Death Valley. Sounds inhospitable, right? It is one of the hottest and driest places on Earth and centered around a place called Badwater Basin, not the most welcoming sounding locations! We were a little concerned when planning our adventure to Death Valley, due to its size and remote location our only real option was to stay in the park to avoid driving 3-4 hours a day to and from. We were ecstatic when we arrived at our lush green resort in the center of the Mojave Desert! This location was an awesome launching pad for all of our adventures in the Valley.
The Resort
If you’re planning a trip to Death Valley we’d highly recommend staying at The Oasis. This resort is perfectly named and truly felt like an oasis! We stayed at The Ranch, which was very family friendly with a large pool and playground on site. After a couple early morning hikes in the desert we really appreciated being able to come back and cool off in the pool for the afternoon. The location was perfect for all the major things you would want to do and see in the park.
Definitely plan ahead when heading to the park. There are several dining options on the Oasis property, but be warned they are very expensive. There is also a General Store with some groceries and a gas station on the resort, but we would recommend arriving with a full tank and a full cooler!
There is a stable with horseback rides that depart directly from the resort. This sounded like a great idea, but it was hot and dusty! We were lucky to be in the front of a very dusty horse train, I would tell you how long it was, but I couldn’t see the end of it! The boys loved it, but they wouldn’t have if we were in the back of the line. I would think about saving this excursion for another park.
The Hikes
One cool thing about Death Valley is that its very accessible by car with lookouts at all the key features. For those that want to explore a little deeper into the park there are some great hiking options. We did Golden Canyon, Natural Bridge, and Darwin Falls Trail. Our favorite was the three mile Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral. This was a really great early morning hike, with the rising sun against the canyon walls making them glow. The contrast of the golden rocks against the red cathedral was so cool. Our boys loved exploring some of the slot canyons along the trail and climbing the rock scramble up to the Red Cathedral. We also hiked the fairly short Natural Bridge Trail, which was a good warmup to hiking in Death Valley. We finished our visit with the Darwin Falls Trail, which offers a striking contrast to what you’ll experience in the rest of the park.
We came away with a couple tips for hiking in Death Valley. Definitely get out on the trails early, the temperatures and number of tourists can rise quickly. The early morning temperatures in April were very comfortable, but by noon it was already approaching 100 degrees, time for the pool! Also, definitely be prepared with a first aid kit where ever you’re hiking! We’ve always carried one but this was the first time we had to use it. Nothing serious, but we were glad we had it.
The Sights
No trip to Death Valley is complete without a stop at Badwater Basin. At -282 feet, it is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere and where the highest temperature on Earth of 134 degrees was recorded. You are able to park your car and walk out onto the salt flats in the basin. Artist’s Palette, Zabriskie Point, and Dante’s View offer some spectacular vistas of the Death Valley landscape. Zabriskie Point was a great spot for sunrise and the boys enjoyed hiking the ridge trail at Dante’s View, bring a jacket as it could be chilly one mile above the Valley floor.
Best time to visit:
Please do not go to Death Valley in the summer when highs are over 100 degrees everyday! You’ll have more tolerable weather in Fall, Winter, and Spring.
Where we stayed:
Definitely stay at The Oasis in Death Valley, it made the desert very enjoyable!
Other things to do:
Death Valley is one of the most remote places we’ve been. Drive to any trailhead parking area and enjoy the dark sky! Literally no light pollution, you’ll see so many stars!
Death Valley also has sand dunes you can check out, and the hike at Marble Canyon came highly recommended.
