But that’s only during summer. Now a friend of mine told me that this is a little bit dangerous, and that a lot of rental companies as well as other organization advise against driving through the Death Valley. But maybe that’s exactly why you should go. Click here for 10 reasons to visit Death Valley in summer. Combine the name “Death Valley” with the forbidding landscape here, and this place has an allure unlike any other National Park. Why it’s important to be well prepared for a trip to Death Valley. Snow in the canyon has a beauty of its own. What causes the colorful terrain? HOT STUFF: Death Valley holds the world record for the highest reliably recorded air temperature—on July 10, 1913, the mercury reached a whopping 134 degrees at Furnace Creek. In the summer, it gets very hot. You can visit Badwater Basin, which sits at 282 feet below sea level and is the lowest spot in the United States. While fall is a very popular time to visit Death Valley, it is usually slightly less crowded than the spring. By the way, love you blogs! If you’re searching for an excursion beyond the limits of Las Vegas but don’t have the time to journey to the Grand Canyon, don’t despair. Now that you guys are there, I am looking forward to your itinerary blog about it. Great Blog. Looks very cool! If you insist, a good warm-weather option is Telescope Peak , the park’s high point at 11,049 feet. I have two teen girls. Knowing what you can expect to experience during your visit to the Grand Canyon—besides breathtaking views—can help you plan and prepare for your visit. The weather is perfect—days mostly in the 70s and 80s, nights in the 50s and 60s. Next up: Death Valley. Book your tickets online for the top things to do in Death Valley National Park, California on Tripadvisor: See 19,888 traveler reviews and photos of Death Valley National Park tourist attractions. Within only a short distance from these areas you will be able to also find regions that will be covered in wildflowers at certain times of the year, and where you will also be able to see plant and animal species that only exist in this region. Thanks to its proximity to Las Vegas (120 miles) and Los Angeles (295 miles), Death Valley National Park is the largest Dark Sky National Park in the country, according to the International Dark Sky Association. Fall, winter, and spring are the best times to visit Death Valley with milder temperatures. Can you think of a National Park that has a more intriguing name than Death Valley? In fact, the entire American Southwest is an adventurer’s dream. Death Valley holds the record for the hottest place on earth. For example, temperatures in Death Valley in December usually range between 64 and 70ºF. Not exactly warm, but these were very pleasant temperatures for hiking and exploring. The landscapes are unreal. Image by Supercarwaar via, Devil’s Golf Course. We have over 20 years of experience in the travel industry and look forward to serving you with all your Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam adventures. Las Vegas is within easy driving distance of a number of iconic state and national monuments. Did this during the winter break. February may not seem like an obvious time to plan an amazing outdoor adventure, but it just so happens to be the prime month to visit one of America’s most iconic National Parks: Death Valley. Thanks for this post. A barren desert landscape, crawling with scorpions and rattlesnakes? Canyon Tours is a Las Vegas-owned and operated tour agency that specializes in discounted Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas. When it comes to picking out travel destinations in the US, Death Valley National Park is an overlooked destination. Why is Death Valley called Death Valley? It may not be as close as nearby Red Rock Canyon (which you can actually see from the Strip), but its proximity to Sin City makes Death Valley an easy day trip, whether you‘re looking for a kid-friendly adventure or to escape the action of the Strip after a night on the town. LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED LAS VEGAS GRAND CANYON TOURS, Badwater Basin. Image by Wilson44691 via Wikimedia Commons. You won’t be bored—between fall events, Thanksgiving holidays, and Christmas just around the corner, there’s lots on the Las Vegas agenda for Novem... Every year, 5 million curious tourists, nature enthusiasts, and adventurous travelers journey through deserts to take in one of the world’s most breathtaking sights – the Grand Canyon. Go see the mysterious sailing stones at Racetrack Playa, take in the panoramic vistas at Zabriskie Point and Dante’s View, walk on sand dunes, explore the mudstone hills of the Badlands, climb down into a caldera, go on scenic drives, and gaze up at the stars at night. Our base after that is Desert Springs and we will do a one full day visit to Joshua Tree National Park. So Death Valley comes by its sizzling reputation honestly. All rights reserved © Earth Trekkers. If you can, I recommend staying within the park to minimize driving time. During the late winder/ early spring is ideal. I’m sure it’s coming soon. More Information for Your Trip to Death Valley and California: Your email address will not be published. This diverse landscape has been used in a surprisingly large number of movies, the most famous being Star Wars: A New Hope. That means that the gradual sinking or caving in of the “basin” part of the process is more pronounced in Death Valley than anywhere else. Lots of great places for families to explore. If there’s been a dollop or two of winter rain, wildflowers will be abundant in early spring. Here are the GPS coordinates: 36.375388, -116.684937. We almost went there this past December (but the Grand Canyon, Arches and Canyonlands won). Every NYE, the entir... © 2020, CanyonTours.com. Earth Trekkers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com. We are moving to California this summer and I cannot wait to explore a whole new world with my boys! When spending one day in Death Valley you need to make sure to pay … It’s very basic, there was extremely limited wifi and no cellular service, but it has a great location. Here are some highlights: Badwater Basin. This place can be full of surprises, and it’s never, ever boring. Here are 12 of the most popular spots you can reach from Vegas. And when you visit the Oasis at Death Valley — with its AAA Four Diamond Inn at Death Valley and family-friendly Ranch at Death Valley — you’ll discover a place transformed. This is because Death Valley has a desert climate, and temperatures can be dangerously hot in the summer seasons (May through September). For most people, this is the most pleasant time to visit Death Valley. While everyone is arriving in bus loads to Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks, Death Valley still remains rather empty. Those temps warm up to the 90s in late April and can start hitting 100 in May. And that’s a good thing, if you go now. Tourism is picking up here, so if you want to enjoy these desolate landscapes, and really have them feel uninhabited, go now before Death Valley makes the National Park “hot list.”. ), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. According to the NOAA, it also earned the all-time high temperature record for any weather station in the world this July, with an average temperature of 108.1 degrees. Located approximately 130 miles from Las Vegas, Death Valley is only about … With hot temperatures in the summer and crowds in the spring, the best time to visit Death Valley while enjoying the natural beauty in late winter. If you have one day trip from las vegas, will you pick Death Valley or Valley of Fire? Find out how to get there and more on our blog. While you may not see literal maids a-milking or lords a-leaping, if you’re planning a Christmas getaway to Las Vegas, chances are you’ll spot some ladies dancing and more than your fair share of gold... Escaping the cold with a late-fall trip to Sin City? Fall and winter are also great times to visit Death Valley, as the temperature and crowds both tend to taper off. When you think of Death Valley, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Along with the area’s lack of surface water and low elevation, Death Valley’s extreme temperatures result from a climatological phenomenon called the “rainshadow effect”: As warm, moist air masses from the nearby Pacific Ocean are forced above the mountains that surround the valley, they lose moisture. With scant rainfall and conditions that could evaporate one hundred times what it gets, the Death Valley landscape exposes underlying geology that vegetation might cover in other locations. If by chance the winter has brought rain, Death Valley is truly an enchanted place to visit. Most stones move once every two or three years, and their track will last about three or four years. All rights reserved. And once you head away from Furnace Creek, you can drive for miles without seeing another car. |. This leads to some pretty cool formations—keep reading to learn more. Grotto Canyon Hike in Death Valley: Are You Up for the Challenge? Hello! Not only are these photogenic, but they are demonstrative of man’s stubborn battle against nature. It’s also the busiest time. Republishing this article and/or any of its contents (text, photography, etc. Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the lower 48 states, covering an area of over 3,000 square miles. Cheers, Julie, Your email address will not be published. Another well thought out itinerary. The region was formed about three million years ago through a geological process called “Basin and Range”, which occurs when the Earth’s crust stretches and develops faults to accommodate the extension. In fact, it’s so hot that many calculations of the highest daily temperatures in the country omit it as a matter of course. See Badwater Basin, Furnace Creek, the Devil’s Golf Course, Ubehebe Crater, and more. At first glance it appears to be a barren wasteland, to be hurried through as quickly as possible. This park does not enjoy the same level of fame as many other National Parks in the United States. If you’ve made it this far without breaking your ... Christmas in Las Vegas may be extravagant, but when it comes to over-the-top holiday celebrations, New Year’s Eve in Sin City tops even the tallest Christmas tree on the Strip. Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in North America. Thanks to the extreme range of elevations in Death Valley, the area is home to a variety of astounding viewpoints. Just get a very early start because of the short daylight in December. Good location in Death Valley, with a restaurant, gas station, and a general store. Snow at the Grand Canyon…that is a sight to see! Between the Valley of Fire to east, Red Rock Canyon to the north, and Death Valley to the west, there is no shortage of nearby places to visit from Las Vegas. It was snowing in Grand Canyon for 1 day so we didn’t have great views of the canyon (too foggy) the first day but it cleared up the second day and what a sight it was!! A scorching 134°F (57°C) was recorded in Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913. It is the most popular time to visit Death Valley. The best months to visit Death Valley National Park is November through March. In some places, the landscapes look downright bizarre. OK… another great post with excellent information and pictures! You can also climb Telescope Peak, which reaches a height of 11,043 feet (3,366 meters), the highest mountain in the park. Her favorite place to visit is (unsurprisingly!) We want to rent a Jeep at Farabee’s, so it seems The Ranch is the best option, but it seems pricey for just 1 night. Death Valley National Park has Furnace Creek Inn, Scotty’s Castle, and Harmony Borax Works. If you plan on visiting during this season, book ahead as campgrounds tend to fill up fast. the Grand Canyon. I traveled to Death Valley in Feb. and it was fantastic. Our itinerary was 1 day in Death Valley, 2 days in Grand Canyon (south rim) and 2 days in Vegas. But if you are looking to escape the cold winter temps, Death Valley is a good place to go. Julie Last updated: December 20, 2020 United States 16 Comments. By browsing this website, you agree to our use of cookies. Not only can you drive Death Valley Road, you can also get out and explore the surreal landscape and environment, and experience all of the cool things to do in Death Valley, without falling into heat exhaustion! We were planning for Egypt this winter break but couldn’t pull it through. Even though only one of them died, they all thought this would be their grave, so they gave this place the name “Death Valley.”. Required fields are marked *. Death Valley gets extremely hot over the summer – by May temperatures get into the 100s during the day, and with no shade, you’re at the mercy of the sun. Also, the hike in the Badwater basin was longer than we thought it would be. One reason to visit Death Valley in November is that it is slightly cooler! Yosemite for First Timers: Best Hikes, Best Views, and the Best Things To Do, Hiking Half Dome in Yosemite: A Step-by-Step Guide, One Day Itinerary for Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, Utah’s Might 5 Travel Guide and Road Trip Itinerary, 20 Best Waterfalls in Iceland You Should Visit, Lofoten Islands Itinerary: Complete Guide for First-Time Visitors, One Day Road Trip on the Great Ocean Road, 10 Days in Norway: The Ultimate Road Trip through the Fjord Region, How to Visit Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park, How to Plan Your Death Valley Day Trip from Las Vegas. PRO TIP: Bend your ear to the ground—you’ll hear the sound of billions of tiny salt crystals bursting apart as they expand and contract in the heat. If the spring was wet ( a half inch or more of rainfall), you can rest assured that the valley floor and walls will be covered with wildflowers. The average winter temperature hangs around a balmy 65-76 degrees – perfect for people looking for a warm escape from their regular snowy climate. Read all of our articles in our California Destination Guide. No, no Joshua Tree yet. SPRING is one of the most popular time to visit Death Valley. Why so hot? Enjoy California! Zabriskie Point. Image by Wilson44691 via, LEARN MORE ABOUT DEATH VALLEY WILDLIFE AND VEGETATION, 22 Romantic Things for Couples To Do In Las Vegas, 12 Days of a Vegas Christmas — Your Guide to Christmas and NYE in Las Vegas, The Complete Guide to Visiting the Grand Canyon, 25 Family Friendly Things To Do in Las Vegas with Kids, 12 More National & State Parks Within Driving Distance of Las Vegas, 34 Totally Free Things To Do in Las Vegas, How To Get To Antelope Canyon, plus 7 More Questions You Didn’t Know You Had, How Not to Blow your New Year’s Resolutions in Las Vegas, What to Expect When you Visit the Grand Canyon. The Best Time to Visit Death Valley. Ria is a Customer Experience Manager at Canyon Tours and an avid lover of the outdoors. If you are in here during the springtime, you may even get to see Death Valley blanketed with wildflowers. We love camping but decided to find a cabin/ hotel instead. I was in a Jeep and I wouldn’t recommend doing it any other way. Death Valley is one of those places where you get the feeling that you are in the middle of nowhere. But basin and range processes occur a little differently in Death Valley—because of the unique strike-slip faults that perpendicularly border the central extent of the region, the valleys formed by the basin and range process are wider and exhibit more “subsidence”. As you say it is very beautiful, and a dream for a landscape photographer. Sure, it would be beautiful to see Yosemite or Bryce Canyon with a fresh layer of snow. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in January. Take your pick from 50 of the world's best travel adventures. We stayed at Stovepipe Wells and it was fine. Stargazing in Death Valley. March and April are when the flowers are at their most spectacular, and if you visit during these months, you’ll see a blaze of natural beauty. It’s on our list…it looks amazing. 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