We drove through Death Valley, on way from Yosemite to Las Vegas. Its certainly warm, and there is various places to stop and look around, which are interesting, without being spectacular. The scenery is good, but we had just come from Yosemite, and it was more to my liking on that front. Overall its worth a visit.
I loved being able to go to the lowest place in the US - 282 feet below sea level. We also went to the "Racetrack" where rocks move on their own across a valley floor (it's a 2.5 hour drive one way to get there). The park is 3.3M miles so you have to plan on spending a lot of time driving to get to your destination. Also plan to rent a Jeep if you're going to do any of the long trips...the gravel back roads are heck on a normal vehicle.
I recently moved to California and was excited to learn that Death Valley National park is just a short drive away, perfect for a day trip.
While there we visited the Mesquite Flat sand dunes, the Golden Canyon, and Badwater Basin, took a drive on Artist's Drive, and ate at the 49er Cafe in Furnace Creek Ranch.
The diversity in this park is amazing. I'm not just referring to geological diversity. The biological diversity is incredible, if you just take the time to look.
The temperature was near 80 degrees in February, and even with it being so mild, my husband and I both were quite warm. Stay hydrated! Don't assume that you won't need to take your water with you, even if it's just a short hike. Better safe than sorry.
Badwater Basin is where we stopped & walked along the salt track. Fabulous place, very hot & stunning scenery. Well worth a visit.
I love the winter desert: you can explore and enjoy all the sites without the heat discomfort. The Valley is long.....allow at least 2 days.
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