No visit to this NP is complete without doing the one way artist's palette drive. The drive is easy…read morewith lots of pullouts. There are currently many wildflowers to be seen here as well. You can easily enjoy the views from the far or venture out on a trail or short walk from Parking spots.

Easy parking and a short walk to get through a lookout. The photos don't do the color justice and I…read morethink when it's not peak light, you'll see them more vibrant but still fascinating to see up close! Theres not too much of an actual path here then just climbing around for a lookout and then returning to the parking lot.

Entering Death Valley National Park from the south via Jubilee Pass Rd. And heading north on…read moreBadwater Rd. You will pass Ashford Mills Ruins. This is what is left of a gold mining operation from a century ago. There are a few standing walls of some old buildings and some remnants of the mining equipment, but little else. Of note, when we visited in April, there was a pretty good wildflower bloom in this area, and everything was covered with Sphinx moth caterpillars-- there were thousands of them crossing the road and unfortunately our truck claimed more than a few speeding down the highway. If you're pressed for time, this one is not essential to see in comparison to Badwater Basin, Mesquite Dunes, Mosaic Canyon, etc. if you have nothing but time, stop in here to stretch your legs and see how with enough time, the desert reclaims just about everything. From dust you come, and to dust you shall return.

Neat piece of history if you happen to be driving by. I definitely wouldn't make a specific trip…read morethere just to see the ruins as there really isn't much to see. Nice spot to stop to stretch your legs and use the bathroom. If you are heading north, the next bathroom is Badwater Basin which is an hour away.

Devil's Golf Course was one of my favorite stops during our Dec 2021 visit to Death Valley…read more Visiting during winter is the "high season" for Death Valley due to the much milder temperatures, and we spent a few hours earlier checking out the Badwater Basin, which had a lot of people walking up and down the trail. In comparison, close to sunset, the Devil's Golf Course was pretty deserted! We headed here after driving the Artist's Drive nearby. It was easy to find (imagine driving on a single winding road, and then coming up is a simple brown sign pointing you the way to DEVILS GOLF COURSE; this was the case for all of the sights in the park) and we turned to a gravel-ish road and drove carefully down to a small parking area where we were surrounded with salt formations. Since it was late in the day for daylight it was only us and two other vehicles ahead of us - as the sun grew dim the surroundings almost looked eerily, otherworldly blue against the sea of formations. The salt formations here were more impressive than the ones at Badwater Basin, larger and craggier, and whiter too without people walking around them. The nearby signs had additional photos of what the delicate salt formations can look like without disturbance from visitors. Wonderful!

Gives you the other worldly vibes. To get to the Devils Golf Course, you have to drive on a gravel…read moreroad which can get bumpy and dusty. Once you arrive it's a lookout than an hike but looks pretty cool!

A Beautiful Scenery and Very Challenge Course If you'd like…read moreto challenge yourself, run this event. About the Course I have run a few trail marathons. This race is the most challenge one. The course starts from east end of Titus Canyon road to the west end of Titus Canyon road. Amazingly, the length of the road is specifically designed for running marathon. The road is labeled as jeep road. Only powerful high raised all wheel drive jeeps or SUV can go through the route. The road surfaces vary along the way. You may encounter rock, sand, and dirt. There is no smooth surface section. You always have to choose the landing spot each step of the way to avoid twist your ankle. To avoid injury, I ran much slower than I usually do. I did not get injury, but I got sour ankles and knees. Although there are some significant down hills, the first half is mainly up hills. The second half is all downhill. The elevation starts at 3460ft. It ascending to 4900ft. Then, it has a significant descending before ascending to the peak at 5250ft at the halfway. The finish line has an elevation of 200 ft. The scenery is stunning along the way. This is really awarding. About the Weather When we gather together at Furnace Creek, we felt that we are lucky to have a calm and cool morning. However, after we were shuttled to the start point, everyone has to bundle up. It was cold and windy. Almost everyone returned to the bus as a shelter to keep warm. The windy and cold condition kept to the same to the first 1/3 of the course. After getting to the mountain, the wind was blocked by the hills. Almost everyone wear long sleeves. Some experienced runners use buff to shade the mouth. I did not have one. However, this is highly recommended as it may help you to easy the dry, cold windy weather. It also helps to block the dust whenever a jeep passes by. About the Organizer This is a well organized event. All were smooth. For Marathon course, there is a aid station at mile 5, 10, 15, 20, 23 and at the finish line. The stations were stocked with Gatorade, water, banana, trail mixes, and some other goodies. The volunteers were cheerful and helpful. Potties at the start and finish line. The event is small. You can easily find your own pace to run starting from the beginning. Different from other event, the organizer for this event is very helpful and responsive. The event distribute a T-shirt at the finish line. I was hurry to catch a bus right after I finished my run. I did not get a T-shirt. I wrote an email asking for the T-shirt. They mailed to me in a few days.

Natural Bridge Canyon is a one of the easier hikes with a quick reward, LOVE these! From the…read moreparking lot that has bathrooms it will take about 15 minutes walking up a gentle but constant grade, along pebble floor to the Natural Bridge, which extends across the whole canyon and is quite impressive. Along the way you will see various chutes carved out from flood waters from manyy years ago, you can stand inside of these starring up into the deep blue skies peering out into the beauty of Death Valley to capture GREAT photops. Natural Bridge Canyon offers a short hike 2 miles round-trip with a expansive reward added bonus if you are adventerous continue up past the bridge to see the dry waterfall with the beautiful bluish-green rock colors andd if you are up for scrambling over take in the 20ft dry fall, huge boulders and chutes. ALWAYS bring plenty of H20, be safe and courteous to others.

It's a beautiful arch but nothing extraordinary. Probably my least favorite stop during my recent…read moretrip to Death Valley National Park. I was intrigued by how so few people had reviewed this part of the park, but now I can totally see why. That DRIVE! Ouch. Almost turned around. I was just thinking the whole time like... "Is my car gonna make it through this Gawd awful road?". Saw several cars behind me and a few in front of me just turn right around in the middle of the road. It says it's only 1.5 miles to the parking lot, but it feels like a journey because the road is unpaved and bumpy. If you don't have a 4 wheel drive, good luck and drive slooooow. Once you make it to the parking lot, there are a few restrooms and a trail map. But for that crazy ol' drive, this "hike" up to the arch is super short. AllTrails got it extremely wrong. The whole thing is maybe only about a mile roundtrip. You'll hike up a hill which isn't super steep, but it'll definitely have you huffing and puffing (especially in the heat). And then you'll look up and come up on the arch almost without even knowing it. It's not the most rewarding feeling, but the arch is pretty. I don't know... seeing those massive arches in Utah and Arizona has heightened my expectations. This wasn't worth the long bumpy drive in my opinion. If I could do it again, I wouldn't. I'm glad I can cross it off my list, but there are much better places to explore within the park.

The farthest point I think in the park and we got to see it with a little water which created this…read moreincredible reflection. Good amount of parking and you can walk as far as you'd like on the basin. Peep the sea level sign on top of the mountain to really grasp how 'low' you are!

We decided to take a little day trip out to Death Valley to view the wildflower bloom, hike a bit…read moreand visit Lake Manly (otherwise known as Badwater Basin). I really wanted to walk in the glorious saltwater. We were there on a Thursday and this place was hopping with people. I had forgot that spring breaks have begun. We eventually found a place to park and made our way out to the water via the boardwalk that heads out. We all know that Badwater Basin is the lowest point in the USA. It is 282 feet below sea level and it sure was pretty. The basin normally does not have water, but with all the rain California received this winter the water was almost up to my shins. The saltwater flats cover over 200 miles. The basin includes sodium chloride, gypsum, borax, and calcite. The best part of the visit was that by the time I stepped out of all that saltwater, my feet were so soft. It was truly a natural exfoliation for the feet. Be respectful and leave your pets at home as they are only allowed on designated dirt roads. Most of all LEAVE NO TRACE and Happy Adventuring.

Nice little drive up the mountain. Great views! Couple of…read morehiking trails for different view angles.

This view is absolutely worth the drive there and back at any time of day. I recently went midday,…read morebut I've been at sunset as well and it is stunning at any time of day. We were lucky to visit during the recent superbloom and there were so many flowers along the drive. Don't skip this stop while in the park!

You can take a short drive (less than a mile) over an unpaved road through Mustard Canyon. The…read morecanyon takes its name from the bright yellow rocks that it is composed of. You do not need a high clearance or 4 wheel drive vehicle to drive through it. The entrance is the same as the one to Borax Works, but goes on to become unpaved as it snakes through the Canyon.

I walked from Furnace Creek Campground through Mustard Canyon and back every morning. It was a nice…read morewalk, especially right before sunrise. It felt like nobody else was on the planet but me and the deep silence was humbling. Nice 5.2 mile walk.