Death Valley National Park: The Most Beautiful And Scenic National Parks In The United States

Death valley national park is one of my favorite photography destinations in the world. Located in California, it is the lowest, driest, and hottest place on Earth. It is also filled with a wide range of textures and colors that are a photographer’s dream. 

Do you have any experience at Death Valley National Park? It has unique landscapes and is the lowest point in North America. A slot canyon, hot springs, and several other attractions tempt visitors from all over the globe. This article breaks down some of the most gorgeous spots in the park and gives you tips on what to look for when you visit. To make sure that you don’t miss anything but still have time for proper rest, here is a list of the best photography spots in Death Valley National Park.

Best gear to photograph Death Valley National Park

The equipment we recommend is a good camera and the holy trinity. A wide-angle lens.  14-24mm or something similar.  A 24-70mm or something similar and, of course, a 70-2 00mm or something similar.

If you don’t have these lenses, don’t worry; something similar will work just fine. You should also get a tripod if you want to take great pictures of sunsets and at night.

The Ideal time to explore Death Valley

The ideal time to explore Death Valley is from November to March when there are fewer crowds and milder temperatures. This offers better opportunities for hiking and photography. Yet, late spring into summer can bring cloudless skies and red rocks that seem extra vibrant. Winter storms may give the park fresh dust of snow. 

1. Sand Dunes

Sand dunes are one of the most stunning features at Death Valley National Park. The park is known for its dunes, which cover nearly four hundred square miles of desert and comprise the largest expanse of dune fields in North America. From these massive sand hills, you can see some of the oldest rock formations on earth. These rolling dunes covered in vegetation are one of the best photography spots in Death Valley National Park. The sand dunes are home to unique animals, and many people like to hike them. Hiking through dunes can be physically challenging, so take your time, especially in summer.

2. Zabriskie Point

Located in Death Valley National Park, Zabriskie Point is one of the most photographed spots in the world. The dramatic landscape features eroded sandstone formations that are nearly 250 million years old. Zabriskie Point comes alive each afternoon as shadows fall across the landscape, creating a truly unique photographic opportunity.

3. Golden Canyon

Golden Canyon is not one of the most well-known parts of Death Valley National Park, yet it should be! You see, Golden Canyon is a great place to hike and explore. It also happens to have some fantastic photo opportunities as well. Golden Canyon is beautiful in every season, but spring and fall make it extra gorgeous. Between the Rainbow and Golden Canyon, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take photos.

4. The Racetrack Playa

The Racetrack Playa, a famous desert playa in Death Valley National Park, is one of the most amazing places to take photos in the world. The mysterious tracks carved into this salt flat have stood the test of time, making it one of the best photography spots in Death Valley National Park. The Racetrack Playa is a one-of-a-kind experience. It’s filled with deep, dry, cracked mud that looks like it has been shaped by something otherworldly. It’s an amazing place to stop and enjoy the scenery, maybe snap some photos while you’re there, or if the spirit moves you, search for the elusive moving rocks.

5. Eroded Geology

The Eroded Geology hike is one of the best photography spots in Death Valley National Park, and a fairly easy day hike. The short but steep hike takes you through a variety of geological features including eroded cliffs, canyons, and craters.

6. Mojave Dessert

The Mojave Dessert is a unique place to visit. Its vastness, its beauty, and its silence are overwhelming. Although it is one of the least visited areas in Death Valley National Park, it offers a great diversity of wildflowers and wildlife during the flowering season from mid-February through April. The Mojave Dessert offers more than just sand, rocks, and cactus. It’s also home to some of the most scenic views in Death Valley National Park. When hiking through the desert you may be surprised by hidden waterfalls, winding slot canyons, or ancient Native American petroglyphs. Breathtaking vistas reward those who make the effort to seek them out.

7. Darwin Falls

Darwin Falls is one of the best photography spots in Death Valley National Park. Situated in an area that sees very little rainfall, Darwin Falls is a beautiful site to behold. With waterfalls and pools, the waterfall is one of the most spectacular sights in this desert landscape. A beautiful waterfall cascading over granite rock slabs and into a pool of cool water invites hikers to stop, reflect and enjoy the scenery. This is one of the most visited areas in Death Valley National Park, with easy access from many trails.

8. Winding Road 

Winding Road provides one of the best-looking spots in Death Valley National Park. This is a great spot for photography since the road winds through several hills and mountains which makes for an interesting view. This spot is also a popular place to go 4×4 driving on Jeep tracks. The right side of this wash has many layers to it, making it an excellent choice for photographers trying to capture the beauty and tones of Death Valley.

9. Barren Mountains

The Barren Mountains are one of the best photography spots in Death Valley National Park. The desert of Nevada is as dry as it gets, and these mountains form the southern boundary of this waterless wasteland. A trip to this region will take you through some incredibly diverse scenery. The peaks of these mountains tower above vast stretches of dunes, providing a breathtaking backdrop for photographs.

The Barren Mountains rise above all other features in Death Valley creating a dramatic backdrop for scenes of spectacular beauty. The Barren Mountains are among the best photography spots in Death Valley National Park. A hike up to the Saddle Peak Trail provides sweeping views into the park’s stunning Panamint Valley, with Telescope Peak towering above like a sentinel guarding the rugged landscape below.

10. Father Crowley Point

Father Crowley Point, is one of the best photography spots in Death Valley National Park. You will be inspired by this beautiful arid land while on your hike. This trail is located on a short dirt road off Highway 190 between Stovepipe Wells Village and Furnace Creek. It’s a 2.5-mile round-trip hike that takes you through some of the most spectacular scenery in Southern California. It includes views of salt flats, sand dunes, and mountains at every angle.

11. Racetrack Playa Floor

The racetrack is a playa made of salt crystals and clay at Death Valley National Park in California. Each year, the rain fills the shallow lake with water, which evaporates to leave the salt dry. As it dries out again each winter, it leaves behind strikingly beautiful shapes that resemble racetracks, skid marks, and even animal paw prints.

12. Furnace Creek Area

Death Valley National Park is one of the most remote and rugged areas in California. Located 100 miles west of Las Vegas, it is bordered on the west by Mojave Desert, to the south by Panamint Mountains, and to the east by the high mountain ranges of the Great Basin. This vast desert land hosts diverse habitats that support an outstanding assemblage of wildlife.

13. Zabruski Point

Zabruski Point is a great place to see the northern part of the park. The views from this spot are amazing, especially in the early morning. You’ll have time before driving to Badwater Basin to explore the overlook or have a picnic. Zabruski Point offers unbeatable views of the rugged Panamint Range and Rhyolite Canyon. The nearly horizontal layers in this distant rock layer are a beautiful example of diapirism, caused when a rising mass of magma forces cooler rock to rise up against gravity.

14. Panamint Mountains

The Panamint Mountains are a range in the southeastern portion of Death Valley National Park. The mountains are the third-highest range in the park, behind only the Last Chance and Funeral Mountains, both located within Death Valley itself. The Panamints are noted for their numerous sawtooth ridges which dominate the less dissected southern section of the range. This makes many routes through the Panamints one of the more difficult treks through them, so plan your trip with caution!

15. Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin is one of the most unique and remote spots in Death Valley National Park. This ghostly lake bed lies 282 feet below sea level and is the lowest point in North America. By late afternoon, the shadows of nearby mountains create a mind-bending optical illusion: creating an image as though you’re standing on the water while looking at land. You will find a less crowded and somewhat cooler way to experience Death Valley. There are some amazing surprises along the way, including an area where you can drive through a box canyon and look out over Death Valley at sunset. This section of Badwater Basin Road is open to all vehicles, but you want a high-clearance vehicle since there’s no such thing as real paved roads in Death Valley.

16. Artist Drive

This is one of the best photography spots in Death Valley National Park. The Artist Drive is a relatively easy 12-mile roundtrip, gravel road through a gorge carved out by Death Valley Creek and offers amazing views of colorful rock formations just before reaching Artists Palette. This unique spot was created by erosion over time, which exposed these colorful rock formations.

17. Joshua Trees (Yucca brevifolia) on Lee Flat

For people coming into Death Valley from the west, Lee Flat is a fairly easy-to-reach area with Joshua trees where they can take a break before going into the park’s heart. Saline Valley Road used to be paved and goes to Lee Flat. It meets Route 190 about a mile west of the western entrance to Death Valley National Park. Check the road conditions before making the trip, but most cars should be able to get to Lee Flat if the driver is careful. Be careful of potholes, because as the old pavement wears away, some of them can get pretty deep.

18. Titus Canyon

Titus Canyon tucked away in the southeastern corner of Death Valley National Park, is an incredibly scenic slot canyon, with towering walls and multiple distinct shades of orange clay. The narrow passageway meanders for a few miles and offers a peaceful retreat from the desert surrounding it. The road itself is a delight to drive – it’s only open when the weather permits and there are no washouts. Because of its remoteness, Titus Canyon is a great place for stargazing!

19. Charcoal Kilns

Charcoal Kilns of Death Valley are only accessible via a four-mile dirt route that requires a high clearance vehicle. These kilns are so isolated and far from other attractions that they are one of the best-preserved and most unique in the park. The trailhead to Telescope Peak, which soars 11,050 feet above Badwater and Death Valley, is nearby.

Steeped in history, the Charcoal Kilns were used by prospectors and Native Americans to extract charcoal from local trees centuries ago. Today, this site is known for its striking visuals and rich mineral content that has been leached from rocks and left behind in sandy rivulets throughout the area. With this guide, you can learn all about this must-see area and find out how to get there, plus visit some other nearby attractions while you’re there!

20. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, located in Death Valley National Park, is one of the best photography spots in the park. These dunes are made entirely of sand formed by wind blowing across the playa, eroding it into beautiful patterns. Take advantage of a colorful sunrise or sunset to capture those perfect images. The sandy walls look so unstable that you’d need heavy equipment if you tried to scale them, but around the edges are patches small enough for even children to climb up and peer over the edge.

21. Mosaic Canyon

Mosaic Canyon is a spectacular hiking location that begins at the end of Mosaic Canyon Road, which runs along the base of California Mountain, Death Valley’s highest peak. It’s named for its colorful rock layers and minerals, including hematite and turquoise. Rugged and rocky, with steep drop-offs, ridiculously tall orange cliffs, and layers upon layers of colorful rock, the canyon is a photographer’s dream. But this beauty is not without danger, as 4×4 roads were required to get here. There are no streams or springs in the canyon so make sure you fill up on water before hitting the trail.

22. Borax Mines

The Borax mine is one of the most fascinating and remote places in Death Valley National Park. The trail winds through groves of Joshua trees, Mojave yucca, and some very interesting geology. The hike is moderate to strenuous, taking between 2-4 hours depending on your pace.

A visit to the Borax mine in Death Valley National Park takes courage, a rock hammer, and your best boots. The road runs out of pavement just past the Visitor Center, then through a series of low hills before dropping into Badwater Basin: Death Valley’s lowest elevation at 282 feet below sea level. A few in good condition can be seen but most are only bumps or holes surrounded by rubble piles.

23. Ubehebe Crater

Ubehebe Crater is a famous geologic feature in Death Valley National Park, California. It was formed 10,000 to 100,000 years ago by an explosive volcanic eruption that blew out a large part of the area and left a huge crater about 0.75 miles in diameter and around 350 feet deep. Ubehebe Crater is one of the most visited areas in Death Valley because it is easily accessible from the road or from a trail that leads past the rim and into its depths

24. Dantes View

Dantes View is one of Death Valley National Park’s best photography spots. The descent from Dante’s View begins with a view over the zigzagging trail to Badwater Basin, but that’s just the beginning. After taking in the vastness of Death Valley, stand on a rock outcropping and face west at sunset for an unbeatable photo op or just wait until mid-June when it morphs into something out of science fiction. In the winter months, you may even catch snow-capped peaks surrounding you.

25. Natural Bridge Canyon 

The Natural Bridge Canyon trail drops down to the bottom of a long, narrow canyon near Stovepipe Wells road in Death Valley National Park. The trail to the canyon floor is wide and well maintained, making it perfect for riders of all skill levels. The hike is especially popular in the late afternoon as one approaches sunset, as there is a nice rock outcropping to sit on and watch the sun go down. Dogs are allowed in the canyon but they must be leashed at all times; this helps preserve the wildlife that inhabits the canyon floor and walls.

 

THESE ARE THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY SPOTS IN DEATH VALLEY

Death Valley National Park is a fantastic place to visit for photographers, with many stunning landscapes to see and photograph. The unique landscape, which includes vast quantities of sand dunes, salt flats, and arid valleys offers an opportunity to capture those bountiful and varied landscapes. You can’t miss it when you choose Death Valley as your photographic destination.

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