Save this on Pinterest so you can read it later!
Planning a Death Valley Day Trip? We’ve got you covered! While Death Valley National Park is the largest national park outside of Alaska, you can cover a lot of ground in 1 day. From epic driving views to landscapes that look other-worldly, from sand dunes to salt flats, Death Valley is a must-visit in California. In this blog we’ll cover the best places to see, the perfect 1-day itinerary, when to go, how to get there and more!
Here’s everything you need to know before you go!
Where is Death Valley?
Death Valley National Park is located near the border of California and Nevada. It’s about a 2 hour drive from Vegas and a 4 hour drive from LA.
What is Death Valley National Park known for?
Death Valley is known for being the hottest place on earth, the driest place in the US and home to the lowest point in North America (Badwater Basin). It’s also the largest national park outside of Alaska! With it’s crazy desert landscapes that made us feel like we were on mars, it’s safe to say it’s very different from any other national park we’ve seen.
Overview of Death Valley
| Location | California/Nevada border |
| Entrance fee | $30 USD per vehicle for 7 days |
| Opening Hours | All year, 24 hours a day |
| Best time to visit | November through March |
| Ideal length of visit | 1-2 days |
| Drones allowed | No |
Can you see Death Valley in 1 day?
You can absolutely see Death Valley in a day! While it’s certainly worth visiting, you honestly don’t need too much time here (1-2 days will do). Below we have the best things to do with 1 day in Death Valley and the itinerary we recommend.
Things to do in Death Valley in 1 day
- Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
- Furnace Creek Visitor Center
- Zabriskie Point
- Artist’s Drive & Artist’s Palette
- Badwater Basin Salt Flats
- Stargazing
Death Valley One Day Itinerary
Here is the perfect one day Death Valley itinerary to see all of the top spots in the park. We’ve listed them in chronological order based on the most optimized route and the best time to see each place.
Driving between all of them will take about 2 hours total and this whole itinerary (including driving) will take around 9 hours. It will be a jam packed day but wow will it be worth it!
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Start your day early at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Here you can park in the parking lot and then trek through epic sand dunes that will make you feel like you’re in the Sahara Desert. This spot is breathtaking and is a perfect place to get a little exercise and some beautiful photos.
Since sunrise is absolutely incredible here, try to get here 30 minutes before sunrise to trek into the dunes and then enjoy watching the sun come up. Plan to spend about 2 hours here.
Furnace Creek Visitor Center
Next, head to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center which opens at 8 am. Here you can pay your entrance fee, grab a park map, fill up your re-useable water bottle & enjoy the impressive exhibits they have here.
Plan to spend 30 minutes to an hour at the visitor center. (Note: this area is also a great area to fuel up since gas stations in the park are extremely limited)
Zabriskie Point
After you leave the visitor center, head to Zabriskie Point. This lookout point is just a short trek from the parking lot and it serves sweeping views that will make you feel like you’re on mars!
While you only need about 20-30 minutes to enjoy this spot, you may want to stop and have a picnic here before continuing on your journey.
Artist’s Drive & Artist’s Palette
Next, backtrack a bit and head towards Artist’s Drive. This scenic 9-mile drive is takes you through incredible canyons and colorful mountains.
The most famous stop along this drive is called Artist’s Palette where you can hike for a bit to get up close and personal with the amazing colors. It’s fascinating to see how these volcanic minerals have changed colors over the years with heat and water!
This scenic drive takes about 40 minutes total, plus your stops at the scenic lookouts like Artist’s Palette. Plan to spend 1 – 1.5 hours here.
Badwater Basin Salt Flats
After admiring Artist’s Palette, head towards Badwater Basin Salt Flats for sunset. This spot is famous for being the lowest point in North America and sitting 282 feet below sea level. Near the parking lot on the cliffside you can see a sign that tells you where sea level is, so you can really grasp how far down you are!
Definitely try to get here at least 40 minutes before the sun goes down so that you can hike out to the best spots (around 20 minutes out) and see the sun disappear behind the mountains.
Stargazing
Finally, after the sun goes down it’s time to say goodbye to Death Valley. Use the blue hour/dusk to start driving back to wherever you’re basing for the night. When it gets dark, pull over and turn off your headlights to enjoy some stargazing for a bit. The dark sky in Death Valley is world renowned so it’s definitely worth stopping to look at!
Note: while the stars are beautiful everywhere, if it’s on your way, consider heading to the famous Harmony Borax Works for your stargazing. There are cool historic structures to see here and sky viewing here is great since there is little obstruction from mountains.
Once you’re done soaking in the gorgeous night sky, continue your drive back to base and reminisce on the most epic day trip in Death Valley!
>> Check out the most Instagrammable spots in Joshua Tree!
Death Valley Day Trip Map
Here is map of this Joshua Tree day trip route! You can click the Star next to the map name to save it to your Google Maps as a reference!
Photography in Death Valley
Death Valley is the perfect place for photography! With such unique landscapes to see and photograph, you definitely don’t want to forget your camera. We’ve even detailed all the best photo spots in Death Valley so that you get the perfect shots while you’re there!
>> Check out the photography gear we bring with us and the Lightroom Presets we use to edit our photos in 1-click!
Are drones allowed in Death Valley?
No, drones are unfortunately not allowed in Death Valley.
Is Death Valley worth visiting?
Death Valley is absolutely worth visiting! The landscapes are so unique that you’ll forget you’re still in the US and you can see insane natural phenomenons in just 1 day here. We would absolutely recommend a visit!
Best time to visit Death Valley
The best time to visit Death Valley is November through March. Since it’s the desert and literally the hottest place on earth, avoid the summer at all costs. Even in April and October the highs are in the 90’s – yikes! When we went this January the weather was perfect and we still didn’t need a jacket until the sun went down.
Also, if you can swing it we’d highly recommend going on a weekday to avoid the weekend crowds.
Death Valley National Park Visitor Center
Furnace Creek Visitor Center is currently the only visitor center in Death Valley National Park. It is open from 8 am to 5 pm daily and is filled with incredible exhibits about the park. You can talk to the park rangers here, grab a map, pay your entrance fee, use the restroom and fill up your re-useable water bottle. For an additional fee you can shower, do laundry and get Wi-Fi here, too.
Nearby there is also a gas station, a few lodging options, a couple restaurants.
Death Valley Entrance Fee
A 7 day pass to Death Valley costs $30 per car, $25 per motorcycle or $15 if you enter by foot or bike. There are no payment booths at the entrances like in Yosemite or Joshua Tree, so it is more of an honor system. At most points of entrance, as well as the visitor center, there are electronic payment machines. Here you can only pay by credit or debit card, but I assume at the visitor center desk you can use cash.
While it may not be as strictly enforced as other national parks, please do your part in supporting this incredible place and pay your entrance fee.
You can also get a US National Park annual pass for $80! This is a great deal if you plan to go to 3 or more National Parks this year.
How to get to Death Valley
The easiest way to get to and through Death Valley is Highway 190.
Death Valley day trip from Vegas
Death valley is a quick day trip from Vegas. The drive takes around two hours and there are two routes you can take. For this itinerary we recommend taking Hwy 95 to Hwy 374 to Hwy 190 which will be the quickest route to start at the sand dunes.
Death Valley day trip from Los Angeles
While L.A. is definitely not as close to Death Valley as Vegas, it is still technically doable to do a day trip from L.A. The drive to start at the sand dunes will take 4.5 – 5 hours. The best route for this itinerary would be taking the I-5 N to CA-14 N to US-395 N to CA-190 E.
Do note that to get to the sand dunes by sunrise this means starting to drive in the middle of the night. That said, if you’re coming from L.A. you may want to consider staying nearby the night before.
What to pack for a Death Valley Day Trip
Since there are limited amenities inside Death Valley National Park, it’s best to go prepared! Here are the things you will want to pack:
- Tons of water and a refillable water bottle (you can fill up for free at the visitor center)
- Sunscreen since the sun is crazy strong
- Food for a picnic & snacks for later
- Camera (also bring a tripod if you want to photograph stars)
- Tennis Shoes
- Sunglasses
- Light jacket for when the sun goes down
- Phone Charger
- Map of the area (pick one up at the visitor center or download offline maps!)
- Credit/Debit Card to pay your entrance fee
Things to know before your day trip to Death Valley
- Be sure to download offline maps before you go since there is no cell coverage in the park.
- Fill up on gas before you enter and if you need gas during your visit head to the visitor center or Stovepipe Wells Village to fuel up
- Only drive on designated roads
- Leashed pets are only allowed along roads and in campgrounds, picnic areas and other developed areas. Pets are not allowed on trails, in the wild, inside buildings, etc.
Death Valley National Park Hotels
If you want to stay the night inside the park, hotel options are pretty limited and pricey. Your best option is The Inn at Death Valley but it’s definitely a luxury price point. Be sure to book in advance, too, as it seems to sell out!
Where to stay near Death Valley
We stayed overnight at the El Portal Motel in Beatty, Nevada and it was a solid “no-frills” lower-priced option to use as a base. It was in the perfect location only 1 hour from the Salt Flats and 40 minutes from the Sand Dunes.
Here are some other good areas to use as a base:
If you want to base in Vegas, here are our favorite hotels on the strip there:
Camping in Death Valley
There are 9 NPS Campgrounds and 3 private campgrounds in Death Valley. Note that camping is only allowed in designated camping areas or in a backcountry permitted area.
The campsites all range between free and $40 per night, and about half have dumping stations for an RV. Only one of the NPS campgrounds takes reservations and that’s Furnace Creek. Reservations must be made at least 4 days in advance and can be made up to 6 months in advance via recreation.gov or 877-444-6777.
Other than that the ranger stations and visitor center have all the info you need for camping!
Death Valley Highlight Video
Check out a quick 30-second highlight of our Death Valley Day Trip to get a feel for the magic of this place!
While you’re in the area, read these next…
- 5 CAN’T MISS Instagram Spots in Death Valley
- 10 Best Photo Spots in Joshua Tree
- Weekend in Palm Springs – Full Guide!
And if you’re looking for more of the best National Parks in the US, check out this blog by our friend Dani The Explorer!
Have the best time on your Joshua Tree day trip!!
Kylie & Scott
(If you liked this article or have any questions, please comment below! And make sure to follow along on Instagram @LoveHardTravelOften)
Save this on Pinterest to refer back to!
