Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park covers about 13,850 square kilometres in eastern California and a small part of Nevada, making it the largest national park in the contiguous United States. It lies in the Mojave Desert between the Amargosa and Panamint ranges.

The Timbisha Shoshone people have lived in the valley for centuries. The name Death Valley dates from 1849, when a group of gold seekers became stranded here; one is said to have called out goodbye, Death Valley as they left. Borax mining followed in the 1880s, made famous by twenty-mule teams. The area became a national monument in 1933 and a national park in 1994.

Badwater Basin, at 86 metres below sea level, is the lowest point in North America, with wide salt flats. On 10 July 1913, Furnace Creek recorded an air temperature of 56.7 °C, often cited as the highest on Earth. Other sights include Zabriskie Point, the colourful hills of Artist's Drive, the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, the views from Dante's View, Ubehebe Crater and the Racetrack Playa, where rocks pushed by thin sheets of ice and wind leave long trails on the dry lakebed. Unusually wet winters can trigger large wildflower blooms, as in 2005.

An entrance fee applies. In summer, temperatures are dangerous, so avoid hiking after 10 am at low elevations, carry plenty of water and stay with your vehicle if it breaks down. November to March is the most comfortable season.

How do you pay to enter Death Valley? The park charges USD 30 per private vehicle, USD 25 for motorcycles and USD 15 per person on foot or bicycle, each valid for seven days. Children under 16 do not need a pass. Death Valley does not accept cash. Pay online on Recreation.gov, at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center or Stovepipe Wells Ranger Station, or at 24-hour card machines at Badwater, Zabriskie Point, Hell's Gate and other stops.

A park-only annual pass costs USD 55 for US citizens and residents. Non-US residents can buy the weekly pass or the USD 250 America the Beautiful nonresident annual pass.

Getting there and around. Las Vegas is about two hours by car from Furnace Creek, and Los Angeles about four and a half hours. There is no public transport into the park, so a car is needed. Fuel is sold at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells and Panamint Springs at high prices, and distances between them are long. The Racetrack and other remote sites need a high-clearance vehicle with good tyres.