How to Make a Day Trip to Death Valley from SoCal

This past weekend held two holidays--Valentine's Day and President's Day. My husband and I have not been able to make a quick get-away anywhere for awhile due to my husband's busy work schedule, so we wanted to take advantage of the long weekend and do several activities. We wanted to do something local that we hadn't done before and thought of Death Valley, one of the least visited National Parks in the country. We bought a National Park pass back in July of 2020, and had only used it a couple times since. We are located in Orange County, California, which is a huge perk when it comes to how central it is to so many fun and amazing places (please disregard the awful traffic). We initially thought that we would take a couple days in Death Valley by camping in the park or staying in a nearby town at a 2-star motel. However, on Friday night we decided we were going to do the ultimate day trip and leave Saturday morning at 1am to get to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in time for sunrise then come back around sunset that same day.

Stop One: Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

We woke up at 1am on Saturday morning and started getting ready for the 4 and a half hour drive to Death Valley. We packed blankets, sandwiches, snacks, a case of water bottles, sunscreen, and extra socks. The drive was brutal, especially in the wind and miniature highways, but there were also amazing surprises along the way. We pulled over at one point to look at the most beautiful starry night sky and hundreds of satellites moving in a perfect line through the sky, one of the most amazing moments of the trip and of my life. Not a lot of people were in the park either, so I felt like we were the only ones in the park. We finally arrived at the dunes at 6:15am, just in time for sunrise.

Though it's soft and looks like it would be an easy hike, it was tough walking through sand--especially uphill! The dunes were beautiful but be prepared to bring water and to stay there for at least an hour so you can get to the point you want and take lots of pictures.

Stop Two: Harmony Borax Works

We ended up spending a few minutes up the road at Harmony Borax Works, an old Borax mining operation from the late 1800's. This was an easy walk-up attraction while we waited for the visitor's center to open. There's not much to do expect look at the building ruins, twenty-mule team wagon replica (not pictured) and informational signs, so I would say if you missed this you wouldn't regret it too much.

Stop Three: Furnace Creek Visitor Center

The next stop was the Furnace Creek Visitor Center where patrons pay the entry fee for the park, get a park map, get gas, and go to the restroom. We had a park pass, but still came here for the map and restroom (they're the cleanest ones in the park). They also have a book store but it was closed when we arrived. No need to spend too much time here, we probably stayed about 20 minutes.

Stop Four: Zabriskie Point

Travel up the road for about 15 minutes to stop at Zabriskie Point. Made of dried up sediment from Furnace Creek Lake millions of years ago, this lookout point is one you don't want to miss. It's a generally easy walk to the top of the hill, just a little steep but there are a few benches off to the side if you need to rest along the way.

If you don't want to walk very far, you can still admire the surrounding colorful rock formations ranging from pink to brown to gold.

Stop Five: Dante's View

The drive up to Dante's View was a little scary to be honest, you go up to 5400 feet in elevation on a narrow road. In 1926, it was slated as the best viewpoint of Death Valley--so it's a must-see! It's a breathtaking view of the Owlshead mountains, Badwater Basin, Telescope Peak and more. One interesting thing I found about Death Valley is that even though it's a desert, there are so many different colors and terrains that can be seen from this elevation. This view point can be reached and enjoyed by people of all ages, as it requires no hiking. I was also told it's a great place for stargazing. We ended up eating lunch in the parking lot and probably stayed here for 30 minutes.

Stop Six: Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin is arguably the most famous stop in Death Valley. It is the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level. After driving back down the mountain, we drove to the slightly packed parking lot for Badwater Basin. Once you get out of you car, you will see a small pool of "badwater" and the famous Badwater Basin sign. If you weren't already, I suggest wearing hiking shoes and not sandals (like my husband). We wanted to take pictures with not a lot of people around, so we had to walk for over half an hour over the rough and uneven salt flats.

We probably spent another half hour taking pictures and soaking in how eerily quiet and peaceful it was. In addition to licking a piece of salt (some say it tastes like pink Himalayan salt but it just tasted like regular table salt to me), I sat down in one of the hexagons (the salt particles were large and sharp on my hands and legs) and got some cool pictures. This was probably my favorite stop in Death Valley as it's such a novelty and unlike anywhere else I've ever been.

Stop Seven: Artist's Drive/Artist's Palette

Our final stop in Death Valley was just up the road from Badwater Basin, Artist's Drive. It is a 9 mile, one-way road through colorful rock formations. At this point it was probably 1:30pm and we were extremely tired and sweaty. There were also rain clouds all over the valley, and we were in a place that would be dangerous to be in if there was a flash-flood. Nevertheless, we drove through the colorful rock formations and stopped at the famous Artist's Palette pictured below. This only took us about 40 minutes, and then we were out of the small canyon back to the visitor's center.

We ended up starting the drive out of Death Valley around 2pm. We initially wanted to stay for sunset, but decided it would be easier on us to drive while it was light out and before a storm hit. The drive back home was a little rough just with the small highways and crazy drivers, but we ended up getting home at around 8pm and were completely exhausted. However, this extreme Death Valley day-trip was extremely rewarding and amazing. We were able to take Sunday and Monday to recuperate and do other activities but also made great memories in a place I had never thought much about before. If you're up for the challenge of driving 5 hours in the middle of the night, go for it! It's something I can look back on fondly and it also gave me a huge appreciation for Death Valley and the beauty of the desert.

Bonus: Outside of Death Valley we ran into four little wild donkeys blocking the road. We stopped to hang out with them--they were so adorable and sweet!