Death Valley National Park is located on California, and Nevada state borders in the United States. Death Valley holds the title for the driest, hottest, and lowest of all the U.S. national parks. PLUS it’s the largest national park outside of Alaska. In January 2020, Logan and I spent the perfect weekend in Death Valley National Park. The plan was to see as much as we could in the time we had. The national park was so amazing, we’re already planning our next trip back to explore more of this diverse landscape!
If you only have a day, take a small-group day trip from Las Vegas to Death Valley National Park.
The Perfect Weekend in Death Valley National Park
How to get to Death Valley National Park
The park entrance fee is $25 USD per vehicle per day- I have an annual pass ($80 USD) we used to get in. With over 3 million acres of wilderness, sand dunes, slot canyons, rocky rainbow peaks, and miles of backcountry roads to explore- where do you begin?! We flew into Las Vegas after work the Friday of MLK weekend and rented a car to make the 2-hour drive through the desert into Death Valley.
PRO TIP: Make your rental car and camping reservations early. Spend the money on a 4×4 high-clearance vehicle. You’ll need one if you plan to do the backcountry drives- that includes the famous racetrack. It’s 27 miles of HARD road to get there, and the ever-logical Logan deemed our compact car unfit for such conditions… preventing us from seeing the racetrack and other park sites (getting a flat or needing a tow truck in the middle of nowhere sounded not so fun).
Where to Stay in Death Valley National Park
There are two hotels inside the park, The Ranch at Death Valley and The Inn at Death Valley to choose from or you can go camping. Open campgrounds are ALL first-come, first-serve, and they are not staffed. You will need to travel to the campground to find an empty spot, and then you can pay your campground fee at the automated, self-help kiosk with a credit card. There are only a few campgrounds open in the summer months due to the extreme temperatures. Furnace Creek Campground takes reservations and fills up fast during the busy season. Reservations are only available for Furnace Creek Campground October 15th – April 15th; all others are first-come, first-served.
Camping in Death Valley National Park
Furnace Creek Campground
We spent our last night in Furnace Creek campground back on the east side of the park (where the only showers in the park were)- it was MLK Day, and the park entry and camping were free for the holiday! We were expecting a huge crowd but we had no issue finding a site on the first come first serve sites. It was our favorite campsite, we had a picnic table, a fire ring, and nobody around us. Of course, the night we have furniture the clouds decided to be assholes- we didn’t see one star that night. Instead, we were kept awake by the howling of the locals (aren’t they just adorable?!?).
Hotels inside death valley national park
- The Ranch at Death Valley offers quaint cottages that sleep 2-6 people or classic rooms. The cottages are located inside the national park, with a great view of Zabriskie Point. Tennis courts, a beautiful pool, two bars, golf, and a buffet breakfast are all available at this resort. These cottages are perfect for couples or a group of friends.
- The Inn at Death Valley is a 4-star historic hotel inside the park next to a golf course. This is a great location for an event or a family vacation. For some rest and relaxation, visit the sauna, and indulge in a massage. Enjoy a meal at The Inn Dining Room, the onsite restaurant. A gym, and a pool as well as activities like basketball, volleyball, and horseback riding, are all available at the hotel.
Day 1: Death Valley National Park East Side
Stay The Night at Sunset Campground
We spent more time dicking around in Vegas than we anticipated, so we got to the park a little later than planned, meaning we got to drive around in the dark looking for an open site… the campground is first come first serve and there were plenty of spots (it seems we’ve made setting up camp in the dark an unintentional tradition). The campsite didn’t have a fire pit or picnic table but the campground had water and flush toilets (no showers). The sites weren’t very private and it felt like we were in a giant parking lot more than a campground. We set up our tent facing the darkest side and watched the sky light up with stars.
Artists Scenic Loop Drive
This scenic loop drive is 9 miles of paved road that takes you through multi-hued colorful volcanic and sedimentary hills. We had the one-way road to ourselves so we took our time as we drove. As the famous Artist Palette came into view we got out at the pull-off and explored further into the rock formations for a small hike. Our little compact car did fine on the paved road.
Natural Bridge Hiking Trail
We did a few hikes during our time at the park, but this by far was our favorite. The road to get here is rough and rocky, we didn’t think our car was going to make it- thank God it did. The out-and-back hike took us a 1-mile round trip from the natural bridge formation- bbbbbut don’t stop there!
We hiked back as far as we could get past the bridge (another mile or so) and the dramatic canyon turned to beautifully colored marble walls glistening around us. You could see the remains of a dried-up waterfall, and how the powerful element carved it’s mark permanently into the earth. It was incredibly pretty, and the tall narrow canyon kept us shaded from the sun.
Death Valley full-day tour from Las Vegas / Watching the sunset & stars Tour
Bad Water Basin
It was 75 degrees and sunny when we walked a mile out to the salt flats 282 ft below sea level- the lowest point in North America. There was no shade, and in the dead of winter- we were hiking in Death Valley, and for the first time- we felt it. I’ve seen salt flats in Bolivia, and they were miles and miles long.
But these were the first salt flats with water I’d seen, and it was an incredible sight (and another reason I FREAKING LOVE MY TEVAS). I walked out into the salty water expecting the lake I saw before me to get deeper as I walked further out. The water never went above my ankle in-depth and from afar it looked to others as if I was walking on water. It was a magical experience.
Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park
If you’re looking for the best spot to catch a sunrise or sunset- this is it. The golden-colored badlands make for an amazing backdrop to nature’s free shows each day. Start your day or end your day here- you won’t be disappointed either way you do it. We missed the point of coming into the park at night, so we made sure we caught it on our way back out!
Day 2: Death Valley National Park North Side
Stay the night at Stone Pipe Wells Campground
We spent our 2nd night in this first come first serve campground that’s only open during the winter season; the campground has tent-only sites everywhere, and a lot of private options; we had a beautiful view outside our tent of the mountains across the desert- there are flush toilets and water, but no fire pits or picnic tables.
Ubehebe Crater
Hundreds of years ago, a massive volcanic explosion happened in Death Valley. Magma mixing with an underground spring caused the explosion that created this 600 ft deep crater. As we drove to the trailhead you could see the landscape around us changing from light-colored brown tones to dark volcanic black sand. You can hike the full rim of the crater (around 1.5 miles round trip) but we were short on time, so we hiked to see little Ubehebe crater and enjoyed the views before heading back down.
Mosaic Canyon
This was the hike I was most excited about. The 4-mile trail took us through polished marble narrows and required a bit of rock climbing (scrambling). It was beautiful walking through the labyrinth of smooth rock. The colorful walls changed in color and texture along the hike, making for gorgeous photo opportunities.
Rainbow Canyon
We ended our day exploring the west side of the park. As soon as I saw there was a “rainbow canyon” I knew we couldn’t leave without seeing it. The drive takes a couple of hours, so we stocked up on fuel and road trip snacks in Stovepipe Wells Village before heading towards the canyon. The drive to Father Crowley Vista was one of the most scenic drives I’ve ever done. A landscape of dark lava flows and volcanic cinders turns into a rainbow canyon with an explosion of color. As you’re driving through the mountains you can see the colors start to pop the closer you get.
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Hike to the largest dune field in the park for another great spot to catch a sunrise or sunset. You can walk as far out into the dunes as you want, the hike to summit the highest is about 2 miles roundtrip. We walked through the sand up and down the dunes until we found the perfect sunset viewing peak, all to ourselves.
Tips for Visiting Death Valley National Park
- Showers are only available at the privately owned Furnace Creek Resort. It’s $5 per person for a pool pass that gives you access to their pool & showers/locker room. **These are the only showers in the entire park, and if you’re camping and hiking, you will want a shower.**
- You can rent a 4×4 high clearance vehicle by the hour in Furnace Creek from a privately owned company.
- There is 1 restaurant (Stovepipe Wells Village) and a few small grocery stores inside the park (Stovepipe Wells Village & Furnace Creek).
- It is a 2-hour drive to the park from Las Vegas and a 5-hour drive from Los Angeles. The park is located in both California & Nevada.
- Check out my packing guide for what to bring on a national park camping trip!
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