If you're planning a trip to Death Valley National Park don't miss these incredible must see places. These Death Valley highlights are seriously some of the most stunning natural attractions in the state of California!

Death Valley is one of my favorite places in California to visit and probably ties with Yosemite National Park as my number one top-rated national park in the USA. If you've read some of my other Death Valley posts or if you follow us on Instagram than you have probably heard me say that a million times before... but it's true.

Why do I like Death Valley so much? Because of its natural beauty, uniqueness, vastness... I could go on and on. But for you to really understand, you would have to take a trip there yourself. I mean it's not a top California destination with tourists from all over the world for no reason.

And the best thing is that Death Valley is located between Los Angeles and Las Vegas making it a great road trip detour if you are driving between these two cities.

Must See Places In Death Valley National Park

Anyway, below you will find our top ten things you must see in Death Valley National Park. They are in my opinion, this national parks highlights which you can not miss.

If you get a really early start in the morning, you could possibly see everything in one day but if you have the time, you should spend an extra day here if not more to fully explore the area.

Death Valley is one of the largest dark sky parks in the world meaning its night sky is near pristine offering excellent stargazing opportunities which is just another reason why you should stay overnight.

Death Valley Guide Books

10 Incredible Places You Must See In Death Valley National Park

1. Wildrose Charcoal Kilns

10 Incredible Places You Must See in Death Valley

The Wildrose Charcoal Kilns were built back in 1876 to provide fuel for processing silver and lead ore from George Hearst’s Modock Consolidated Mining Company which was in operation until 1878.

There are ten of these beehive-shaped structures that you can visit which are among the best preserved in the west. When you walk inside them you can still smell the smoke.

They are located in Upper Wildrose Canyon in the Panamint Springs area and are a little difficult to get to but well worth the effort as it is a beautiful drive in a more remote part of the park. If you're lucky, you might even spot some burros on your way out!

2. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

10 Must See Places in Death Valley National Park

The Mesquite Sand Dunes rise nearly 100 feet high and are especially photogenic at sunrise or sunset when the light accentuates the ripples and patterns in the sand.

We recommend taking a walk on the sand dunes, however there is no marked trail because the sand is continuously shifting. You can walk as little or as far as you like but we suggest heading straight for the highest dune!

Stopping at the Mesquite Sand Dunes is a must and fortunately these dunes are located right beside the main road through the park so no matter if you are heading west to east or vice versa, you will be driving right past this Death Valley highlight!

3. Devils Golf Course

Best Things To See in Death Valley National Park

Another weird and wonderful creation by mother nature in Death Valley National Park is the Devils Golf Course.

The Devils Golf Course is an immense area of rock salt eroded by wind and rain into painful jagged spires. The area got its name because it was said that the rocks were so incredibly serrated that only the devil could play golf on such rough links.

You can reach the Devils Golf Course on Badwater Basin Road which is located not too far from the Furnace Creek Visitors Center.

4. Artists Palette

Artists Palette is another unique geologic attraction in Death Valley that is only a couple of minutes drive from the Devils Golf Course.

It is a colorful volcanic and sedimentary hill painted in colors that include deep reds, pink, purples, blues and green. The colors are produced by the oxidation of the metals and elements found in the ground.

To get to Artists Palette you must drive along Artists Drive which is a one-way nine mile scenic stretch of road that winds through large mountains.

Artists Drive in Death Valley National Park

5. Ubehebe Crater

Incredible Must See Spots in Death Valley

Despite what we thought was something a meteor crash had caused, Ubehebe Crater is actually a large volcanic crater that was created by steam and gas explosions when rising magma reached groundwater.

The crater itself is six hundred feet deep and half a mile across that is definitely a must see in the park.

Ubehebe Crater is easily viewed from the parking area located on the crater’s rim but further exploration will reveal interesting erosion and smaller craters such as Little Ubehebe Crater.

You can walk around the entire crater rim which is rated an easy to moderate hike, and if you are up for a challenge, you can even walk to the bottom of the crater (as long as you don’t mind walking back up).

6. Racetrack Playa

If you're into travel or landscape photography then you probably already have heard of this place but if not, Racetrack Playa is most famous for its mysteriously moving rocks.

It is said that noone has ever witnessed the rocks moving. And some of these mysteriously moving rocks weigh several hundred pounds!

The rocks glide across the floor of the playa (a playa is a dry lake bed) leaving long trails behind them. Sounds fascinating right?!

But getting there is not so easy and is only for those who are truly adventurous, who have more than a day to spend inside the park, and are very prepared!

This is because Racetrack Playa is located in a very remote location of the park that can be very difficult to get to, especially without a high clearance vehicle. It is about 27 miles down a rough, gravel road that is notorious for causing flat tires.

There is no cell service out here. Make sure you bring plenty of water and know how to change a tire!

7. Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin is a surreal landscape of vast salt flats which you can walk out onto. It is also the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level.

Interestingly, not far from this destination is funnily enough also the highest point in the lower 48 states which is the pesk of Mount Whitney.

The temperatures down here can get frighteningly high in summer so bring loads of water on your road trip to Death Valley.

Best Things To Do In Death Valley National Park

8. Mosaic Canyon

Mosaic Canyon is referred to as a geologic "outdoor museum" so if you're into rocks you don't want to miss this stop. It is named after a rock formation known as the 'Mosaic Breccia' and you don’t have to walk very far into the trail to see the mosaic section.

This is one of our favorite hiking trails in Death Valley and you can see our hike into Mosaic Canyon to decide if you want to hike the entire trail or just part of it.

The trailhead is very close to Stovepipe Wells up a two mile gravel road which climbs 1,000 feet to the parking area. From the parking lot it is an easy 1/4 mile walk which will lead you through a narrow canyon where the surrounding rock walls are composed of smooth water-polished marble.

9. Dante's View

Incredible Must See Places in Death Valley National Park

The most breathtaking view of Death Valley can be seen from Dante’s View.

Dante’s View is a mountain top overlook that is more than 5,000 feet above sea level and considered to be one of the best photographic spots in this national park.

From the summit you can see many miles of vast salt flats and also west across the valley to several mountain ranges.

The paved road to access the overlook is called Dante’s View Road and is located off Highway 190. The best time of day to visit is at sunset when you can watch the mountains in the distance change color.

10. Zabriskie Point

Zabriskie Point is located on the far east side of Death Valley National Park and is a part of the beautiful Amargosa Mountain Range.

From the view point you can see a maze of wildly eroded and vibrantly colored badlands that is just phenomenal to see!

To get to the view point from the parking area you must take a short uphill walk. Even though it is not that far of a walk it can feel like forever in the heat. Don’t worry it is worth it!

If you are feeling adventurous there is a hiking trail that leads you through the eroded mountains below. We didn't make the hike this time around but we would love to next time.

Plan Your Trip To Death Valley National Park

Car Hire - If you’re looking to rent a vehicle to visit Death Valley National Park we recommend using Enterprise Car Rentals who usually have the lowest rates and waive the one-way drop off fee if you are traveling between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Tours - Visiting Death Valley National Park on a tour is only possible from Las Vegas.

These are the most popular Death Valley day trip options from Las Vegas:

Death Valley Full Day Trip (11 hours)
Small Group Day Trip To Death Valley (10 hours)

Camping - There are two private campgrounds located inside the park with facilities, along with many free primitive campgrounds to choose from. To get more information on campgrounds in Death Valley see our Death Valley National Park travel guide.

Want To Stay In Death Valley But Don’t Want To Camp?

If you're not interested in camping and would prefer to stay in hotel accommodations you can use the search bar below to find lodging in the area.

Accommodation inside Death Valley National Park is limited and there are only a handful of lodging options. Alternatively you can stay in Beatty which is the closest town located just outside of the park.

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