Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death - Top 5 Sites of Death Valley

Home to the largest National Park in the continental United States, Death Valley is an area full of extremes – from the lowest point of the continental United States (282 ft below Sea level) at Bad Water Basin to the highest point (11,000 ft) at Mount Whitney – and is one of the most desolate places on Earth.  Sand dunes, unusual rock formations, and miles upon miles of desert make you feel like you are on a whole new planet instead of Southeastern California.

Welcome to Death Valley

Death Valley can become a dangerous – and potentially fatal – trip for the ill prepared traveler. Because of the extreme heat, it is not surprising that very few people live in this desolate area of the Southwestern United States and that it fails to attract the same hype and popularity as other nearby tourist destinations - Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon.  But for the intrepid traveler, Death Valley actually offers a lot more as long as you abide by the proper safety precautions.

Map location of Death Valley National Park

Death Valley is located halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas right along the California - Nevada state line.  It is roughly a 2 hour drive from either city, but the majority of the valley resides within Southeastern California.  While it is possible to book a day tour from either Los Vegas or Los Angeles, I have always preferred renting a car instead.  The flexibility of a car rental gives you the freedom to spend as much or as little time as you want on a self-driving tour to the various sites around the area.

Desert driving in Death Valley

Should you choose to do a self-driving tour of Death Valley, then here are some safety tips for you:

• Bring extra bottles of water with you as the weather is extremely hot 
• Fill up on gas before entering the Valley - gas stations are few and far in between here
• Bring a map with you as GPS technology does not work well at all within the Valley
• Off-roading can get you lost and could potentially be fatal.  Stay on the main roads!
• Have a spare tire handy for flats as there are no auto repair shops around for miles

Scotty's Castle
Scotty's Castle is a popular destination within Death Valley National Park.  There is an interesting tale about an unlikely friendship between a con artist and a millionaire that led to this oddity in the California desert.  Scotty’s Castle is open for tours year round, although only about 100,000 people per year actually visit.  I took this tour the first time I ventured into Death Valley in October 2007, and highly recommend it.

Scotty's Castle

Ubehebe Crater
Ubehebe Crater (pronounced YOO-bee-HEE-bee) is a volcanic crater in the Northern half of Death
Valley.  It is actually located about 20 minutes Southwest of Scotty’s Castle, so definitely take the opportunity to check it out as you finish your tour of Scotty’s Castle.  This crater is one of the most unusual geological formations you will see in North America, and best described as a “Moon-like landscape.”

Ubehebe Crater

There are actually two craters here – Ubehebe Crater and Little Hebe.  There are three hiking trails in this part of Death Valley – one trail will take you to the bottom of Ubehebe, a second trail will allow you to walk around the crater's circumference, and the third will take you to the top of Little Hebe. You may also want to bundle up when you come to this part of Death Valley as it is extremely windy here.  Winds gusts can measure as high as 80 Km/hour or about 50 miles/hour.  To put it into perspective that is the speed limit for most rural highways around North America.

Devil's Golf Course
Despite its name, Devil’s Golf Course is far from being playable!  It is actually a large salt pan at the floor of Death Valley.  It is here that Lake Manly once stood in the mid-1800s, but has since dried out leaving very interesting salt deposits behind.  This site got its name from a 1934 National Park Service guidebook that said “only the Devil could play golf” on this piece of land.

Devil's Golf Course

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
These famous sand dunes are located in the Northern half of Death Valley, and will be the first thing you will see in Death Valley if you are entering from the East along Highway 190.  They are the most well-known and most accessible sand dunes in the area, and are often used in Hollywood movies and music videos.  In fact, you may recognize them from the original Star Wars movies.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

While the sand dunes are not very high (maximum height of 100 meters), they are extremely far from the highway.  Don’t let the scenery fool you, though.  What I thought was probably a 15 – 20 minute walk from the side of the highway is actually close to 45 minutes – 1 hour depending on how fast you walk and the humidity factors involved.  Definitely take a few pictures, but don’t make the same mistake I did and try walking to them.  There are too many other fascinating places to see within Death Valley and not enough daylight hours available.  You do not want to get yourself lost or stuck in Death Valley after dark.  Trust me!

Badwater Basin
If you only had time to see one thing and one thing only in Death Valley, then Badwater Basin would be it.  It is famous for being the lowest point in North America at 86 Meters (or 282 ft) below sea level.  As a comparison, the Dead Sea is almost 7 times lower than this at 427 Meters (1401 ft) below sea level.

Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin is a salt flat that developed when Recent Lake evaporated some 2000 – 3000 years ago.  Due to its low elevation, Badwater is also one of the hottest spots in North America where temperatures can reach as high as 120 °F (49 °C) in July and August.  To make matters even worse – or adventurous depending on how you look at it – it is here where the annual Badwater Ultramarathon takes place every July!

A desolate road deep within Death Valley

These are just a few of the amazing sights to enjoy in Death Valley.  I wish I had more time to see the rest of it, but it does require both time and proper planning.  In fact, some areas are only accessible if you are driving a 4x4 all wheel drive.  So, definitely add this to your Bucket list if you ever find yourself in the Southwestern United States.