Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the contiguous United States, covering over 3.4 million acres of some of the most extreme and beautiful terrain on Earth. Located just two hours east of Ridgecrest, the park is a land of superlatives — it contains the lowest point in North America (Badwater Basin at 282 feet below sea level), holds the record for the highest reliably recorded air temperature on Earth (134 degrees Fahrenheit in 1913), and yet rises to over 11,000 feet at Telescope Peak, where snow falls in winter.

The landscapes within the park are staggeringly diverse. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes near Stovepipe Wells look like they belong in the Sahara. Zabriskie Point offers a sunrise panorama over ancient lake sediments eroded into an alien badlands. Artist's Drive winds through hills painted in shades of green, purple, red, and gold by mineral deposits. Titus Canyon provides a dramatic one-way drive through a narrow desert gorge. And at Badwater Basin, you can walk on a vast salt flat that stretches to the horizon, shimmering in the desert light.

Death Valley was designated an International Dark Sky Park with Gold Tier status, making it one of the best places in the world for stargazing. The park is most visited from November through March, when temperatures are pleasant for hiking and sightseeing. Summer visits are dangerous — temperatures routinely exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit — but adventurous visitors who prepare properly can experience an eerie solitude as one of the few people in this vast landscape.