The Oasis is the nicest hotel in the national park, and is worth a stay if you’re looking to make your visit a bit more luxurious. Rooms range from $150/night to $350/night depending on the season. When you stay here, you’ll get the distinct feeling of being in an oasis, as the hotel is surrounded by palm trees and has a beautiful pool. It really feels like it shouldn’t be there, but I’m glad it is. If you stay here, you’re going to want to plan some pool time into your trip. The rooms are comfortable and luxurious with bathrobes and views of the national park. The onsite restaurant is not cheap, but delicious.

Standing at 282ft below sea level, Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America. The area is a salt flat that covers nearly 200 square miles. From the parking area, you can walk out onto them to take in their vastness. If you look up onto the mountain behind the parking lot, you can see the sign that says where sea level is. Be careful walking off of the main trail, there are some areas where they are not solid, and you could fall through into the mud below. The best time to visit Badwater is at sunset, but really it’s very cool at any time of the day.

These sand dunes are the most easily accessible dunes in Death Valley. From the road, they don’t look very big, but once you’ve walked out into them, you‘ll find yourself surrounded by a large area of 100ft tall dunes. The further you go out into the dunes, the more impressive they become (and the less crowded). Make sure you have enough water for the distance you plan on exploring. Dunes are a lot harder to hike on than you’d think, and however far you wander out, you’ll need to make sure you can make it back.

There are lots of spots to stop along the Artist’s Drive, but the Artist’s Palette is probably the most spectacular. I recommend planning to visit here during mid to late afternoon to get the best lighting on the rocks and to be able to see the different colors the most clearly. If the parking lot is full, you can park on the road and walk in. There is also a restroom here.

This 9-mile drive is a one way road that will take you through the portion of Death Valley that includes the Artist’s Palette. The entire drive is gorgeous and offers multiple pull out spots to get out and take in the views. The hills which the drive goes through are super colorful due to different minerals in the rocks, hence the name “Artists Drive”. I recommend doing this drive in mid to late afternoon to get the best lighting on the rocks to see the colors clearly.

This 14 mile trail starts at Mahogany Flat Campground at the end of Upper Wildrose/Emigrant Canyon Road. During the winter months, this road is often closed, and when it is opened, it is recommended for cars with 4x4 or AWD capabilities. The trail winds up to the top of Telescope Peak, the highest peak in Death Valley National Park, standing at an elevation of 11,043ft. The trail has a total elevation gain of 3000ft. Many people (including myself) choose to do this hike as an overnight trip, especially during warmer months when it’s too hot to hike during the day. Many choose to start the hike in the late afternoon, camp on the way up, and summit the next morning. There are many places you can camp along the trail on the way to the top which offer incredible views into Death Valley, across the other way to the Sierra Nevadas, and of Telescope Peak itself.