Last stop on our epic spring trip to celebrate Trekkers40th birthdayit was Death Valley National Park! we wanted to visitDeath valleyfor a long time. We thought early March was a good (and cooler!) time to do it.
3Tips for visiting Death Valley:
"Heat in Death Valley!"
warmth inDeath valleyThis is NOT a joke so PLEASE be careful! We were SO LUCKY that it was so cold when we were there (FYI, early March is a GREAT time to visit!) This place is literally listed as the hottest place on Earth!
Death Valley is also extremely dry and can be very windy, which means you can be sweating (and dehydrated) and not even realize it. It has been known for several years that it is over 100 degrees here for almost HALF OF THE YEAR! I cannot emphasize enough the potential danger that this kind of heat can bring. Dehydration and heatstroke are very real threats here for most of the year. This park can literally kill you!
The heat can also be VERY hard on your car, and if it breaks down in the middle of the desert, you're stuck in the heat. There are almost NO TREES in Death Valley, so NO SHADOW either. We even saw a remote stretch of road where signs told us to turn off the car's air-conditioning to relieve the car's engine (the road was also uphill); again, this was not an issue with the low temperatures when we were there. 😂
–No cell coverage in Death Valley
One great thing to plan when visiting Death Valley is that the park is HUGE! It covers over THREE MILLION acres, so plan on driving A LOT! Also, it's a valley (of course! 😉) surrounded by mountains, so cell phone coverage is very low; this adds to the danger the park poses if you run into a problem.
Also, remember that Death Valley is not the prettiest of our national parks. This comment is not intended to discourage you from visiting in any way. I just don't want you to be disappointed. Glacier NP it is not! 😇It's called Death Valley for a reason! Not much grows and lives here! 😉
Where is Death Valley?
Death Valley is located in southeastern California, right on the border with Nevada. The park is located approximately 130 miles west of Las Vegas and just over 200 miles northeast of Bakersfield, California.
The easiest way to get to Death Valley is by taking Nevada Route 160 west from Las Vegas to Pahrump. Then take State Line Road to Death Valley Junction on California Route 127. From there take Route 190 to the park. (Don't worry, there are signs. Besides, these are basically the only paved roads! 😉)
You can also get to Death Valley from the north by taking US 95 south through Nevada to California Route 374 or from the west on California Route 190.
Places you can't miss in Death Valley:
There are so many amazing places to see in the park!
Badwater Basin:
basin of bad waterIt is believed to be the lowest point in North America, more than 200 feet BELOW sea level!
For additional information on Death Valley, check out my friend Megan's blog posts atThings to do in Death Valley that are not hikingyPlaces to see on Badwater Road!
Father Crowley's Viewpoint:
This place is also known as "Star Wars Canyon"! Ironically, this was NOT a Star Wars filming location (scroll down to find out more!). The proper name of this canyon is Rainbow Canyon, from the colorful rocks and gravel that make up it. However, it got its name because fighter jets often practiced their low-altitude moves here (the terrain closely mimics where they fly from in other parts of the world).
This has been a wishlist item on both Trekkers lists since Mr. Trekker heard that fighter jets could be seen here and found out it was called Star Wars Canyon (and why!)This worked well with our surveillance planes at Nellis Air Force Base inVegasand sightseeingforeign highwayearlier on the trip!
Unfortunately, there was an accident a few years ago that killed the pilot and injured the spectators on the ground, so they limited all planes here... but sometimes you can get on a plane and... WE DID IT (actually two)! We didn't get any photos or videos (we literally heard it, saw it, it was gone, all in about three seconds in total). 😁
Valle Panamint
This isGORGEOUSThe valley is just off the road (about seven miles) east of Father Crowley Overlook. This was my absolute favorite spot in all of Death Valley (which we saw anyway). (We also saw a fighter jet flying through this valley (from Father Crowley Overlook!)
One strange thing about this valley was that it was SO QUIET! All you could hear was a light wind ROARING in your ears (and the occasional fighter jet flying overhead! 😝) We realized what was missing, no birds or even buzzing insects. I'm not sure if this is unique to Death Valley or because we were there in early March (although much of the park's literature speaks of extreme tranquility).
Punto Zabriskie:
This is supposed to be a great sunrise/sunset spot with all the different colors on the rocks!
Star Wars locations in Death Valley National Park
Many people don't know this, but several scenes from the ORIGINAL Star Wars trilogy were filmed in Death Valley! Most were from Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope (SW), but some were also from Episode 6: Return of the Jedi (ROTJ)! Get ready my nerdy flag is about to fly high! 😉
Note: Within the park itself, we did not see any signs or literature indicating where the filming locations are. There's a ton of information on Google on where to look, and then you have to use your imagination to put droids, Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi there. 😉
Artist Palette:
The scene where the Sand People attack Luke in SW...
Mesquite Dunes:
The droid scene at the beginning of SW was filmed here (where R2-D2 and C-3po are walking through the dunes behind their spaceship, the life raft crashes. The scenes of Jabba with the sailing barge and the Hutt ROTJ were also filmed here).
20 mule guns:
The scene where the Jawas capture R2-D2 and where Obi-Wan's house is/where he meets Luke for the first time in SW. The first ROTJ droid scene was also filmed here.
Dante Point:
The viewpoint at the top of the Point provides a view of Badwater Basin (this was the filming location of the Mos Eisley Spaceport in SW–"you will never find a more miserable hive of scum and wickedness…” 😁)
I-70 through Utah isGORGEOUS!
On the way back, we took I-70 through Utah. I always thought I-70 through Colorado was cool (and it is!), but the highway through Utah is AWESOME! And literally anyone can see these sights, just drive along the highway!
Incredible views, Hollywood movie sites and potentially VERY high temperatures. If you are looking for a unique vacation, check out Death Valley (but maybe not in summer. 🥵)
Have you been to Death Valley? Tell me about your experience in the comments!
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