 On a recent trip to Las Vegas, I decided to book a bus tour from Viator to see Death Valley, located roughly two hours away from Vegas. I could have rented a car to have more flexibility, but I didn't quite trust myself to navigate without my husband, and an expert in the desert. A bus tour was perfect to see all the main spots and tick a new national park off my list. However, I will say I do want to go back on my own to do more hiking and sightseeing. Death Valley is the largest park by area in the continental U.S. The lowest point in all of North America is in Death Valley. And the hottest temperature ever recorded was in Death Valley. I also want to note that NOT going during the summer is a MUST. I went during mid-November, and temperatures were still in the upper 80s during the night. It was nice, but I could definitely see how the summer could be torturous and even dangerous. Stop 1: Rhyolite, NevadaUnfortunately, due to some flooding in the park, some of the main stops had to be cancelled, and the tour had to make some last minute changes. We ended up stopping in this ghost town outside of the park. Sure, to imagine the history of this place is quite interesting, but I would have preferred to read about it in a book than actual stop there. To me, there wasn't much to see that a book couldn't capture. I say skip this site and spend more time in the actual park. Stop 2: Death Valley National Park Sign
Stop 3: Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
We spent about 30-minutes here traversing up and down sand dunes. This area offers little to no shade so come prepared and hydrated. It was fun to play in the dunes and see the mountains in the background. You really don't need to spend longer than an hour here. Stop 4-5: Furnace Creek Visitor Center and The Oasis Stops 4-5 were mainly about rest and refueling. The visitor center had gifts and snacks for sale plus restrooms. They also have an interactive area with facts and the history of the park. The Oasis is literally that. It's a lush area in the middle of a desert. There is water, lush grass, trees, a hotel, restaurants, and shops. Stop 6: Dante's View
This was my favorite spot in the park. Beautiful views. Fun hikes. I would have loved to have spent more time hiking here. Stop 7: Zabriskie Point We got to this vista in the late afternoon. The temperatures had cooled dramatically. There were panoramic views of Badwater Basin down below. We were supposed to visit Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, and Artists Palette, but flooding prevented us, which disappointed me. Overall, Death Valley National Park pleasantly surprised me. I didn't realize how much more I wanted to explore here. I will add it to my list to go back.
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