Yes, but you must be prepared and use common sense. With an air conditioned vehicle you can safely tour many of the main sites in Death Valley. Stay on paved roads in summer, and if your car breaks down, stay with it until help arrives.
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The fee to enter Death Valley National Park is $30 per vehicle, good for 7 days. There's no gate controlling entry to the park, so you'll stop by an entrance station or visitor center to pay for the pass. The park is open 24/7, so you can start or end your tour at any time.
I recommend driving to the far end, 15 miles south, where you can explore Badwater Basin. This is the lowest point on North America and one of those bucket-list spots to visit in Death Valley.
Flash Floods: Avoid canyons during rain storms and be prepared to move to higher ground. While driving, be alert for water running in washes and across road dips. Mine Hazards: Do not enter mine tunnels or shafts. Mines may be unstable, have hidden shafts, pockets of bad air, and poisonous gas.
Joshua Tree has probably the best weather conditions year round compared to Death Valley. If you want to see the desert wildflower bloom, visit in early spring (March-April). And even though Joshua Tree will often top 100 degrees in the summer, it is nothing like the average of 116 degrees Death Valley gets.
If you're going to head to Death Valley, you really want to have access to a 4WD vehicle with high clearance. There's a lot you can see in a normal passenger car, but if you really want to get into the desolate backcountry that makes up the majority of the National Park, you'll want a little upgrade.
Nighttime traffic is almost always light, and you can see vehicles from a long way. The main driving hazard is excessive speed. Some roads have curves that sneak up on you, and in the daytime, the awesome scenery can be very distracting. Single-vehicle accidents are the #1 cause of visitor deaths in Death Valley.
This route was first done solo, unsupported and unassisted by Louis-Philippe Loncke in 2015 in just under 8 days and done again by Roland Banas in 2018 in just under 7 days. The crossing can be done all on trails, but for an unsupported summer trip using a cart for water, that wouldn't be possible.
There are few constructed trails here, but in a place this desolate you usually don't need them. Most hiking routes in the park are cross-country, up canyons, or along ridges. The best time to hike in Death Valley is from November through March. Summer temperatures can be dangerous in the park's lower elevations.
GPS Navigation to remote locations like Death Valley National Park are notoriously unreliable. Numerous travelers have been directed to the wrong location and dead-end or closed roads by following incorrect GPS information. Travelers should always carry up-to-date road maps to check the accuracy of GPS directions.
Does anyone live in Death Valley? Death Valley is the historic homeland of the Timbasha Shoshone. “Some members of the tribe still live within Death Valley, and their village is in Furnace Creek,” Wines said. “It's right here in the center of the park.
Zabriskie Point is the most famous viewpoint in Death Valley National Park. Overlooking the colorful badlands of the Furnace Creek formation and beyond to the Panamint Mountains in the distance, Zabriskie Point is especially popular at sunrise and sunset.
Death Valley is 3.4 million acres of epic landscape to explore. The 2nd largest national park in the lower 48 is Yellowstone National Park with 2.2 million acres.
The entrance fees for Death Valley National Park are $30 for a private vehicle, $25 for motorcycles, and $15 for cyclists, hikers, and foot visitors. All these Death Valley fees are valid for 7 days. An annual Death Valley pass costs $55 and this only gets you access to that park for one vehicle.