Death Valley Scenic Road Trip

Overview

Many visitors to Death Valley have tried to capture its unique landscape and eerie beauty through words and pictures, but you have to go there to truly experience it. At first glance, the valley may appear forsaken and desolate, but you will soon discover that spending time in this completely unusual landscape will inspire you to appreciate its rugged, natural beauty.

Aptly named stops along this road trip will get the best of your curiosity. Dante's View is arguably the most magnificent panorama in Death Valley. From this peak in the Black Mountains, but still a mere mile above sea level, you will see an expansive valley before you to the west, all the way to Telescope Peak. Below the peak is Badwater, the lowest point on the entire continent at 282 feet below sea level. 

The salt pans below are one of the most eerily fascinating places. The uninterrupted space of white dried salt crystals create erratic geometric patterns on the valley floor, which can be best captured in their entirety from Dante's View.

Another curious name is Devil's Golf Course. You will notice that the peculiar jagged peaks and crevices comprised almost completely of sodium chloride would hardly prove adequate topography for a golf course at all. The name, however, comes from a quote in a 1934 travel guidebook of the region, which said "only the devil could play golf on such a surface."

You'll find out why Artist Drive is named such as you come upon the view from the highway through the Black Mountains. As reds, golds, lavenders, and greens appear in the distance, you will see why this palette of colors fascinates new and frequent visitors alike. The colored landscape is actually chemically altered ash deposits from volcanoes that erupted millions of years ago. The drive will inspire wonder as you take in this painted landscape of color and shape.

Landscapes of parched salt flats, colored volcanic deposits, wind-blown sand dunes and expansive vistas of wind and rain marked rock crevices may not be your initial idea of a beautiful California vacation, but wait until you see it for yourself as you drive the Death Valley Scenic Road Trip.

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