favorite itinerary: 2 days in death valley national park
death valley national park is an otherworldly fever dream! i’m a huge fan of desert ecosystems and this one just blew me away! we spent 2 full days exploring death valley and enjoyed every second of it. you can see a lot spending a weekend in death valley national park. we had actually planned on a third day, but car trouble bested us. and yet, 2 days in death valley ended up being enough! three days in death valley would also provide more flexibility to see some of the farther out sites.
the land presently called death valley is the homeland of the timbisha shoshone, who were placed in the region by creator appü. for the timbisha shoshone, death valley is tüpippüh and the land of tümpisa, or “red ochre”. miners arrived in the 1800s and the timbisha shoshone were pushed out of their homeland and “relocated” multiple times, including forced removal by the National Park Service. they have continued to live in the area and in the year 2000, 7700 acres of their homeland was restored via the timbisha shoshone homeland act. though there are hundreds of tribal members, there are currently several dozen that live year round within the park’s boundaries.
pauline esteves, a tribal elder shares, “the spirit of timbisha has received many travelers from other lands, and all of mother earth’s belongings; the home of the timbisha shoshone newe (peoples), has been used as a commodity of sorts. timbisha is not a “valley of death” – it is a valley of the red ochre. red ochre is used spiritually by the newe with its “healing power.” not of death but for life. waters from the mountains to the east and west flow underground into this valley. overflows of nearby springs once formed streams of surface water by its own course, bringing life.”
one thing i found especially surprising about death valley national park is the way visitors are invited right into the landscape. it’s nothing i’ve experienced in any other national park before (for good reasons). many places in the park don’t even have a trail and you are allowed to simply wander. these include badwater basin, devil’s golf course, nature bridge, mesquite flat sand dunes, artists palette, and more! do be sure to read all signage before deviating away from clearly designated areas.
here’s our death valley 2 day itinerary. (of note, the park experienced devastating floods in summer 2022. roads were destroyed, along with exhibits and more. be sure to check the death valley national park website before your visit to make note of closures and re-openings.)
day 1 in death valley national park
1. stop at the furnace creek visitor center for maps and information.
2. visit badwater basin: this 200 square mile salt flat is the lowest point in north america at more than 280 feet below sea level. we caught a morning ranger program here that was spectacular. note the endemic snails that live in the salty spring that bubbles up at the flats. this goes on the *do not miss list. also of note, this location is one of the most wheelchair accessible in the park. though the flats themselves are not paved, some wheelchairs would likely do fine. we did see tire tracks on the flats.
view from the salt flats at bad water basin
3. hike natural bridge: over many years, flash floods carved out this canyon and the natural bridge that spans it. there is a bumpy dirt road to a parking area, and the bridge is a 0.5 mile hike from there. there is no official path, but following the canyon will get you there. you can also explore beyond the bridge. there is a fascinating formation that appears to be a waterfall during floods. it’s reminiscent of a cathedral.
a 35 foot natural bridge spans a canyon in death valley national park
4. visit devils golf course: add this to the list of places that make death valley feel like another planet. the devils golf course is a massive “sea” of rock salt. erosion has left it pitted, sharp and rocky. it felt especially odd to just step onto the golf course, but signage allows it with warnings to be cautious about the sharp formations. they are very tricky to walk on and if you slip there’s nothing safe to grab ahold of or land on. while this is another spot that requires a drive on dirt road, it’s well worth the stop!
kiddo plays on the devils golf course salt rocks
5. explore artists drive: this is another one that goes on the *do not miss list for death valley national park! the colors are truly phenomenal - kiddo said it looked like ice cream and i have to agree. it’s a pleasant drive and there are several places to pull over. the main attraction is artists palette. visitors are able to walk directly onto the formation. there is an informal trail and lots of freedom to explore.
a view of artists palette showing the pinks, purples, greens and browns of the land
6. wander the mesquite flat sand dunes: the dune fields are a spectacular place to visit at sunrise or sunset. we went for golden hour and sunset and it didn’t disappoint! there is nowhere to rent them, but visitors are welcome to bring their own sleds or boards to use on the dunes. visitors also have the option to do a 1-mile hike out to the tallest dune (two miles round trip). there is no trail. we just wandered to our own private dune and hung out to watch the colors change. a perfect way to end your first day in death valley national park!
mesquite flat sand dunes
day 2 in death valley national park
hike golden canyon and gower gulch: many know this as the star wars hike. though there are several areas of the park where filming occurred, golden canyon is the most readily recognizable. we enjoyed this 4.6 mile loop - the views are spectacular! if you have time, add on the red cathedral trail (1 mile total) and/or the badlands loop (2.7 miles). we had hoped to do the badlands loop from zabriskie point but didn’t have time. you can still view the badlands from zabriskie point (below).
views of death valley hills from golden canyon
2. check out the park from above at dantes view: at 5575 feet, visitors are able to see the valley below, including bad water basin, devils gold course and more. the park recommends visiting at sunrise, sunset or dark, all of which sound magical. we visited smack in the middle of the day and it was still spectacular! be advised, the temperature is much cooler up here compared with the valley floor - likely a huge relief during scorching hot days!
view of death valley hills from atop dante’s view
3. drive through twenty mule team canyon: this 2.5 mile canyon is a short drive that feels a bit like driving through the death valley badlands. it only takes a few minutes to travel through and is between dantes view and zabriskie point. so, worth a quick drive through if you’re going to the other two anyways!
4. enjoy golden hour at zabriskie point: this was my favorite spot of all the special places we visited during our weekend in death valley national park. if you get there early enough, do the badlands hike and then stroll up zabriskie point for golden hour and sunset. it is truly spectacular! i loved it so much i planned to do it the next evening, as well, but you know… car trouble. anyway, it’s a fantastic spot and is a *do not miss! the most special way to end 2 days in death valley national park!
if you have more time
harmony borax works: we hadn’t planned to visit this site but had some extra time and stopped by. it was so interesting! it’s a quick stop and a great place to learn about a bit of the park’s history and what ultimately led to the park’s popularity. it’s also where the evening ranger programs take place, so worth seeing in daylight, too.
mosaic canyon: this had been on our itinerary and got cut when car trouble arose. we would have loved to see this geological wonder!
wildrose charcoal kilns: these kilns look to be another incredible historic feature of the park. we weren’t able to get out to this area, but if you’re already passing through, seems like these kilns would be a wonderful thing to see.
ubehebe crater: this was closed due to flooding on our visit but we hope to see it someday!
devil’s hole/ash meadow national wildlife refuge: we stopped here on our way out of death valley, and it was well worth it! we wanted to see the devil’s hole pupfish, which are one of the rarest fish in the world. we also stopped at the point of rocks site where we saw pupfish up close and bighorn sheep from afar!
the platform path at point of rocks site in ash meadows national wildlife refuge
death valley national park is definitely one of our top national parks we’ve visited so far. i hope this 2 day itinerary is helpful and that you enjoy your visit!
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