As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. On this trip, we visited 14 national parks, and Death Valley National Park was one of the biggest surprises of the entire journey. Before visiting, I honestly expected Death Valley to be mostly a vast, empty desert. Instead, we discovered a place that was incredibly diverse, dramatic, and surprisingly beautiful. We stayed at The Oasis at Death Valley, which was a wonderful retreat after long days exploring the park. The funny thing about Death Valley is that when you first drive in, the landscape can seem almost endless and barren. You wonder what you are going to find in such a harsh environment. Then, as you turn toward the different areas of the park, the scenery completely changes. The desert opens up into mountains, colorful hills, salt formations, canyons, and landscapes that look almost unreal. One of the highlights was visiting places like Artist's Palette, where the hills are painted with incredible shades of gold, pink, green, and purple created by different minerals in the earth. It truly feels like nature took a paintbrush and created its own masterpiece. We also enjoyed driving the historic Twenty Mule Team Canyon, named after the famous Borax mining operations that helped put Death Valley on the map. In the late 1800s, teams of 20 mules pulled enormous wagons loaded with borax across the desert because there were no practical roads or railways. Learning about those incredible journeys added a whole different dimension to the landscape. It made us imagine the determination and hardship of the people who lived and worked in this extreme environment more than a century ago. We also visited areas where scenes from the Star Wars movies were filmed, which added a fun element to the experience. It was easy to understand why filmmakers chose Death Valley. The landscape looks like another planet. What surprised me the most was discovering that even in one of the hottest and driest places on Earth, there is life. We were amazed to see fish surviving in the waters of Death Valley, a reminder that nature finds a way even in the most extreme environments. Our visit also came with a little adventure of its own. We experienced a powerful dust storm that knocked out electricity for several hours. It was impressive to witness the force of nature, but thankfully we were safe and comfortable. And we were very lucky with the temperatures. When we arrived, it was around 110 degrees, but the following days cooled down to about 97 degrees. We took advantage of the cooler mornings, waking up early to hike and explore before the midday heat arrived. By late morning or noon, we would return to our peaceful retreat and enjoy the comfort of being out of the desert sun. Death Valley is a place of extremes: extreme temperatures, extreme landscapes, and extreme beauty. It is not just a desert. It is a place full of surprises, colors, history, and incredible scenery. I left with a completely different appreciation for this park and would highly recommend it to anyone willing to experience one of America's most unique landscapes. Death Valley truly earned its place as one of the unforgettable stops on our journey.

STEPH JUDGEMENT: A truly amazing place, period…read more You might think the whole place is just sand dunes, but you'd be wrong. There are fantastic sand dunes, yes, and Mesquite sand dunes is a great place for some free form fun (like sand sledding and boarding, and you can just roll down some dunes like my hubby), but there's so much more! Some more highlights: - Ubehebe Crater: mind-boggling crater with a fun hiking trail around its rim. You can hike down to the bottom too, but you gotta come back out, and we opted to just stay at the top. That rim trail was plenty long for us. - Badwater Basin: We decided to walk out about a mile into it, and as the crowds faded away the vast white expanse made it feel like we were in the Arctic--magical. - Zabrieski Point: Took in breathtaking views and sunset. Also did some hiking around the Badlands nearby, which was really cool. - Death Valley Inn: treated ourselves to some great cocktails at their swanky bar after a grueling hike. The bartender didn't bat an eye when we arrived all dusty and gross. I did clean up a bit in the bathroom, but there's only so much you can do. - Artists Palette: Did the drive-thru road and got out along the way for short explorations into its canyons. We were there in late March/early April and lucked out with relatively cool overcast weather. It was also very windy. The last time I was at Death Valley was in the spring of 2009, and it was also very windy, making my decision to tent camp a miserable experience. This time the hubby and I decided to stay at a hotel in Pahrump, NV, about an hour away. Yes, we had to drive into the park every day, but it was totally worth it. We loved our time here and are looking forward to our next visit, hopefully before another 15 years pass!

Super great vibes, everyone is friendly. Easy to find a camp spot etc. Has been around since the…read more60's

Awesome place but I'd only recommend going if you are skilled and Experienced off road driver with…read morethe correct vehicle. I have 8.7 clearance but I would recommend 10. If you do your research and use you're head you'll be okay. I had a great time and I'll definitely be back.

This is one of the best hikes in Death Valley. So amazing to see a waterfall in this dry and…read morepatched desert. There are 2 parking lots, one close to the road and one at the trailhead. You will need a high suspension vehicle to make it to the trailhead parking lot, which I highly recommend, as the hike from the road is quite long. There isn't a set trail to the waterfall, you'll have to make your way there going through water, bushes and scrambling over rocks. But it is a fun hike and you can see the effects of water as the area grows in vegetation the closer you get. Even saw some butterflies, which isn't something I associate with deserts. The waterfall is such a delight to see. It is cool water, and a welcome rest place before heading back. We visited mid- February, the trees had leaf buds. A few more weeks and everything would be very green.

It's gone. Sadly last year's floods and continual flooding since has destroyed the road leading to…read morethe trail. What used to be a 2 mile out and back trail to the falls is now 6 miles thru a recently washed out area. The falls are still amazing but without the road, I'm not sure it's worth it when considering the time. It was a long, loose footing, sandy hike. Plus it started raining so there's that. Disappointed this time but it's still amazing to see when you think about where you are.

The farthest point I think in the park and we got to see it with a little water which created this…read moreincredible reflection. Good amount of parking and you can walk as far as you'd like on the basin. Peep the sea level sign on top of the mountain to really grasp how 'low' you are!

We decided to take a little day trip out to Death Valley to view the wildflower bloom, hike a bit…read moreand visit Lake Manly (otherwise known as Badwater Basin). I really wanted to walk in the glorious saltwater. We were there on a Thursday and this place was hopping with people. I had forgot that spring breaks have begun. We eventually found a place to park and made our way out to the water via the boardwalk that heads out. We all know that Badwater Basin is the lowest point in the USA. It is 282 feet below sea level and it sure was pretty. The basin normally does not have water, but with all the rain California received this winter the water was almost up to my shins. The saltwater flats cover over 200 miles. The basin includes sodium chloride, gypsum, borax, and calcite. The best part of the visit was that by the time I stepped out of all that saltwater, my feet were so soft. It was truly a natural exfoliation for the feet. Be respectful and leave your pets at home as they are only allowed on designated dirt roads. Most of all LEAVE NO TRACE and Happy Adventuring.

The owner was so very nice and accommodating. We showed up a day early and they switched our…read morereservation so easily. Great spot to stop for the night ... been here twice and both times had a nice quite stay and even had two Burros show up

So, you should probably check out what a park in the desert looks like. I'm sure this is the…read morelargest public grassy area for miles!

Wow! This is a pretty spectacular dormant volcanic crater to visit. Beautiful hues of orange and…read moregreys that will captivate you. It's about 40 mins from the Furnace Creek campsite and is worth checking out. You can also get a small uphill hike around the crater or downhill to the center of the crater itself. A must visit in Death Valley!

How many times in your life time will you see a crater? Exactly!…read more So we decided to check out Ubehebe Crater despite behind quite a drive within the park to get there! Gas up and be patient, this is far. You should plan accordingly to visit it during your trip. We started our 2nd day in the park driving to it. Unfortunately, Scotty's Castle is being closed for renovations so we couldn't check it out while we were heading in that direction. The crater is about 8 miles passed the Castle which you won't be able to see from the road! Also, before you get closer to the Castel, there's a Ranger station! It's your last chance to use a restroom, so stop by! I wish they had a few more signs on the way, because you are in the middle of nowhere. But it's all paved roads, the main road, then follow the sign! Once you get there, there's a big parking lot and the Crater! Right then and there! And then, suddenly, the drive was worth it! The view is breathtaking, the crater is huge, a beautiful Mars-like landscape, unique in its vastness. The crater was formed by a massive volcanic steam explosion a few thousand years ago, you can see some black volcanic rocks on the trail. There is a trail to the bottom of the cone. We didn't hike it since we read it's steep coming up. But we walked on the ridge for a while and it was just us and the crater. Not too many people around, it's further away so it has less visitors than other parts of the park. It was pretty peaceful and serene. Driving back down it's a tad like a rollercoaster ride, but the Crater is one these place you won't forget! It's an adventure worth having!

When we visit the area we usually stay near this park so we've visited it a new time. They have two…read moreplaygrounds with plenty to do at each. There are often plenty of kids and families enjoying the park. So if you're looking for social interaction this is a good one. The only thing I don't get is the gravel under the play area. It doesn't seem like a safe landing for kids who may fall. I'm used to bark or soft foam or even sand. Oh and the gravel gets really dusty too. It is nice the there's plenty of parking all around the park. The park is covered as well which is good with the dessert heat!

Ian Deutch Memorial Park is probably the best park & playground in Pahrump, NV…read more The playground is suitable for toddlers and up. Baby swings are available too. Youth soccer & little league baseball games are played most days on the nearby fields. Also available: a skate park, restrooms, gazebo, pavilion, BBQ pits, picnic tables and two bocce ball court. Most recently my in-laws took us here for the 6th Annual Pahrump Disability Outreach Program (PDOP) Pumpkin Days (10/24/15). Admission was $5 for everyone - even our 1 & 2-year-old toddlers - but it was towards a good cause so that was fine. It was great for kids. A few kinks, but nothing drastic... If this event attracts even more people in the next few years, the City should consider some better parking options. Review #417 Yelp challenge 98/100

At this lovely roadside stop - there is a nice shade canopy and picnic table, a very clean bathroom…read moreand a cell relay -- presumably to operate the self serve park pass kiosk BUT it's also terribly convenient for taking pictures of said roadside stop to upload them to Yelp to create a new listing for said roadside stop (DOH! I should have written my review last year when I created this listing, goshdarnit!). Nice spot for waiting for your friends and eating all their snacks that they put in your motorcycle panniers. Save some water for them, though. Or just head to Beatty for cheap beer. :)

Thank you NPS for this CLEAN and convenient place to stop and pay fees, pee, and grab a map…read more There is also a benchmark nearby. Pit toilets are not usually great, but these are new and folks who use them are skilled enough outdoors folks to know that you leave the lid DOWN for the next user.

Gives you the other worldly vibes. To get to the Devils Golf Course, you have to drive on a gravel…read moreroad which can get bumpy and dusty. Once you arrive it's a lookout than an hike but looks pretty cool!

One of my favorite stopoffs in Death Valley. Ninety percent…read moreof park visitors drive right past the dirt road that takes you to the Devil's Golf Course. Big mistake. The dirt road can be traversed by a prius. What I like most about the Devil's Golf Course is that this place is less crowded, expecially when compared to Badwater Basin which feels like tourists trap because of all the people. - It's OK to taste the salt from your finger tip. - I strongly recommend that you walk deep into this salt experience. It's like walking on snow and ice. Just know that the rocks here can be sharp.