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.

Darwin Falls
Darwin Falls

From there, we headed to Mosaic Canyons and hiked there.

Mosaic Canyons
Mosaic Canyons

We camped at the Furnace Creek campground. Away from the light pollution, the night was starry and serene.

Starry night at Death Valley
Starry night at Death Valley

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).

 

Corkscrew Peak
Corkscrew Peak
A view from the top of Corkscrew Peak
A view from the top of Corkscrew Peak

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.

Badwater Basin
Badwater Basin

Day 3

We started the day with sunrise at Zabriskie Point, highly recommended.

Zabriskie Point
Zabriskie Point

Nature Bridge road is nearby, and if you are into casual rock climbing, then carry gloves. The hike otherwise is relatively uneventful.

Nature's Bridge
Nature’s Bridge
Nature's Bridge
Nature’s Bridge

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.

Devil's Golf course
Devil’s Golf course – so-called because of the rock formations which look like golf balls

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.

Artist's Drive
Artist’s Drive

Overall, it’s a highly recommended experience for nature lovers.

Note:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.