The Perfect One Day in Death Valley

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! Death Valley is known for having some of the hottest temperatures in the world and the lowest point in North America, but 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 knew it had multi-colored hills, but the photos I saw did not do it justice. The landscape is sure to take your breath away!

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. You could spend a few days exploring everything the park offers, but you can see most must-see attractions in a day. This guide has everything you need to know about how to spend the perfect one day in Death Valley!

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Tips for Visiting Death Valley

Death Valley is a relatively easy place to plan a trip to because most must-see attractions are within a short driving distance from each other. That also means it is easy to plan a one-day trip there!

I spent a day exploring everything Death Valley offers, and I think it was plenty of time to see the most popular areas while being able to hike a few short trails. If you have more time, I highly recommend spending more time in the park. But if you only have a day, this itinerary is a great place to start planning your trip!

Important Things to KNow

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, and moisture-wicking clothes.
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 supportive shoes with good traction, like hiking boots, layers for the time of year you are hiking, and a backpack with water, snacks, and layers. And last but not least, make sure to pack the Ten Essentials. Most of the areas in Death Valley have little to no shade, making it crucial to pack and wear sunscreen, too. When we visited, we reapplied sunscreen midday to help prevent us from burning. The sun is relentless in Death Valley!
Bring food and water into the park. The nearest city with food is about a half hour, 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 American the Beautiful Annual Pass. It allows you into any national park and federal recreation land for a year!
Always remember to leave no trace. It’s crucial to pack out what you pack in and leave no trash. Some spots have trash bins, so you can easily throw your trash away. If they don’t have trash bins, you can throw your trash away at a nearby gas station or convenience store.

Where to Stay Near Death Valley

If you plan to spend a night near Death Valley, a few towns nearby have accommodations. The closest is Furnace Creek, but these 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 are more inexpensive than the accommodations in Furnace Creek.

Best Death Valley Hotels:

Best Death Valley Campgrounds:

Zabriskie Point viewpoint in death valley

One Day in Death Valley Itinerary Overview

Below is a quick overview of the best things to see if you only have one day to explore Death Valley. Now, let’s dive into a more in-depth itinerary of all these beautiful attractions!

Zabriskie Point
Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral
Badwater Basin
Natural Bridge
Artists Drive and Artists Palette
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Stargazing

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The Perfect One Day in Death Valley Itinerary

Since you only have one day in Death Valley, I recommend starting your day early to make the most of your day. If you are up for sunrise, I highly recommend watching it from the park because it is stunning!

Sunrise at Zabriskie Point

Zabriskie Point is one of the most iconic viewpoints in Death Valley and is the perfect place to watch the sunrise. The viewpoint is a paved 0.4-mile round trip walk from the parking lot to an incredible viewpoint overlooking the badlands.

Once you are at the top, you can relax and watch the sunrise from the paved overlook or explore the nearby trails! This area has a few trails to explore that range from moderate to difficult. 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, the 2.7-mile round-trip Badlands Loop is for you! 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 which is the next thing to do on your itinerary. The 6.4-mile round-trip hike is difficult but has some of the best views in Death Valley!

No matter how you experience Zabriskie Point, you will quickly see why it is one of the best viewpoints 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!

The 3-mile round trip hike travels along the canyon floor, giving you an up-close and personal view of the canyon walls. The colors in the morning are stunning as the sun is rising!

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. The views will take your breath away!

best things to do in death valley

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 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 than the images we saw online when we visited. We could also see lingering water in the distance.

Badwater Basin is one of the hottest places in Death Valley, and it is recommended to only visit in the morning in the summer. We visited midday in March, and it was very hot. We did not walk too far onto the salt flats because of the heat.

badwater basin salt flat in death valley

Hike to the Natural Bridge

If you love arches, you are in luck! The Natural Bridge is a stunning geological feature, standing at 35 feet that you can walk under. It may not compare to the arches in Arches National Park, but it does not lack beauty!

The drive to the trailhead is unpaved but pretty well maintained, and we did not have any issues driving on it. The hike to the Natural Bridge is 0.6 miles round trip traveling along the canyon floor to the arch. The trail continues after 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 are 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 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 in Death Valley. I recommend walking around the trails in Artists Palette to get an up-close and personal experience with the multi-colored hills.

Once you explore Artists Drive and Artists Palette, you will quickly see why it is one of the most iconic areas in Death Valley!

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.

Of course, you can view the sand dunes from the parking lot, but I recommend hiking to them to get the full experience. Hiking on sand dunes is not as easy as it looks, but it is fun! Although there is no official trail to follow, you will see where the majority of people hike on the sand dunes and can follow their paths.

One of the best times to visit the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes is during sunset. You can enjoy the stunning views with the beautiful golden glow of the sunset. 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 sand dunes and mountains will take your breath away.

Stargazing

If you are spending the night during your trip to Death Valley, I highly recommend stargazing in the park. Since there is little light pollution in the national park, 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 Milky Way if you have a clear night!

If you want to visit Death Valley, this guide is the perfect place to start planning your trip. It has everything you need to know about how to spend one day in Death Valley.