Stark, boiling hot, very dry and remote, Death Valley National Park may not sound like a particularly appealing place to visit on your next family vacation! However, it does have a certain beauty, and if you like wide open spaces then Death Valley will almost certainly appeal to you!
In fact, if you do take the time to look a little closer rather than simply whizzing by the landscape in your car or RV, Death Valley is a geological gem, and is home to a certain amount of life too. Over 350 species of bird live here, along with numerous mammals, most significantly the desert bighorn sheep, and surprisingly there are numerous plant species too.
There’s no getting away from the fact that Death Valley is very hot and dry. This is one of the hottest places on earth and is ‘the’ hottest place in the USA. The national park is best avoided during the summer as temperatures are ridiculously high, plus the fact that many rental companies will actually prohibit you from driving their vehicles into the park at this time of the year. Fall through spring is a much better time to visit to beat the heat.
It’s worth staying in Death Valley National Park for several days if you want to see much of the interesting geology here. There are a number of places to stay within the park, of which the aptly named Furnace Creek is often the most popular! Here you’ll find both lodging and camping facilities.
Some of the top spots in Death Valley National Park include the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, Badwater; Dante’s View, which is above Badwater, is a longish drive but the view is worth it. There’s also the Devil’s Golf Course, Mushroom Rock, Natural Bridge, Scotty’s Castle, and Zabriskie Point, a favorite with photographers!
As long as the temperatures are not too high there are many great places for the family to go hiking in Death Valley, or let us arrange a moon hike for you on the sand dunes where you won’t have to worry about the heat so much!
Quick Facts:
--- North America's highest temperature ever recorded is 134 degrees Fahrenheit at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley on July 10, 1913. Death Valley also dominates the record for being the hottest place in the continental United States on any single day!
--- At Badwater there’s a small spring-fed pool of water but because of all the salts here the water is undrinkable, hence the name Badwater!
