Death Valley
DESERT · CA, NV

Death Valley

National Park
RANKED #9 OF 64 · COMPOSITE RANKING

The Details

The hottest, driest, and lowest national park in North America — a vast and beautiful extremity of the Mojave.

STATE
CA, NV
ESTABLISHED
1994
AREA
3.4M acres
ECOSYSTEM
Desert

When To Visit

Best Time To Visit

MONTH BY MONTH
BEST TIME TO GO

November–March: pleasant days in the 60s–70s°F and cool nights. Spring wildflowers (February–April) can bloom after a wet winter.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
WEATHER
CROWDS
Weather: greatokaytough — heat, cold, snow, monsoon or closures
Crowds: quietmoderatebusy
CROWDS

Peak season runs from Thanksgiving through Easter, when lodging and campgrounds fill. Summer is nearly empty.

WEATHER

Summer highs routinely exceed 120°F — avoid lowland hiking May–September. Monsoon storms can cause flash floods.

General patterns — conditions vary by year. Check current NPS alerts and road status before you go.

How Far

Park Entrances

SET YOUR LOCATION
Every entrance is a different drive. Enter your ZIP to compare:
Furnace Creek Visitor Center
DIRECTIONS →
Stovepipe Wells
DIRECTIONS →

Nearest Airports

ESTIMATED DRIVE TO THE PARK
LAS
Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl
≈ 124 mi · ~2.5 hr drive to Furnace Creek Visitor Center
DIRECTIONS →

Distances are rough estimates to the closest entrance. Check road and ferry conditions before you go.

What To Do

Top Things To Do

◆Walk out onto Badwater Basin
◆Drive Artists Palette and Zabriskie Point
◆Watch sunset from Dante’s View
◆Walk the Mesquite Flat sand dunes
◆Stay hydrated and avoid midday summer heat

Where To Stay

Camping

Campgrounds inside the park are booked through Recreation.gov, and many fill months ahead.

FIND CAMPSITES ON RECREATION.GOV ↗

Lodging & Nearby Towns

INSIDE THE PARK
The Inn at Death ValleyThe Ranch at Death ValleyStovepipe Wells VillagePanamint Springs Resort
GATEWAY TOWNS
PahrumpBeattyLone PineFurnace Creek

Cool Facts & Figures

By The Numbers

#5
LARGEST OF 64
#52
OLDEST OF 64
3,422,024
ACRES
32
YEARS PROTECTED
◆Badwater Basin, at 282 feet below sea level, is the lowest point in North America.
◆The air temperature here reached 134°F in 1913, the hottest reliably recorded on Earth.

Links

Plan Your Visit

OFFICIAL & TRUSTED SITES
READY TO GO?
Plan a trip to
Death Valley
PLAN A TRIP HERE →