We made this trip over three days in December; even then, Death Valley National Park was warm during the day and cold at night. Therefore, I would warn against going there in summer, where it could be unbearably hot.
Day 1
We entered from the west side and started our trip with Darwin Falls. The falls are not massive, but given that the desert surrounds them, it is a site worth visiting. We only did the first falls, and those will four-wheel drive can drive 2 miles to the second falls.
From there, we headed to Mosaic Canyons and hiked there.
We camped at the Furnace Creek campground. Away from the light pollution, the night was starry and serene.
Day 2
On the second day, we started early morning and headed to Corkscrew Peak. It’s a strenuous 9.5 miles, but views from the top make it worth it. And since it’s mostly gravel, the chance of losing the trail is pretty high. Never lose tracks of grottos (man-made stone piles of stones on top of each other).
We were done with Corkscrew Peak by the middle of the day and post-lunch. We first headed to Dante’s View, followed by the Badwater Basin, which, for a long while, was the lowest point on the planet.
Day 3
We started the day with sunrise at Zabriskie Point, highly recommended.
Nature Bridge road is nearby, and if you are into casual rock climbing, then carry gloves. The hike otherwise is relatively uneventful.
Next, we headed to the Devil’s Golf Course, which wasn’t that good, and I would recommend skipping it if you are running short on time.
Afterward, we drove through the artist’s drive, and it was a bit late in the evening. If you are in Death Valley, you might as well do it, but nothing outstanding about it.
Overall, it’s a highly recommended experience for nature lovers.
Note:
- Do carry a lot of water, sometimes you would be hours away from water, and even in December, getting a heat stroke is not impossible in Death Valley.
- There were few things which we couldn’t do, Harmony Borax Works, Borax Museum, and The racetrack due to the lack of four-wheel drive and being short on time.
