per year, listed at nps.gov)

Park open 24 hours daily · Furnace Creek Visitor Center Mon-Sun 8:00-17:00 · Scotty's Castle currently closed for flood repairs

What to see

• Badwater Basin salt polygons — lowest point in North America — 17 miles south of Furnace Creek on Badwater Road, boardwalk from parking lot
• Zabriskie Point sunrise view — Off NV-190, 4.5 miles east of Furnace Creek — parking lot leads to the overlook in 200 metres
• Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes — 2 miles east of Stovepipe Wells Village on CA-190

Tips from the ground

• Enter via Beatty (Nevada side) and exit via Panamint Springs to see the whole park in a straight line rather than doubling back.
• The America the Beautiful pass ($80) pays for itself in three national-park visits — buy at Furnace Creek Visitor Center.
• Rhyolite ghost town, just outside the east entrance, is free and has a bottle house and glass sculpture park — worth a 30-minute stop.