15 Most Wonderful Death Valley Hikes
Death Valley is the largest National Park in the continental United States which means there is so much to do and see when exploring the unique desert! From hiking trails to scenic drives to quick stop viewpoints there is something here for everyone in Death Valley National Park. Whether you like to go camping, stay in lodges, or relax at beautiful hotels there are plenty of places to stay in Death Valley.
Hiking in Death Valley was an incredible experience for us because it is a very unique place filled with vast barren yet colorful landscapes. Death Valley is full of areas that feel alien to the point where you feel like you are on Mars! Check out our Death Valley content and let us know what you want to visit the most in Death Valley!
Table of content
Best time to visit Death Valley National Park
Death Valley Map
15 Most Wonderful Death Valley Hikes
How to get to Death Valley?
Things to do in Death Valley
Death Valley in winter
Where To Stay in Death Valley
What should you bring on hikes in Death Valley?
Fees and America the Beautiful Pass
Hiking Tours from Death Valley
The Wrap-Up: 15 Most Wonderful Death Valley Hike
Best time to visit Death Valley National Park
The best time to visit the beautiful park is from November to Match. Outside of this interval, the temperatures are extremely high because Death Valley is one of the hottest and driest places on Earth. The highest temperature on Earth was recorded in Death Valley, and trust us this is not surprising! Death Valley set a record-breaking temperature at 134°F!
TIP: We went there at the end of Summer in September and we got to the park near sunrise. The park was nearly empty which was an awesome experience that added to the alien planet feel of Death Valley. The early day temperatures aren’t unbearable, but they quickly increase, so just make sure not to go on any hikes later on in the day.
Death Valley Map
Tip: How to use the map – Click the icons on the map to get more information about the specific place you clicked on. You can also move this map to your Google Maps account to save it for future planning.
15 Most Wonderful Death Valley Hikes
1. Badwater Basin Salt Flats Trail
- Distance: 1.9 miles (3.06 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 6 feet (1.83 meters)
- Type of trail: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best: October until March
- Wheelchair accesible
Badwater Basin is the most popular Death Valley Salt Flat and it’s the reason why so many of us want to go there. This short hike takes you through one of the most extreme areas in the park and the United States because it goes to the lowest point in North America which is 282 feet or 86m below sea level. You can walk out onto the salt flats for a while and feel like you are on the barren surface of the Moon or Mars.
We totally recommend this place! It’s very fascinating and it looks surreal.
Tip: Make sure to check out the sea level sign on the side of the mountain. Also, make sure that you don’t go too far out especially if it’s very hot!
2. Zabriskie Point
- Distance: 0.4 miles (0.64 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 49 feet (15 meters)
- Type of trail: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Easy
- Wheelchair accesible
Zabriskie Point is one of the most popular Death Valley Hikes and it’s a very short paved walkway to the iconic viewpoint. The viewpoint is home to an epic desert landscape that is a must-see for any Death Valley itinerary. It is very accessible because you can park the car very close by and walk for a little bit up the paved hill.
3. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes Trail
- Distance: 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 206 feet (63 meters)
- Type of trail: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Easy
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes Trail is one of the most well known Death Valley trails which brings you to the beautiful sand dunes of Death Valley. In the dunes, you can walk around, play in the sand, or sled down the dunes. The sand dunes are home to a very loosely defined trail in which you can explore and walk in any area of the dunes. Just make sure the sand doesn’t get too hot for your feet!
The best time to go is at sunset because the dune offers very majestic lightning which will really impress you.
4. Dante’s View Trail
- Distance: 1 mile (1.6 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 223 feet (68 meters)
- Type of trail: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Easy
Dante’s View Trail is definitely the best hike in Death Valley which takes you to arguably the most amazing viewpoint in the park because the mountain top overlook is 5000ft above the lowest part of the park. That’s one of the reasons why it is definitely one of the best spots for sunrise and sunset views!
5. Darwin Falls Trail via Old Toll Road
- Distance: 1.9 miles (3.1 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 232 feet (71 meters)
- Type of trail: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Easy
Darwin Falls Trail is one of the most beautiful Death Valley National Park Hikes that includes a waterfall surrounded by lush green and is good for all skill levels. Who thought that there could be a really nice waterfall in the middle of a desert? Not us, for sure!
You can access the trailhead via an unmarked gravel road but it’s pretty flat which makes it accessible for almost all cars. The route is unmarked so make sure that you download an offline map to know where you are because service is spotty at best in Death Valley.
6. Artist’s Palette Overlook
- Distance: 0.4 miles (0.64 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 118 feet (36 meters)
- Type of trail: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Easy
Artist’s Palette Overlook is a nice really short stop to see the beautiful Death Valley Colorful rocks. They are very unique and we totally recommend going if you have the time!
TIP: You don’t need to adventure too far into the rocks if you don’t want to because they are just as beautiful from afar!
7. Salt Creek Interpretive Trail
- Distance: 0.8 miles (1.3 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 29 feet (8.8 meters)
- Type of trail: Loop
- Difficulty: Easy
- Wheelchair accesible
Salt Creek Interpretive Trail is one of the easier Death Valley hikes and it’s the most accessible trail in the park. Most of the trail is on a boardwalk which makes it easy for nearly everyone to complete.
At the end of the path, you could go on a sandy footpath which leads you to a creek where you can see pupfish. Make sure that you carry enough water and sunscreen because the loop is not shaded.
8. Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral
- Distance: 2.9 miles (4.7 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 574 feet (175 meters)
- Type of trail: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Moderate
Golden Canyon Trail takes you to the base of the Red Cathedral rock formations. You can park on the Badwater Routh just south of Furnace Creek to start at the trailhead. The first mile is absolutely beautiful because you’re surrounded by golden formations and slot canyons. After that, you continue into a narrow slot canyon. Here the trail becomes very rocky and you’ll have to scramble over rocks until the end of the hike.
Tip: There is little to no shade on this hike so make sure that you pack a lot of water and snacks.
9. Mosaic Canyon Trail
- Distance: 3.3 miles (5.3 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 958 feet (292 meters)
- Type of trail: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Moderate
Mosaic Canyon Trail is one of the most perfect Death Valley hikes for those who like narrows, scaling, and geology. Not very far from the parking area, you are able to view winding narrows. As you get closer to the canyon, make sure to look for the really gorgeous mosaic rocks.
The majority of hikers stop at the boulder jam which is about 1.3 miles in the trail but you can continue past it through more narrows and open canyons.
Tip: Make sure to get there early in the season because the parking lot is pretty small and it can get very crowded.
10. Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch Loop via Zabriskie Point
- Distance: 5.8 miles (9.3 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 1092 feet (333 meters)
- Type of trail: Loop
- Difficulty: Hard
Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch Loop via Zabriskie Point takes you through colorful badlands, a narrow canyon, and an old borax mine.
Hike from Zabriskie Point through Golden Canyon to the Red Cathedral. From Red Cathedral hike to the Golden Canyon trailhead at the parking area. From there follow the trail to the Gower Gulch. Don’t turn left or right when you are in the gulch. There are no markers in the gulch. The next marker is at the crossing Golden Canyon Trail and Gower Gulch Trail close to Zabriskie Point.
The hike is steep in some places but the views are completely worth it.
11. Ubehebe and Little Hebe Crater Trail
- Distance: 1.8 miles (2.9 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 364 feet (111 meters)
- Type of trail: Loop
- Difficulty: Moderate
Ubehebe and Little Hebe Crater Trail is one of the best hikes in Death Valley which takes you to a beautiful crater that is 0.5 miles(0.8 km) in diameter and 500-777 feet (152-237 meters) deep. The view is absolutely incredible and it makes you feel like you are on the surface of Mars.
You could do the trail around the rim which is an incredible experience and you’ll get to see surreal views of the crater. Another option that you have is to go in the crater and back up. It took us around 10 minutes down and 20 minutes up.
Make sure that no matter what option you decide to pick that you bring a lot of water and sunscreen because there is no shade in the area.
12. Gower Gulch Loop Trail
- Distance: 4.2 miles (6.8 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 715 feet (218 meters)
- Type of trail: Loop
- Difficulty: Moderate
Gower Gulch Loop Trail takes you to the Golder Canyon which is 40 ft wide. The canyon has really nice views and it looks absolutely incredible. There are a couple of shaded spots and the trail is marked very well.
You can hike the trail counterclockwise so you’ll have a more gradual climb than in the other direction. There are a couple of rock scrambles but nothing very advanced.
13. Room Canyon
- Distance: 3.4 miles ( kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 659 feet (201 meters)
- Type of trail: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Moderate
Room Canyon takes you to a very narrow canyon where you’ll have the chance to see the pinnacles before going into the canyon to see “The room”. The formations are extremely interesting and they were formed a very long time ago.
Since you’ll have to do a little bit of climbing we recommend wearing long pants to not get scratched by rocks.
Tip: There are no trail markings so make sure to download the route offline.
14. Telescope Peak Trail
- Distance: 12.7 miles (20.4 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 3323 feet (1013 meters)
- Type of trail: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Hard
Telescope Peak Trail is one of the best and most challenging hikes in Death Valley. The trail is perfect for those who are into hard hikes that takes you to amazing views.
We heard that some people park at Charcoal Kilns because their car is not a 4×4 or at least an AWS with good tires so make sure that you either have one of those cars or you have to park a little further.
Tip: Roads leading to the trailhead could be close so make sure that you check here for more information
15. Mount Perry
- Distance: 8.7 miles (14 kilometers)
- Elevation gain: 2089 feet (637 meters)
- Type of trail: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Hard
Mount Perry trail is a challenging hike with beautiful views the entire way! You climb up and down three peaks which is very rewarding. There are a couple of steep areas and sometimes pretty harsh winds.
How to get to Death Valley?
Death Valley from Las Vegas: It takes around 2 hr 16 min (149.4 mi) to get there via
US-95 N and CA-190 W
Death Valley from Los Angeles: It takes around 4 hr 13 min (258.4 mi) to get there via
CA-14 N
Death Valley from San Francisco: It takes around 7 hr 46 min (501.6 mi) to get there via
I-5S
Death Valley from San Diego: It takes around 5 hr 22 min (327.5 mi) to get there via
US-395 N
Things to do in Death Valley
There are so many Death Valley attractions that we couldn’t put them all here so we decided to provide you with the top three things to do in the national park.
1. Artist Drive
Artist Drive Death Valley is one of the best things to do in Death Valley which is a 9-mile drive that takes you to incredible colorful rocks. This is a one-way road with multiple locations to stop and take pictures. Artist Pallet is one of the best stops.
2. Scotty’s Castle
Scotty’s Castle or Death Valley Ranch was at the time a “dream place” built over a gold mine. Here you can take a tour of the castle that’s going to take you back in time.
3. Natural Bridge
This is one of the most popular Death Valley attractions. If you’re wondering how long the hike to the Natural Bridge Death Valley is? The answer is 2 miles and maybe an hour to an hour and a half.
Death Valley in winter
1. Can you go to Death Valley in winter?
Yes absolutely. Actually, the best time to visit Death Valley is in winter because temperatures are more manageable.
2. Is Death Valley crowded in winter?
Yes, actually Death Valley’s peak season is in winter so you’ll find quite a lot of people in the park but because the park is so big you won’t really be inconvenienced by that.
3. Does Death Valley snow in winter?
The lowest parts of Death Valley get snow once every decade but you could find some snow at higher altitudes.
4. Death Valley Winter camping
For Death Valley winter camping, we recommend Mahogany Flat, Thorndike, and Wildrose campgrounds.
Where To Stay in Death Valley
Here we’ll provide the best places to stay when visiting Death Valley based on the type of accommodation that you’d want.
Death Valley Lodging
There are 4 lodges and hotels around Death Valley that you could choose from.
- Panamint Springs Motel and Tents– about 10 miles inside the west entrance of the park. It is a family friendly lodge which has a motel, campgrounds, RV parking, a restaurant and a gas station.
- El Portal Motel – only 9 miles away from the park, this model has a seasonal outdoor pool and the rooms have everything you need for an affordable price
- Furnace Creek Ranch – also a little bit further in the park. It’s a beautiful resort fit for everyone which has a museum, a golf course, swimming pool and horseback riding.
- Furnace Creek Inn – right next to Furnace Creek Ranch. It’s the most beautiful place in Death Valley which has a gift shop, restaurants, health spa and massage parlor, swimming pool and a tennis court.
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Pahrump, an IHG Hotel : This hotel is 50 minutes from the park and it has nice rooms with private bathrooms. It also has a swimming pool, a fitness center and a breakfast option which makes it perfect for a nice morning.
- Delight’s Hot Springs Resort: This lodge is also 55 minutes from the park and it’s main feature are the hot springs that they have on site which are an awesome feature after a day of hiking. Some rooms include a kitchen and others a kitchenette which makes it perfect for families.
- Shoshone Inn: This property is 43 minutes from the park and it has a restaurant, outdoor swimming pool and a bar. There is also a sun terrace where you can relax. Each room has a microwave, a fridge and a coffee machine.
- Longstreet Inn & Casino: This hotel is only 25 minutes away from the park and it has an outdoor pool and hot tub. There is also an on-site casino with entertainment options for those who enjoy that.
- Death Valley Inn & RV Park: This motel is only 12 minutes away from the park and it offers an outdoor pool, a hot tub and a furnished terrace with BBQ facilities and shaded seating. All rooms have a microwave, a fridge and a coffee machine. This property also has a couple of pet-friendly rooms for those who need that.
Death Valley Camping
There are 9 Campgrounds in Death Valley National Park.
- Furnace Creek Campground: This is the most central campground which is the campers’ favorite place. The site has 130 sites and up to 8 guests per site and has an all year camping season. There are no picnic tables available.
- Mesquite Spring Campground: This is one of the nicest campgrounds in the park that’s usually more quiet and far from the RV noise. It has 30 sites, picnic tables, fire pits, water, flush toilets and a dump station. This is the best campground to see sunset.
- Wildrose Campground: This site has 23 sites and up to 8 guests per site. It has an all year camping season but there are no dump stations or flushable toilets. They provide fire pits, tables, and water.
- Mahogany Flat Campground: This campground has 10 sites and it’s one of the only spots where you can get some shades from trees. The views from this campground are insane but it’s accessible only for off road vehicles and they provde tables, toilets and fire pits but no water or dump station.
- Texas Spring Campground: This spot has 92 sites both for tents and RVs. They provide toiles, picnic tables, water, fire pits and a dump station. This campground is not open all year round so make sure you go from October to May.
- Thorndike Campground: This campground stays an an elevation of 7400′ and it’s accessible only by 4 wheel drive vehicles and it’s not for everyone. It has 6 sites, picnic tables, fire pits and the best part: no fees.
- Stovepipe Wells Campground: This campground is a nice spot for RVs because it’s near the sand dunes. It has 190 parking spots and it provides a dump station, toilets and water as well as picnic tables and fire pits. It also has a restaurant, bar and a gift shop.
- Sunset Campground: This campground is only for RVs and it’s very close to Furnace Creek Ranch and Hotel. It has 270 spots and they provide toilets, water and a dump station. This site is available October through May.
What should you bring on hikes in Death Valley?
Here is what we find to be essential to pack for a day of hiking in Death Valley.
Reusable water bottle: Water is so essential especially if you go hiking in Death Valley where you’ll be in the sun a lot. We always use our reusable Nalgene bottles because we are easily able to track how much water we are drinking and 50% of the bottle is made from plastic waste.
Hiking boots: We both swear by our Salomon hiking boots and they are an excellent choice for all terrains. They are very durable, good for holding your ankles. We took them everywhere and they performed perfectly! Click here to see Laura’s boots and here for Nick’s. If you aren’t a big fan of hiking boots, then we recommend using a pair of trail runners instead.
Hiking poles: They are essential when going down into steel inclines or over rocky terrain. We use them all the time to protect our knees and help throughout the trail. We recommend these ones as they are collapsible and they also come with other accessories.
Sun hat: It is very important to protect you head and your skin from sun while hiking in Phoenix where there are almost no trees on a majority of hikes. Nick really likes this sun hat because of how breathable it is.
Sunscreen: It’s an absolute must and we swear by the ones that Le Roche Posay have. We usually use the 60 spf one but they have other options for more or less spf.
Clothing: It really makes a difference if you wear light-colored clothes, especially in summer. Another tip that we have is to wear lightweight and breathable long pants and long sleeve clothes to protect you from the sun. There are so many brands out there that make sun-protect clothes from really light materials.
Flashlight or headlamp: We like to have one in each daypack just in case we stay on a hike longer than we expected. We got the ones from GearLight and we like them.
Snacks: Always make sure to have enough snacks and then some more in case you get lost or a trail takes longer than you expect.
Fees and America the Beautiful Pass
In order to enter the park, you have to pay the Death Valley entrance fee which you have 2 options to do so.
1. Entrance Fee at Death Valley Visitor center:
- $30 per car
- $25 per motorcycle
- $15 for bikers or people on foot
2. Buy America the Beautiful Pass
If you’re visiting more than 2-3 national parks or monuments annually you will save money by buying the $80 pass. This pass allows you to enter all the national parks, monuments, and recreational areas. For more information about the pass click here. We chose this option because we saved a lot on it.
Hiking Tours from Death Valley
Whether you like to travel in a group or solo, joining a Hiking Tour in Death Valley could be a really nice experience. You’ll get a guide that’s going to show and explain all the locals secrets and history and you’ll get the chance to make new friends with the same passions as you. Book your tour now!
The Wrap-Up: 15 Most Wonderful Death Valley Hikes
If you’re planning a trip to the beautiful park, make sure to add one or more of these Death Valley hikes to your to-do list and we promise you won’t be disappointed.
Whether you’re traveling with your family, as a solo adventurer, or a beginning hiker, there is a trail for everyone in Death Valley National Park.
Check out our other posts for more adventures in Arizona!
- 17 Greatest Easy Sedona Hikes
- 16 Unbelievable Saguaro National Park hikes
- 15 Best Hikes in Flagstaff
- 19 Best Hikes in Phoenix and Phoenix area