Where to base yourself
Furnace Creek. The most central base, with a historic inn, a family-oriented ranch, restaurants and the visitor centre, all close to Zabriskie Point and Badwater.
Stovepipe Wells. A simple motel, shop and saloon beside the sand dunes, 40 minutes north-west of Furnace Creek.
Panamint Springs. A small, rustic resort on the park’s western side, convenient if you arrive from US-395.
Beatty and Pahrump, Nevada. Cheaper motels and casinos outside the park, 45 minutes to an hour from Furnace Creek.
Food & drink
Options are few and far apart. Furnace Creek has a restaurant, a saloon and a general store at the ranch and a formal dining room at the inn; Stovepipe Wells and Panamint Springs each have a restaurant. Prices are high because everything is trucked in. Bring picnic food, snacks and plenty of water from outside the park, and never count on finding somewhere open late.
Money-saving and safety tips
- The America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee and soon pays for itself on a multi-park trip.
- Rooms outside the park in Beatty or Pahrump are considerably cheaper than those inside it.
- From May to September, do not hike at low elevations after about 10 am. Heat illness develops fast and has killed visitors.
- Drink before you are thirsty and eat salty snacks. Turn off the car’s air conditioning on long climbs if the engine temperature rises.
- Flash floods can follow distant storms. Stay out of canyons when rain threatens.
Sample plans
One day
- Sunrise at Zabriskie Point
- Badwater Basin and Artists Drive before midday
- Rest in the heat of the afternoon
- Sunset at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Two days
- Day one as above
- Early walk in Golden Canyon
- Drive up to Dante’s View
- Stay out after dark for the stars
With extra time
- Ubehebe Crater in the north of the park
- The ghost town of Rhyolite near Beatty
- Mosaic Canyon near Stovepipe Wells
Where to stay in Death Valley
Staying inside the park at Furnace Creek or Stovepipe Wells lets you see sunrise, sunset and the stars without a long drive. Rooms are limited and winter weekends book out early; Beatty in Nevada is the nearest cheaper alternative.
