Things to do in Death Valley

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Death Valley showing signage, desert views and tranquil scenes

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1. Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is the continental United States’ largest park. It’s also the hottest, driest and lowest. Despite harsh conditions, the park’s more than 3 million acres (1.3 million hectares) aren’t simply desert plains. Find mountains, canyons, sand dunes, extinct volcanic craters and even palm trees and wildflowers.
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Death Valley featuring tranquil scenes and desert views as well as a small group of people

2. Furnace Creek Visitor Center

The Furnace Creek Visitor Center is a useful resource and jumping-off point for exploring the surrounding Death Valley National Park. Drop in to the visitor center’s adjoining museum and learn about the region’s cultural and natural history before heading off on your adventure around the park. Join ranger-led tours, watch an informative film about the park or pick up maps and brochures so that you can plan your journey.
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Death Valley which includes interior views

3. Badwater

Snow-white crystals of salt fill the immense pan of Badwater Basin, a crater-like salt flat in the middle of the valley. Flanked by dusky-pink mountain ranges and purple-hued ridges, Badwater Basin is a dreamlike destination. Explore the moonscape saltpan on foot for the chance to say you’ve walked across the lowest point in North America, at 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level.
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Badwater featuring desert views, views and hiking or walking

4. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes is a spectacular natural phenomenon in the heart of Death Valley. It consists of dunes 100 feet (30 meters) high that offer unobstructed views of the surrounding mountains. Notice the ever-changing patterns carved into this sandy landscape.
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5. Zabriskie Point

Look out across the colorful sculpted landscape at the foothills of the Black Mountains from Zabriskie Point. Enjoy the vast scene of undulating badlands, which ripple across mudhills, gullies and mountains. In the distance, notice the gleaming white expanse of saltpans in the main valley. Made famous by the Antonioni-directed film of the same name, Zabriskie Point is a dramatic introduction to Death Valley National Park when entering from the east.
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Death Valley showing desert views and tranquil scenes

6. Racetrack Playa

Racetrack Playa is a remarkable dry lakebed in the heart of a remote valley. The area is renowned for its rugged beauty and eerie landscapes, hemmed in by the Cottonwood and Last Chance mountain ranges. Drive around the awe-inspiring Racetrack Valley to reach the lakebed and discover formations, such as the Grandstand. Despite its immense size, the Racetrack Playa is extremely flat, which has allowed some spooky phenomena to occur. Explore the lakebed to solve the mystery of the “sailing stones.”
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Racetrack Playa showing mountains, desert views and landscape views

7. Ubehebe Crater

Ubehebe Crater is one of several volcanic craters in the northern section of Death Valley National Park. Sheltered by the Cottonwood Mountains, this crater has etched its geological history into the valley. Check out the enormous crater rim, which is 600 feet (180 meters) deep and half a mile (0.8 kilometers) across. Spot stripes of sediment in the volcano walls. Imagine the force of this volcano that erupted thousands of years ago.
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Ubehebe Crater featuring landscape views and desert views

8. Artists Palette

The Artist’s Palette is a remarkable rock formation in Death Valley National Park. Admire the spectrum of colors appearing on this rock face, and watch as they shift depending on the angle of the sun. The phenomenon is the fascinating result of explosive volcanic periods millions of years ago, which can be traced in the formation’s extraordinary painted appearance and unique geological makeup.
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What to do in Death Valley


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