Death Valley and the Mojave

This drive leaves Las Vegas, passes Red Rock Canyon, then crosses the below-sea-level basin of Death Valley, with salt flats, sand dunes and canyons, and climbs over the Panamint Range to the Owens Valley. It suits those who want a desert adventure, but only in the cooler months.

The stops

1. Start

   Las Vegas

2. Viewpoint

   Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive

   13-mile one-way drive; timed entry is used in busy months

3. Viewpoint

   Dante's View

   1,669 m viewpoint above Badwater

4. Viewpoint

   Badwater Basin

   Lowest point in North America

5. Viewpoint

   Artists Drive

   One-way scenic loop with coloured rocks

6. Town · Overnight

   Furnace Creek

   Visitor centre, fuel, restaurants

7. Viewpoint

   Zabriskie Point

   Sunrise over badlands

8. Viewpoint

   Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

   Walk onto the dunes at dawn or dusk

9. Viewpoint

   Alabama Hills

   Arches and film-set landscape beside Lone Pine

10. Finish

    Lone Pine

Where to stay

• Night 1

  Furnace Creek

  Furnace Creek Campground (NPS)

• Night 2

  Stovepipe Wells

  Stovepipe Wells Campground (NPS)

When to go

Oct-Apr; summer heat is dangerous

On the road

Carry extra water and fuel; cell service is limited. Check NPS road status after flash floods.