scenic viewpoint
Dante's View (Death Valley)
A 5,475-foot viewpoint looking straight down to Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, with the Panamint Range beyond.
8 km · about 15 min drive
North AmericaUnited StatesCalifornia
Death Valley
California, United States · North America
About Death Valley
Death Valley works well as a base: 1 hours from Pahrump, 38km from Death Valley National Park.
Death Valley is in California, United States, with about 1,100 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Pahrump, about 74 km away.
Death Valley (Panamint: Tümpisa [tɨmbiʃa]) is a desert valley in Eastern California, United States, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. The World Meteorological Organization lists Death Valley as the site of the hottest surface temperature recorded on Earth.
In the afternoon hours of JulyRead more
10, 1913, the United States Weather Bureau recorded a temperature of 134 °F (56.7 °C) at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, which stands as the highest ambient air temperature ever recorded on the surface of the Earth. However, this reading and several others taken in that period are disputed by some modern experts due to observer issues and regional disparities in temperature values. The highest reliable temperature in Death Valley is 130 °F (54.4 °C) recorded at Furnace Creek on August 16, 2020 and July 9, 2021. This is still the highest reliable temperature recorded globally.
Lying mostly in Inyo County, California, near the border of California and Nevada, in the Great Basin, east of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Death Valley constitutes much of Death Valley National Park and is the principal feature of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere Reserve. It runs from north to south between the Amargosa Range on the east and the Panamint Range on the west. The Grapevine Mountains and the Owlshead Mountains form its northern and southern boundaries, respectively. It has an area of about 3,000 sq mi (7,800 km2). The highest point in Death Valley National Park is Telescope Peak, in the Panamint Range, which has an elevation of 11,043 feet (3,366 m).
Death Valley is home to the Timbisha tribe of Native Americans, formerly known as the Panamint Shoshone. They have inhabited the valley for at least the past millennium. Their name for Death Valley is Tümpisa, meaning "rock paint". This refers to the presence of red ochre in the valley.
The valley got the name Death Valley in the winter of 1849–1850 when a group of American pioneers were traveling through on their way to the California gold rush. The Death Valley '49ers got lost in the valley and feared that they would all perish there. They did eventually make their way out after suffering the loss of just one of the group.
Where to Stay in Death Valley
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Explore the Area
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Death Valley?
Within an hour or so of Death Valley: Dante's View (Death Valley) (8 km), Artists Drive & Artists Palette (14 km), Artist's Drive, Death Valley (Tatooine) (14 km), Zabriskie Point, Death Valley (20 km).
Where is Death Valley?
Death Valley is in California, United States, about 74 km from Pahrump.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,124
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Region
- California
- Timezone
- America/Los_Angeles
- Coordinates
- 36.2396, -116.8113
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United States
AAA roadside assistance: 1-800-222-4357. Right turn on red is legal in most states unless signed otherwise.
Full driving guide for United StatesTags
Worth the detour from Death Valley
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
Artists Drive & Artists Palette
A one-way nine-mile paved dip-and-swoop through Death Valley badlands, climaxing at Artists Palette, where volcanic minerals stain the hills pink, green and purple.
14 km · about 25 min drive
film location
Artist's Drive, Death Valley (Tatooine)
The mineral-streaked hills and the nearby Twenty Mule Team Canyon supplied Tatooine's canyons and the Jawa sandcrawler shots.
14 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Zabriskie Point, Death Valley
A striking viewpoint overlooking a surreal landscape of golden badlands and eroded mudstone in the hottest place on Earth.
20 km · about 25 min drive
national park
Death Valley National Park
The hottest, driest, and lowest national park in the US, with dramatic salt flats and colorful badlands.
38 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Death Valley
- Right hereDante's View (Death Valley)A 5,475-foot viewpoint looking straight down to Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, with the Panamint Range beyond.
- Right hereArtists Drive & Artists PaletteA one-way nine-mile paved dip-and-swoop through Death Valley badlands, climaxing at Artists Palette, where volcanic minerals stain the hills pink, green and purple.
- 20 kmZabriskie Point, Death ValleyA striking viewpoint overlooking a surreal landscape of golden badlands and eroded mudstone in the hottest place on Earth.
Nearby Destinations
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