2 Nights In Death Valley - What are the 'must sees'?

[WAYAWAY]

We are doing a road trip in my 2001 4Runner over Thanksgiving week.. the first 2 days we will be in Death Valley. I know that there are tons of amazing dirt roads.

What are your go to places?
Old mines, amazing vistas, geological wonders please!

thanks all,
- Joe

 

[JimBill]

I've only made 2 trips (17 days total) to the area, so by no means an expert. The park, and the area around, is big! So what you can fit into your trip depends on what direction you are coming and going, and where you are camping (trail or campground?) . Nail down your entry, camping needs, and exit, and then tackle a map. Lots on-line. For off road check Amazon for Tom Harris Death Valley map, the National Geographic map is good too. If your traveling solo, I recommend well travelled paths. No matter what your entry and exit, Titus Canyon is a must see. From there Badwater Basin and Artists Canyon are close. If coming in from the west side, Alabama Hills and Cerro Gordo are standards. YouTube is your friend, find something interesting on the map and check it out!

 

[AL.WVSN]

Interested to see what people suggest - im looking to go there as well during XGIVING.

 

[WAYAWAY]

I've only made 2 trips (17 days total) to the area, so by no means an expert. The park, and the area around, is big! So what you can fit into your trip depends on what direction you are coming and going, and where you are camping (trail or campground?) . Nail down your entry, camping needs, and exit, and then tackle a map. Lots on-line. For off road check Amazon for Tom Harris Death Valley map, the National Geographic map is good too. If your traveling solo, I recommend well travelled paths. No matter what your entry and exit, Titus Canyon is a must see. From there Badwater Basin and Artists Canyon are close. If coming in from the west side, Alabama Hills and Cerro Gordo are standards. YouTube is your friend, find something interesting on the map and check it out!

Thanks JimBill
I'll be traveling with my girlfriend and 2 sons. I'm planning on off-road driving and boondocking it instead of campgrounds.
I'll check out those maps! Thanks.

 

[BCBrian]

1. DON'T GO ALONE! Help is a VERY long way away....
2. Titus is very tame and BEAUTIFUL. We had a guy in an Audi rally car pass us a couple years ago.
3. If you are going for site seeing.... Zabriske Point, Badwater and Ubehebe Crater are easy to get to and interesting.
3. For more challenging trails, research Lippincott Pass, Pleasant Valley/South Park and Defense Mine (near Panamint Springs, just outside the park).
4. There are a lot of basic dirt roads to explore, many of which dead end in canyons. There are also many interesting mine sites that are not too tough to get to.

 

[Johan Alfsen]

I’ll actually be taking thanksgiving week off to travel from Santa Fe NM back to the SF Bay Area. May pass through Death Valley at some point. I’ve done it on a motorcycle but excited to get on some dirt roads with my 2016 4Runner. Looking forward to comments and suggestions here.

 

[Noli G]

You can start from Beatty, Nevada (just outside Death Valley on the north side), side trip to Rhyolite ghost town, go south and right on Titus Canyon. Turn right towards Ubehebe Crater, then Teakettle Junction, all the way down to the Grandstand to see the "sailing rocks". From here you can continue to Lippincott road (if properly equipped), turn right towards Saline Valley Dunes and then to Warm Springs. This direction seems simple but we are talking about over a hundred miles of driving on unpaved/gravel/washboard roads.

 

[JimBill]

Severe weather in the National Park Thanksgiving week.

 

[WAYAWAY]

Severe weather in the National Park Thanksgiving week.View attachment 128707

We bailed the plan. It was going to be too crazy weather wise.
We spent some time on the Bradshaw Trail instead.

 

[Go2AllThePlaces]

It was such a good death valley thanksgiving!!