The Perfect One Day in Death Valley National Park
If you only have one day to explore Death Valley National Park, you are in the right place!
Death Valley National Park is one of the most unique and beautiful parks I have ever visited, and it should be on every bucket list. Although it is known for having some of the hottest temperatures in the world and the lowest point in North America, it is so much more than that!
When I visited Death Valley, I did not know what to expect from its landscape. And let me tell you, it was beautiful! I loved the varied landscapes throughout the park- one section had sand dunes, another had multi-colored hills, and the next had red rock with snow-capped mountains in the distance.
We were originally supposed to spend the night near the park, but we ended up only having one day to explore Death Valley, and it was the perfect amount of time. We were able to see the highlights and hike a few trails.
Although you could spend a few days exploring everything the park offers, you can see most of the must-see attractions in one day. I created this guide with everything you need to know to spend the perfect one day in Death Valley!
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What to Know Before Visiting Death Valley
I spent a day exploring everything Death Valley offers, and I think it was plenty of time to see the most popular areas and hike a few short trails. If you have more time, I highly recommend spending another day in the park because you will not regret it.
Below are some things you should know before you go to Death Valley. These are things I am so happy I knew before going because they made a big difference in my trip!
- Be prepared for the heat. Death Valley National Park is one of the hottest places in the world, with temperatures over 100 degrees in the summer. When we visited in March, it was still hot, especially midday. I recommend visiting between late fall and early spring for the best temperatures. Regardless of when you visit, you must prepare for the heat with plenty of water, food, moisture-wicking clothes, and sunscreen.
- Start your day early. Because Death Valley is one of the hottest places in the world, I recommend starting your day early in the morning to avoid the midday heat. Hiking in the morning or late afternoon is great to avoid the hottest time of the day. Since Death Valley receives over one million visitors a year, starting your day early allows you to explore the park with fewer crowds, too!
- Pack proper hiking gear and sunscreen. You should have hiking boots, moisture-wicking clothes, and a hiking backpack with food and plenty of water. Most of the areas in Death Valley have little to no shade, making it crucial to wear sunscreen, too. When we visited, we reapplied sunscreen midday to help prevent us from burning.
- Bring food and water into the park. The nearest city with food is about half an hour away, so I recommend getting everything you need for your trip before entering the park. We packed a cooler, and it was perfect for our one day in Death Valley!
- Buy the America the Beautiful Annual Pass. If you are visiting more national parks on your trip or within the year, I highly recommend buying the America the Beautiful Annual Pass. It allows you to enter any national park and federal recreation land for a year!
- Always remember to leave no trace. It is crucial to pack out what you pack in and leave no trash behind. Some spots have trash bins, so you can easily throw away your trash. If they do not have trash bins, you should take your trash with you and dispose of it once you find one.
Where You Should Stay When Visiting Death Valley
If you plan to spend a night near Death Valley, you can find accommodations in a few nearby towns. The closest is Furnace Creek, but those accommodations are very expensive because they are the closest to the park.
The two next best places to stay are Beatty and Pahrump. They are about an hour from the park, but they have everything you need for your stay and budget-friendly accommodations.
Death Valley Hotels:
- The Inn at Death Valley
- The Ranch at Death Valley
- Death Valley Inn
- Stovepipe Wells Village Hotel
- Longstreet Inn & Casino
Death Valley Campgrounds:
Looking for a fun way to track your visits to each national park?
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Each journal includes:
- full checklist of all U.S. National Parks
- pages for each national park with space for memories, highlights, and photos
- planning checklist to help prep for your next trip
- spots to rank your top parks and memories
- and fun extras like National Park Bingo!
What You Will See in One Day in Death Valley
Below is a quick overview of the best things to see if you only have one day to explore Death Valley. Then we will dive into a more in-depth itinerary of all these beautiful attractions!
Sunrise at Zabriskie Point
Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral
Badwater Basin
Natural Bridge
Artists Drive and Artists Palette
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Stargazing
Here is Exactly How to Spend One Day in Death Valley
Since you only have one day in Death Valley, I recommend arriving early to make the most of your one day. If you are up for sunrise, I highly recommend watching it from the park because it is stunning!
If you are not a wake-up-super-early-for-sunrise person (I totally get it!), I recommend arriving as early as possible in the morning. Trust me, you will want more time to visit the park without the midday crowds.
Sunrise at Zabriskie Point
abriskie Point is one of Death Valley's most iconic viewpoints, and it is the perfect place to watch the sunrise. The viewpoint is at the end of a paved path, overlooking the badlands.
Once you are at the top, you can relax and watch the sunrise from the overlook or explore the nearby trails! This area has a few trails to explore, ranging from moderate to strenuous. Since we did not want to hike anything too crazy, we decided to walk a short distance on a few nearby trails, which was fun!
If you want to enjoy a fun hike around the badlands, I recommend hiking the 2.7-mile Badlands Loop! This trail is stunning and offers unique views of the badlands.
If you are up for a longer hike, you can connect Zabriskie Point to Red Cathedral, the next thing on this itinerary. The 6.4-mile hike is strenuous but has some of the best views in Death Valley!
Hike to Red Cathedral
The hike from Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral is my favorite hike in Death Valley and will quickly become one of yours, too! If you do not want to hike, you can skip this and head directly to the next attraction.
The 3-mile hike travels the canyon floor, giving you an up-close view of the canyon walls. The colors in the morning are stunning, so make sure to pack your cameras!
The Golden Canyon Trail gradually gains elevation as it brings you towards the base of Red Cathedral. There is a bit of scrambling before Red Cathedral, but once you get to the top, you are rewarded with breathtaking views overlooking the badlands and surrounding mountains.
If you do one hike during your day in Death Valley, I highly recommend the Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral. Trust me, the views will take your breath away!
Explore Badwater Basin
Now it is time to explore the lowest place in North America (282 feet below sea level)! Badwater Basin is a huge salt flat with stunning views of the surrounding mountains, and it is an easy walk from the parking lot.
One of the best things about Badwater Basin is that you can walk as little or as far as you want to experience the salt flats. If you do not want to walk onto the salt flats, you can enjoy an easy stroll on the boardwalk to the Badwater Basin sign.
In early 2024, Badwater Basin flooded because of heavy rains, so the salt flat looked a little different when we visited. We could also see lingering water in the distance.
Badwater Basin is one of the hottest places in Death Valley, so if you visit in the summer, I recommend visiting in the morning. We visited midday in March, and it was very hot. We did not walk too far onto the salt flats because of the heat.
Hike to the Natural Bridge
If you love arches, you are in luck! The Natural Bridge is a stunning geological feature, standing 35 feet tall. It may not compare to the arches in Arches National Park, but it is beautiful!
The hike to the Natural Bridge is a 0.6-mile trail along the canyon floor to the arch. The trail continues past the Natural Bridge, but we turned around after it.
This entire hike was stunning! I loved walking along the canyon floor at the base of the massive stone walls. And the Natural Bridge was beautiful. It is typically a popular hike, but we shared the trail with only a handful of people, which was nice.
Explore Artists Drive
Artists Drive is a 9-mile, one-way scenic drive that should be on every Death Valley itinerary. This area was my favorite section in Death Valley because the multi-colored hills were stunning!
The entrance to Artists Drive is just after the road to the Natural Bridge and offers the best views in the park, in my opinion. Although you can drive straight through the scenic drive, I recommend stopping at every viewpoint. Trust me, the views at each are worth it!
Although the views along all nine miles of Artists Drive are breathtaking, two spots stood out to me above the rest. The first viewpoint is just over a mile on Artists Drive and offers incredible views overlooking the surrounding multi-colored hills. You can enjoy views from the parking lot or walk up a short and steep trail to the viewpoint. The views from the top were some of my favorites!
My second favorite viewpoint was from Artists Palette. Artists Palette is the iconic viewpoint in Death Valley that I am sure you have seen photos of. This area is breathtaking and will quickly become one of your favorite places. I recommend walking the trails in Artists Palette to get up close and personal with the multi-colored hills.
Because we visited towards the end of the day, Artists Drive was not too crowded. It was nice to enjoy the scenic drive and viewpoints without too many people. Also, the light on the multi-colored hills in the afternoon was stunning, and it really helped the colors pop!
Sunset at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Did you know Death Valley has sand dunes?! I had no idea the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes existed until I was researching Death Valley and stumbled across a stunning photo of them. They are about a half-hour drive north of the rest of the park, but it is worth the drive, especially for sunset.
You can see the dunes from the parking lot, but I recommend hiking to them to get the full experience. Hiking on the dunes is not as easy as it looks, but it is fun! Although there is no official trail to follow, you will see where most people hike on the dunes and can follow their paths.
One of the best times to visit the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes is during sunset, when you can enjoy the dunes with the beautiful golden glow. Trust me, it is beautiful!
If you are not up for a sunset exploration, do not worry! The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are stunning no matter what time of day you visit. The views of the surrounding dunes and mountains will take your breath away.
Stargazing
If you are spending the night near Death Valley, I highly recommend stargazing in the park. Since there is little light pollution, you can enjoy stargazing pretty much anywhere in Death Valley.
Some of the best places for stargazing are Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Badwater Basin, and Ubehebe Crater. You will be in awe of the stunning views of the night sky and the Milky Way if you have a clear night!
Death Valley Frequently Asked Questions
Is Death Valley worth visiting?
Yes, Death Valley is absolutely worth visiting! It is one of the most unique national parks, and I truly believe it should be on every bucket list.
Although it is known for having the hottest temperatures and the lowest point in North America, it has so much more to offer! Death Valley has everything from salt flats, multi-colored hills, sand dunes, red rock, and views of snow-capped mountains.
Death Valley truly has something for everyone!
Is one day enough time to see Death Valley?
Yes, one day gives you enough time to see the highlights in Death Valley.
Although you could spend a few days exploring Death Valley, we saw everything on our bucket list within a day. But if you have another day to spare, you will not regret spending it in the park.
One day gives you plenty of time to explore the park since most of the must-see attractions are within a quick drive of each other. And to make the most of your day, I recommend arriving in the park early!
What is the best time to visit Death Valley?
Late fall to early spring is the best time to visit Death Valley. The weather is a lot cooler, allowing you to explore without the sweltering heat.
Although you can technically visit Death Valley year-round, summers are incredibly hot (over 100 degrees!). The heat limits what you can do since it is not recommended to hike midday in that kind of weather.
I visited in March, and I thought it was a great time to explore Death Valley! Although it was still warm midday, it was not anything close to summer temperatures. And it was not too crowded!
What should I not miss in Death Valley?
Although I could make a huge list of things to see in Death Valley, I will give you a few spots that I would not miss when you visit!
Zabriskie Point
Badwater Basin
Natural Bridge
Artists Drive and Artists Palette
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
If you want to visit Death Valley, this guide is the perfect place to start planning your trip. I included everything you need to know about how to spend one day in Death Valley.
Hey, I’m Nichole!
I am the creator behind Nichole the Nomad, the home of my explorations around the world, mountain hikes, and beautiful pictures taken along the way. I have a deep passion for capturing the world in a beautiful light and sharing my experiences.
I created this blog to share my travels, show how beautiful the world is, provide tips and tricks for traveling, and encourage you to explore. Whether you want to travel across the world or explore what’s in your backyard, I hope this blog inspires you to get outside and find your adventure!
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