Death Valley National Park Information

Image courtesy of California Travel and Tourism Commission

Photos | View more photos of Death Valley National Park

Map | View detailed map of Death Valley National Park

Highlights of California's Deserts

Palm Springs Information

Visit Mid-Century Modern masterpieces in stunning desert settings. If you're a fan of Mid-Century..

Anza-Borrego Desert Information

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park occupies over a fifth of San Diego County, and in spring the..

Calico Ghost Town Information

Step back into the time of silver mines and raucous desert life. Step back to the 1880s, when..

Palm Desert Information

Palm Desert , about 21km (13 miles) southeast of Palm Springs, was once best known for its El Paseo..

See all locations in California's Deserts

Explore slot canyons, oases, and magical dunes.

Death Valley is the largest national park in the continental U.S., an incredible 13,000 square km (5,000 square miles). But mere acreage totals don't convey the sheer beauty and weirdness of the place. Imagine sinuous slot canyons, palm-shaded oases, extinct volcanic craters, and velvet smooth sand dunes basking beneath what seems like the world's hottest sun and brightest moon. It's a land full of improbable scenes and incredible scenery. Consider the annual 216km (135-mile) ultra-marathon, a seemingly impossible foot race that cuts right through the heart of the valley in the sauna-heat of summer, when midday temperatures can easily climb over 50 degrees C (120 degress F). Or how about soaring sand dunes that seem to sing when the desert winds blow, and boulders that appear to creep on their own power across pan-flat terrain.

Summer is far less crowded than the peak months during winter and spring, when temperatures dip to a more comfortable level (even downright cold in winter) and wildflowers spread across the desert floor. If you do visit in summer, take short hikes in the early morning or late evening, or simply stay in your air-conditioned car to explore--you'll have the desert pretty much to yourself. Stop by the Furnace Creek Visitor Center to get hiking tips and other suggestions on things to do and see. Be sure to include a drive up to Dante's View (1,668m / 5,475-foot elevation) to catch the sunrise or sunset. You'll likely see nothing else like it.

Visiting Death Valley National Park?

Photos

Highlights of California

Los Angeles Information

Los Angeles is a city of gleaming skyscrapers, broad mountains, deep valleys and golden beaches..

San Francisco Information

San Francisco is a unique city famous for Hollywood-style car chases, clanging cable cars..

Sacramento Information

Tour elegant rooms depicting various eras in California's past. A walk through the lovely..

San Diego Information

Located in the US state of California the bayside city of San Diego is known for its outdoor..

Hollywood Information

Probably one of the world’s best known destinations, Hollywood lies to the north west of..

Orange County Information

The orange orchards of Orange County are a little harder to find these days, but not so the ideal..

Central Coast of California Information

Find the perfect balance between urban and rural on California's Central Coast. Artist enclaves in..

Gold Country Information

You may have missed your opportunity to strike it rich during the California Gold Rush, but local..

San Francisco Bay Area Information

San Francisco is considered one of the greatest cities in the world for many things, including..

High Sierra Information

The hard part, when thinking about California's High Sierra, is deciding what to do during your..

Inland Empire Information

Ontario, Riverside and San Bernardino are thriving urban centers in one of the fastest-growing..

North Coast California Information

Find yourself amid the nature preserves, forests and rugged trails of California's North Coast, and..

Shasta Cascade Information

If you're looking to escape the crowds of California's better-known parks, the Shasta Cascade..

Central Valley Information

Drive through the Central Valley, and you'll see evidence of how life here has historically..

Yosemite National Park Information

Winter brings a whole new way to explore this World Heritage Site. While Yosemite never ceases to..

Lake Tahoe Information

Lake Tahoe is the Sierra Nevada's sapphire jewel, and one of the coolest ways to see it is by..

See all locations in California

Death Valley National Park Information

Highlights of California's Deserts