Ripples in sand at Mesquite Sand Dunes.

Death Valley National Park

The very name evokes all that is harsh, hot and hellish – a punishing, barren and lifeless place of Old Testament severity. Yet closer inspection reveals that in Death Valley nature is putting on a truly spectacular show: singing sand dunes, water-sculpted canyons, boulders moving across the desert floor, extinct volcanic craters, palm-shaded oases, stark mountains rising to 11,000ft and plenty of endemic wildlife. This is a land of superlatives, holding the US records for hottest temperature (134°F/57°C), lowest point (Badwater, 282ft below sea level) and largest national park outside Alaska (more than 5000 sq miles).


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Hikers on the slopes of Zabriskie Point at sunrise in Death Valley National Park in California, United States - stock photo
Hikers on the slopes of Zabriskie Point at sunrise in Death Valley National Park in California, United States

Destination Practicalities

A first-time guide to Death Valley National Park

Nov 21, 2024 • 6 min read