You might be wondering: How many days are needed to explore Death Valley? You can hit the main attractions in 2-3 days, but you won't run out of things to do should you plan a longer visit! Fun fact: Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the lower 48.
There is no single entrance into Death Valley, but there are three main entrances that most people use. The first is to come in from Highway 395 at Lone Pine. The second is to come up the Panamint Valley Road from Ridgecrest. The third enters west into the park from Death Valley Junction.
Death Valley is the hottest place on earth and the largest national park in the contiguous US, covering an impressive 3.4 million acres. In order to reach this area of natural wonder a rental car is necessary as there is no way to access the park with public transportation.
The highs for Death Valley in the spring months average between 82-100°F (27-38°C) with lows averaging 55-73°F (13-23°C). March and through mid-April are great months to visit the park, but by end of April into May starts the consistent 100 degree days.
Most of Death Valley National Park does not currently have cell phone reception. Comnet operates two cell towers in the park, one on NPS land at Stovepipe Wells and the other on private property at Furnace Creek.
Admission: Admission to Death Valley National Park costs $15 per person, or $30 per vehicle, and is valid for seven days. Motorcycle entrance fees are $25 per bike, and annual Death Valley passes are also available for purchase for $55, valid for one year.
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.
From the nps.gov website on Death Valley: 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.
Avoiding the CrowdsVisitors tend to avoid the summer and crowd Death Valley on weekends and school holidays the rest of the year, especially in the spring. December and January are the quietest months (with the exception of Christmas week and Martin Luther King, Jr., Day weekend).
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.
Panamint City is a ghost town deep in the Panamint Mountains of Death Valley. It's historic, well preserved and hard to reach. More than 130 years after Panamint City's peak as a silver boomtown, it looks a lot like a post-modern apocalyptic summer camp.
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.
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.