Death Valley National Park Sightseeing

Death Valley is a sightseeing adventure unlike any other in the United States. The terrain and weird formations in the park make it seem like a NASA spaceshot of the surface of Mars, as can be seen in areas like Devil's Golf Course and the Racetrack. In fact, movies like Star Wars were even filmed inside the park, due to its unique desert landscape. Known for its extreme record breaking temperatures and low elevations, the park has been dubbed as inaccessible by many guides and books, during the heat of the peak summer months. With the right preperation, you can have an enjoyable visit to the park even in those 110 degree August days.

The Racetrack area of Death Valley National Park is only accessible by four wheel drive. It contains the near mythical desert dry lake bed, home to the curious moving stones. These huge stones somehow make their way across the large expanse, leaving an indented groove into the dry lake bed behind them. How do they move? Though no one has ever witnessed one of the rocks in motion, it has been best theorized that the rocks move from water, ice and wind movement during the storms that the valley experiences in the winter months.

Death Valley's sand dunes are an incredible site to see, and one of the best sightseeing destinations within the park. The intense sun and light of the park combined with the brown hues of the dunes make daytime photography rather dull. To get the best shots, take your photos later in the day or early in the morning, when the shadows better define the dunes, and the angle of the sun best compliments them.

The park contains the sand dune areas of Saline Dunes, Ibex Dunes, Panamint Dunes, Eureka Dunes, and the most accessible of all, the Stovepipe Dunes.  There are some magnificent examples of great photography of the sand dunes on yellowecho.com.

Heat is no joke in Death Valley. The temperatures can soar during the daytime to 120 degrees on a summer's day. This can cause heat stroke, extreme dehydration, intense scarring sunburns, and even death, which has happened. When hiking and driving in Death Valley, always notify someone of where you are headed, and when you expect to be back. The area is very isolated, desolate, and has intermittent visitors, even at the peak park times.

Before hiking in Death Valley, follow these important rules to ensure your own safety. Avoid hiking in the salt beds and valley area during the day, since there is no shade whatsoever. When traveling to the park by car, gas up before your journey. Gas tends to be much pricier within the park, and there's only one gas station that I saw during my visit. Also make sure the car is reliable, and the tires are properly inflated. The last thing you want to happen in Death Valley is to break down!

• Dante's View - This remote peak provides a spectacular view of most of Death Valley and is a slight break from the heat down below. Late evening and early mornings, like most sites in the park, are the best time to photograph.
  
• Badwater and Devil's Gold Course - There's no missing these two attractions of Death Valley. They're right on the main route through the park, and don't even require much hiking. A word of advice: don't wear open toed shoes in the spiky salt flats of Devil's Golf Course!
• The Sand Dunes - The park is famous for its incredible dunes, which come to life during the windy dusks and dawns.
  
• Scotty's Castle - Why on earth is this castle on the remote north end of Death Valley? Read the Wikipedia article explaining the story.
  

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