Before we drove into Death Valley I thought this part of America would be nothing more than a dry piece of land – one to be crossed in a couple of hours during a boring ride. I was so wrong. The national park is absolutely gorgeous and stars a lot of biodiversity.
Yes, most of the land is bone dry, the air is sizzling hot and it’s an extreme place to survive. Yet, people and wildlife have been able to so in the past. Seemingly unforgiven – it’s the hottest place on earth with a recorded temperature of 57°C or 134°F – this desert landscape is home to plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.
Apart from that, the desert stars an unusual kind of beauty. Landscapes and vegetation (if there) are different around every corner and it keeps on surprising you – whenever you hear a raven soaring by, see a lizard darting away, a flower growing in the shade, discover pine woodlands atop high mountains or stare right into the eyes of a coyote.
The area is just so empty, so vast, so simple and so quiet. The wrinkled rocks on the edges of the vast open spaces represent the edge of solitude and come in different colours – due to both minerals and the sun – during the day.
If you come from the west you have a couple of possibilities of entering Death Valley. We were planning on crossing via Big Pine in the north, but since we rented a convertible – a black Chevy Camaro, I guess it’s part of the quarter life crisis 🙂 – and the roads weren’t optimal at the time being, we decided to take the road 190 southwards via Lone Pine all the way to Las Vegas. This road is the best of all and probably the quickest too. Don’t worry that you’ll miss out on highlights, most of them are situated on this road or quite close to it.
Here are some fun vista’s and highlights to make a stopover during a day of cruising around!
- Father Crowley Vista Point – Not the best vista point in the area, but very well worth a stop if you are passing by. Father Crowley has a good panoramic view of the valley below with a lot of red colours. And it’s a nice place to cool down in the wind before things get rough.
- Mesquite Sand Dunes – These sand dunes are the place where Luke Skywalker’s home in the first Star Wars movie was filmed. For me that’d be enough reason to go, but apart from that the Sand Dunes give you a total new view of Death Valley. They are a great place to take a short hike, albeit not in the hot weather, since it can be challenging to walk the soft sand in the heat. It’s a beautiful place and the endless rows of dunes can make one feel quite small.
- Badwater Basin – From Furnace Creek, you need to leave the 190 for a little while if you’d like to see the lowest point in North America – that is 86 meter (282ft) below sea level. The basin is a sparse, flat and open landscape and though it may not the be the most picturesque place, it really is quite an experience being there. Apart from the salt and dirt, there is nothing else around. The site has it’s name due to an explorer who wrote down ‘bad water’ on his map, after his mule refused to drink it.
- Devils Golf Course – Once covered by a lake, the water at this place evaporated some 2,000 years ago, leaving behind a 1,000 foot-layer of salt and minerals in jagged spires While making the map for the park, apparently someone said this place was so serrated that the devil probably would play golf here on such rough links. Funny enough – due to that name – sometimes people in here really show up with their golf clubs, thinking a sportive afternoon lies ahead of them.
- Artists Drive – You wouldn’t expect an intense palette of colours while driving around in the desert. But this 9 mile drive had incredible desert views, colours, and rock formations all clustered together in a relatively short distance. Late afternoon to sunset is best for photographers, and no hiking is required – which is really awesome since you’re in the desert. Personally I thought this was the highlight of Death Valley. It’s best to visit in on the way back from Badwater, since the Artist’s drive is a one-way road which is most efficiently accessed returning.
- Zabriskie Point – Definitely a highlight and a must-see in Death Valley. Park in the parking lot and then walk up a short winding hilly road. At the top you are surprised by a stunning geological site of folds of coloured earth! There are sign boards describing what you can see. It’s a great place too for photographers and star-gazers, so do yourself a huge favour and visit this site at sunrise or sunset!
- Dantes View – After a long drive at the end of the day the last 1/2 mile is a twisting blind section that opens up in the parking lot overlooking Dante’s View. The most beautiful view of Death Valley from above is breathtaking and quiet (or maybe that goes together). If you want to see all of Death Valley, or most of it, drive up here. You will look down upon the white salt flats of the Badwater Basin, the Devils Golf Course and far beyond of that. Another great place for a sunrise or sunset. Don’t forget a sweater at nightfall in here, seriously!
- Scotty’s Castle – This one’s not one the 190 or near it, but it might be worth a detour. Scotty’s Castle is situated way more up north on the Death Valley’s – Big Pine Road. On October 18, 2015 a “Thousand Year Flood” in Death Valley deposited four feet of mud in Scotty’s Castle. So currently closed until further notice, however check before you leave whether you can make a visit. This ranch within Death Valley was built by Albert Johnson, an insurance broker from Chicago. Johnson was lured to Death Valley by promises of a (fraudulent) gold mine investment with one Walter Scott. If you’re up for some extra miles; it’s quite a story and a desert retreat!
