Perfect 2 Day Death Valley Itinerary: Hidden Gems + Must-See Spots

Way back when we were planning out our goal of exploring all of the National Parks, we decided to visit Death Valley and Joshua Tree during a spring break. Planning this trip started like any other – researching all the sites, looking at maps, figuring out how to get there and get around. After years of planning family national park itineraries, I thought this trip was going to be cake. One thing I didn’t plan on in Death Valley was the utter beauty. I thought I was going to be impressed with the famed Badwater Basin and that’s about it. But I was wrong.

Our three-day Death Valley itinerary included a day of relaxation at The Inn at Death Valley. The boys played golf while us girls enjoyed the spa. If you have less time, this park is definitely doable, but you will only see a portion of it. With more time, you can adventure farther out!

When to Go

Like I said, we went during spring break. This is shoulder season. We always try to visit when there are less people, but this comes with a price. The temperatures are getting warmer at this point, which led to some hot afternoons, but there is a chance of wildflower bloom if they’ve gotten any moisture. This is the perfect time for a dip in the pool though! I think winter would also be an absolutely gorgeous time to go and a chance to escape to a warm locale.

How long to spend in Death Valley

We spent 2 full days and an evening in the park. This gave us a chance to see the popular spots and also go out into more remote areas. In general, I wouldn’t say Death Valley was very busy when we were there, but we always like to explore somewhere without other people, which we were able to do. If you are wanting to spend more time, there are several longer hikes that would be great and taking a break during the hottest part of the day would be nice. If you don’t have two days, you could hit the highlights in half to two-thirds of a day.

Getting There

Since we also went to Joshua Tree during this trip, we flew into Las Vegas, but out of Las Angeles. If you are just visiting Death Valley, Las Vegas airport is a great option. You will need to rent a car in advance to get out and around the park.

Before driving out to Death Valley, check out Valley of Fire State Park just north of Vegas. Over the years, many people had suggested we visit and it did not disappoint! This could be a destination in and of itself, but we kept it at half a day.

If you are interested in seeing another national park before heading home, drive south to Joshua Tree for another adventure.

Where to stay in Death Valley

There are several options of where to stay. Ultimately, I think any of them are a good option as nothing is completely central. If you are spending several days, it could be fun to split your time depending on what order you do this itinerary.

We stayed at The Inn at Death Valley. This historic hotel is beautiful! Touted as the original authentic oasis in the desert, it delivers! If you can swing at least one night here, you won’t be disappointed! With two kids in tow, we stayed in a casita. Initially, I wanted to stay in a room overlooking the pool, but the casita was a hidden gem. Our patio opened to calming ponds with a series of waterfalls. The living room was comfortable and the bedroom was spacious. The crown jewel of The Inn is the spring fed pool. After a long day hiking, grab a lounge chair, order a drink, and enjoy the breeze.

If you’re looking for a more casual and family-friendly base inside the park, The Ranch at Death Valley is a great option. Located within the Furnace Creek resort complex, The Ranch has a relaxed, Old West vibe with updated amenities that make it perfect for families.

Just down the road from The Inn, this area includes several dining options, including a restored saloon and an old-fashioned ice cream parlor—both of which got enthusiastic approval from our kids. The property also features a large spring-fed pool (yes, you can swim even in the middle of the desert!), a general store, basketball courts, and even a post office. This is also where you’ll find the lowest elevation golf course in the world, which makes for a fun photo op even if you don’t play. In addition to standard rooms, there’s also an RV park and a nearby campground, making it a versatile hub for different travel styles. Whether you’re looking to unwind after a long day of exploring or just need easy access to food and fun, The Ranch strikes a great balance of convenience, comfort, and Death Valley charm.

Stovepipe Wells is a more rustic, budget-friendly option for staying inside Death Valley National Park, and it’s especially convenient if you want to explore the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes at sunrise or sunset. The motel-style accommodations are simple but comfortable, with unbeatable proximity to some of the park’s most iconic landscapes. There’s a small general store, gas station, and The Badwater Saloon for meals and drinks—all within walking distance, which makes it easy after a long day in the desert heat. While you won’t find luxury here, the laid-back atmosphere, star-filled skies, and front-door access to adventure make it a solid choice for families or travelers who want to spend more time outside than inside. Bonus: the location is typically less crowded than Furnace Creek, so it can be a quieter base for exploring the park.

Camping is also an option within the park. Since this wasn’t something we were looking at, I won’t pretend that I can advise you on it. The Death Valley National Park website has all the details!

Things to Know about Death Valley

• There is little to no cell service throughout the park. Download your offline maps before you leave more populated areas.
• This is the driest, hottest place in the US. Fill your water bottle whenever you can AND have extra water with you, just in case.
• Have lots of salty snacks to replace the salt you’ll lose with sweating.
• SUNSCREEN
• A hat to keep the sun off of you and sunglasses are super helpful.
• Know your limits
• Leave no trace and more importantly, leave it better than how you found it!

Day 1 – Death Valley Itinerary

If you are driving in on day one, like we did, catch sunset at one of the spots close to where you are staying. Zabriskie point was just up the road from The Inn, which was perfect. We gave ourselves about 45 minutes before scheduled sunset, which was plenty of time to find a spot. Other places you should check out include Dante’s View, Badwater Basin, Mesquite Sand Dunes, and Father Crowley Vista Point, just depending on where you are staying.

Day 2 – Death Valley Itinerary

This day could be done starting from either end. If you want to see a beautiful sunrise, I recommend going in the order that we did. Now, caveat, we did not get up in time for sunrise. We had two kiddos that were absolutely wiped out after two long days of travel and late nights, so we slept in. We still left by 7:30, but not nearly early enough for sunrise. I wish, having started later, that we started at the end and worked our way backward, but you live and you learn, right?

Twenty Mule Team Canyon

If you are out after the sun has risen, drive through this 2.5 mile one way scenic drive on your way to Dante’s view. If it’s still dark, swing back through on your way out.

Dante’s View

Like I said, this is a great spot for sunrise…but we didn’t see it. Regardless, the beautiful views of the white salt flats of Badwater Basin down below. This drive takes about 45 minutes from Furnace Creek.

Badwater Basin

On your way back towards Furnace Creek, turn left towards Badwater Basin. This is what Death Valley is best known for! The lowest point in the United States has a marker that you can take your photo with. Walk a short way out passed the boardwalk for a chance to really take in the vastness of the salt flat. This area is also great for astrophotography if this is your jam. The glow of the salt under the moon and stars is beautiful. Unfortunately, while we were there, significant cloud cover made for little stargazing.

Devil’s Golf Course

Heading back towards Furnace Creek, stop at Devil’s Golf Course to see serrated jagged salt spires. You can walk just out of your car to see the formations up close. A ¼ mile walk gives you a more pristine landscape.

Artist’s Drive and Palette

Next up is the 30-minute one way loop known as Artist’s Drive. Not too far in, there is an area to park on the right side of the road. If you are after the beautiful colors, this is not the place to stop, however, at the top of the hill on the right, you can get panoramic views of Badwater Basin.

About half way through, there is a short turnoff the main road with a small parking lot. This is where you are going to see Artist’s Palette with the various blues, purples, pinks, and coppers. It really is just like the photos! As you leave the lot, climb up the hill to your left along a well-worn path. This will give you an amazing vantage point. You can continue hiking through this area to explore.

Furnace Creek Visitor Center

As you continue north, stop by the Visitor Center to see the exhibits, grab your passport stamp, and take a photo next to the thermometer to commemorate your time in the hottest place on the planet!

Harmony Borax Works Interpretative Trail

If history is your thing, take this 1-mile easy walk through an exhibit explaining the history of borax mining and the 20 mule team.

Salt Creek Interpretative Trail

On our trip, this area was closed due to restoration after significant flood damage, but check to see if it is open when you visit. Here you can see the pupfish! These little guys were near extinct before efforts to protect them were put into effect in 1967 under the Endangered Species Act. The Salt Creek pupfish are slightly different, but you can also see the Devil’s Hole pupfish in the Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge (which we visited as we left the park). These fish have lived in isolation for the last 10,000 to 20,000 years in 92 degree water!

Mosaic Canyon

Your last hike for the day will be later in the afternoon to take advantage of the shadows in the slot canyon. Even if you aren’t up for a longer hike, the most narrow area with some fun slick rocks is in the first 0.5 miles.

Keep going another mile to reach a boulder jam. Crawl between the boulders on the left to access the hidden bypass and another set of carved narrows. Shortly thereafter, another slanted dryfall will block the path. Backtrack 180 feet to a faint footpath on the western wall. Take this up to a well-defined bypass trail. To reach the third set of narrows, continue for another 0.3 mile to a shallow but narrow passageway that is more challenging. After that, one more bend reveals the end at a 25 foot vertical dryfall. The full hike is about 4 miles out and back, takes 2 to 3 hours, and considered moderate to difficult.

Later Morning Start in Death Valley

Now, like I said, if not getting up for sunrise, I would start at Mosaic Canyon to take advantage of the coolest part of the day. The afternoon was hot despite the shadows. If doing this order, take a break during the afternoon and finish up with sunset and stargazing at Dante’s View.

My recommended order for a morning (not sunrise) start:

• Mosaic Canyon
• Salt Creek Interpretative Trail
• Harmony Borax Works Interpretative Trail
• Furnace Visitor Center
• Badwater Basin
• Devil’s Golf Course
• Artist’s Drive and Palette
• Twenty Mule Team Canyon
• Dante’s View

Day 3 – Death Valley Itinerary

If you have another full day to spend in Death Valley, I highly recommend renting a jeep and exploring some of the more remote areas. Farabee’s Jeep Rental was definitely worth the added cost. If you are questioning it at all, think about what vehicle you’ll be driving and the cost of a tow ($$$$). Farabee’s jeeps have off road tires, a spare, cooler and water, and – the part that sold me – a satellite radio that connects to the rental place in case of vehicle emergency or 911 in case of bodily emergency. Just having the comfort of knowing someone could save us if we were stranded somewhere made the adventure more enjoyable.

Racetrack Playa

After picking up our jeep at 8 AM, we headed out to see the mysterious sailing stones. I remember hearing about these rocks “that move on their own” when I was little, thinking I’d never get to see them, so I was super excited to say the least. Add on the adventurous trek, and I was sold.

You’ll head north before turning off towards Scotty’s Castle Road. Keep going past Grapevine (which has restrooms and wifi if needed!) to Ubehebe Crater. Now, this is where the fun begins. At the end of the paved circle for Ubehebe, there is a dirt road that warns you about doing more than your car can handle and reminds you how expensive a tow is.

At first, we didn’t think this road was too terrible, after all, we grew up driving Kansas dirt roads all the time. Some washboards, but not the worst we had been on, even during our National Park explorations. Then we came to the part that made us thankful for the offroad tires. An “S” curve started the exposed rocks and blind curves. No rock crawling, but watch out for sharp points and holes. After that, we were back to washboards. Overall, the road wasn’t terrible, but I wouldn’t attempt it with a regular car. This dirt road portion took about an hour total.

As you come around a corner, The Grandstand is visible off in the distance. Now the excitement was palpable in the jeep! The kids started to see what we were anticipating. Depending on if you’ve seen other cars or had the road all to yourself, I’d keep driving past The Grandstand. Don’t stop at the first set of wood fences after the Grandstand, but keep going. Park at the next wood fence in the bigger parking area. If you’ve reached the campground, you’ve gone too far, although there is a porta-potty here if needed.

Walk out across the playa, or dried lake bed. We came across a few stones here, but no impressive trails. After about ½ mile, there are bigger stones with visible trails! Some of them are faint, but with a good pair of polarized sunglasses, they are easy to pick out! We spent about an hour walking around taking photos.

Afterwards, we stopped at the Grandstand for lunch. A peanut butter sandwich hits different at a higher vantage point! Take the chance to climb to the top and peer out over Racetrack Playa.

Prepare for another hour dirt road, washboard drive. One thing I noticed that no one talked about in all the preparatory reading was just how beautiful the area was. One segment is surrounded by Joshua Trees! The curvy road carves its way through towering boulders. Teakettle Junction provides a kitschy reminder of days past.

I highly recommend getting on the road as early as possible if you’re headed out to Racetrack Playa. On our way out, we saw a total of three other cars, two of which were on their way back. We had the playa to ourselves! By the time we headed back, we crossed paths with several others.

Ubehebe Crater

After the bumpy hour ride, we reached Ubehebe Crater. Windy is an understatement! At this point, Lillian had fallen asleep and she’s not a huge fan of “holes in the ground”, so Garrett and Hudson hiked up to see Little Hebe Crater while I looked over the edge from the parking lot. Worth a stop if you like craters.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

Our final stop for the day included sand, lots and lots of sand. If you’ve ever seen sand dunes before, you know how magnificent they are. They don’t disappoint! Towards the front, dead Mesquite trees offer interesting viewpoints. Climbing farther out, the dunes rise towards the sky. Lots of people were sledding, but we didn’t bring anything with us this time, and unfortunately there isn’t anywhere to rent sleds. The kids still loved digging holes and making sand angels. Sunset would be perfect here with a picnic dinner. We headed back to the resort though for some pool time before enjoying a sunset dinner.

Other Things to See in Death Valley

Natural Bridge

An easy 1 mile out and back hike will take you to see a natural bridge formation. Reviews are mixed. A lot of people like it, others are somewhat disappointed. Knowing we had limited time where temperatures wouldn’t prevent us from being out and about, we decided to skip it.

Golden Canyon

This moderate 2 mile out and back interpretive trail gives you a taste of the colorful canyons close to Furnace Creek. Follow along with the NPS app.

Ghost Towns

If this peaks your interest, try visiting these three ghost towns for very different experiences. Just outside of the park, near Beatty, Nevada, is Rhyolite. This is one of the most well-known and best-preserved ghost towns in the area with ruins of a bank, train depot, and a quirky outdoor art museum. With just a short walk, you can explore Chloride City, which offers a more remote feel with scattered ruins and old mining relics. A high clearance vehicle is needed for this one. For the ultimate off-the-beaten-path adventure that requires a 7 mile strenuous hike, visit Panamint City with rewards of a high-elevation ghost town surrounded by dramatic canyon views and rusted mining equipment.

The Night Sky

Death Valley is a designated dark sky park. This means they have exceptional night skies and they are protected from light pollution. Simply put, the stargazing is amazing. While we were there, every evening was cloudy which hindered things a bit. We were still able to see more stars than most places with gorgeous views of the milky way. Dante’s View or Badwater Basin make for unique panoramic views. The salt flats glow.

Darwin Falls

We tend to seek out trails like this, especially in the desert. We like to see these little oases in the desert. The hike itself is definitely doable for our family – 2 mile, moderate, out and back. BUT, right now the access road is closed, adding 5 miles. Having done something similar in Big Bend, we know our kids tend to ask “are we there yet?” when hiking along a dry, dusty, rocky road. Not willing to listen to the complaints, we decided we will hit this one up the next time we come, and hopefully by then the road will be fixed.

Bottom Line: Death Valley Itinerary

Death Valley is an underrated National Park. With a little extra time, some unique and beautiful places can be explored. But even with just a day, there is more to see than just Badwater Basin. Take a moment to marvel at the mesmerizing salt flats, vibrant desert colors, and jaw dropping views and remember to wander more together.