Death Valley National Park II
Death Valley, California
Terrain // Concrete | Found On // Campendium | Our Stay // February 11 – 23, 2024
Mountains, Dunes, Desert Plains, Oh My!
When there’s a rare lake in the hottest place in the world, you make a special visit to witness it. Death Valley is one of my favorite National Parks because of its incredibly diverse landscapes and gorgeous colors. Covering nearly 3.2 million acres, the park spans parts of eastern California and Nevada, making it the largest national park in the contiguous United States. Michael and I spent a couple of weeks here revisiting a few places we saw last year, trying out a new food spot, and meeting another travel couple!
Fun Facts
Hottest Place on Earth: Death Valley holds the record for the highest reliably reported air temperature on Earth, reaching 134°F (56.7°C) in 1913.
Diverse Landscapes: Death Valley features diverse landscapes, including salt flats, sand dunes, canyons, mountains, and desert plains.
Rich Geology: The park boasts unique geological formations, including colorful mineral deposits, rugged peaks, and ancient rock formations.
Superbloom Spectacle: Periodic super blooms occur in Death Valley, transforming the desert floor into a colorful carpet of wildflowers after winter rains.
Dark Sky Reserve: Death Valley is designated as a Gold Tier International Dark Sky Park, offering unparalleled stargazing opportunities.
Extreme Temperature Fluctuations: While known for its scorching temperatures, Death Valley experiences dramatic temperature fluctuations, with hot days often followed by chilly nights.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at The Pads again this year due to its proximity to the park entrance and the fact that it’s free boondocking. It was surprisingly busy this time of year. After speaking with a few of our neighbors, we found out a camping group of ~70 people were staying for the long weekend. Even with extra people, the spots are spread out enough that it doesn’t feel too cramped.
Where we booked // Details for this spot can be found on Campendium. If you’re not boondocking, there are a few campgrounds and inns inside the park.
The Start of a New Friendship
“Is that a toy hauler?”
This was the question that started a new friendship. We met Benny and Tina while cooking dinner one night at The Pads. They are some of the most fun people we’ve met on the road. We hit it off and ended up hiking Ubehebe together. We shared some drinks, laughed so much, and bonded over campfire stories. They are our kind of people. It was hands down our favorite part about visiting Death Valley this year.
There are quite a few old mining trails near The Pads, so we hopped on our new Lectric e-bikes and ventured into the unknown. The ride was definitely intense in some spots due to a ton of loose stones and washouts, but our bikes held up! Overall, it was a beautiful ride with wide-open views of the mountain. We went out about 3 miles before heading back to camp.
Must See Spots
The main reason we visited Death Valley again this year was because Badwater Basin was turned into a temporary lake! This is an extremely rare event, as normally, the amount of water flowing in is much less than the evaporation rate. In February, it was about six miles long, 3 miles wide, and one foot deep. Wild!
Fun Facts: Badwater Basin in Death Valley is the lowest point in North America, at 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level. It’s made up of vast salt flats formed by the evaporation of ancient lakes.
Down the road from Badwater Basin is the Natural Bridge. It is made up of a jagged rock alluvial deposit, that tower about 35 feet above the canyon floor. There is a 1.4-mile out-and-back trail with rocks that feel like walking in constantly moving sand.
Zabriski Point remains one of my favorite spots in Death Valley. This year we watched the sun set here on Valentine’s Day. This formation is part of the Amargosa Range and has been featured in several movies for its otherworldly landscape. You can hike down into the canyon to get a different perspective.
The best part of Dante’s View is that you drive almost all the way up the mountain (5,476 ft). The worst part is that due to the elevation, it’s bound to be extra windy up here. It’s located along the crest of the Black Mountains, where you can hike about a half mile out to see down into Badwater Basin. The further out on the trail you walk, the better the views get.
For context on the rare lake anomaly, below is a photo of Badwater Basin from Dante’s View in 2023 compared to 2024.
The highest dune reaches about 100 ft and covers a sizeable area (the largest dune area in the park)! It’s about 2.8 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 206 feet. Hiking and exploring here is pretty much open game. Just pick a direction and start walking.
Ubehebe Crater was a first for us. Roughly 2,000 years ago, rising magma came into contact with groundwater, resulting in a steam and gas explosion that left this 600-foot crater. The 1.5-mile hike around the rim of Ubehebe was very windy but had awesome views. When you hike counter-clockwise, you’ll see Little Ubehebe on your right.
Artist Palette is a scenic loop drive that winds through multi-hued hills. The 9-mile drive is one-way and you can’t take vehicles over 25 feet long. The color of the rocks is drastically different between mid day and evening. Looking back at the photos we had captured, I wish we had visited later in the evening instead of the afternoon as ours have a very heavy yellow hue to them.
Resources
National Park Pass
It’s roughly $30 / vehicle to enter most national parks. If you plan on entering any national park at least three times in a calendar year, we highly suggest getting an Annual Park Pass. It’s $80 for a whole year (cheaper for seniors), and the pass covers entrance or day-use fees to all National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands for one personal vehicle, including rentals and RVs/motorhomes, plus entry to 2,000 Federal Recreation Sites.
CAMPENDIUM
Campendium is a camping resource we use when looking for free/cheap places to stay. It’s free to use the app, but we have a subscription for $50 a year that provides an ad-free experience and detailed coverage maps you can filter by elevation, public land boundaries, and wildfire and smoke conditions. Plus, you can save your favorite places and trails in the area.
It is a leading online platform for camping enthusiasts, offering a user-friendly interface to discover and review campgrounds across North America. With detailed information, user reviews, and photos, Campendium helps both seasoned travelers and newcomers plan memorable outdoor adventures. If you're into camping, Campendium is basically your go-to sidekick for discovering awesome spots and connecting with a bunch of like-minded outdoor people.