Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is known for its extremes. It is North America’s driest and hottest spot. It receives fewer than two inches of rainfall annually and has a record high of 134°F in the summer. It also has the lowest elevation on the continent, which is Badwater Basin at 282 feet below sea level.
Staying in Death Valley National Park
There are a few towns to stay in when visiting Death Valley National Park.
- Beatty, NV (31 miles away)
- Death Valley Junction, CA (52 miles)
- Darwin, CA (57 miles)
- Amargosa Valley, NV (60 miles)
- Searles Valley, CA (78 miles)
- Olancha, CA (79 miles)
- Shoshone, CA (79 miles)
- Pahrump, NV (82 miles)
- Lone Pine, CA (84 miles)
VISIT Death Valley National Park:
Park Details
Death Valley National Park was established on February 11, 1933, and has a total area of 3,373,063 acres (5,270 square miles, or 13,656 square kilometers).
| Address | PO Box 579, Death Valley, CA, 92328 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (760) 786-3200 |
| Hours | The park is open daily, 24 hours a day, all year |
| Entrance Fee | $30 per vehicle, valid for 7 days |
| Learn More | Official Website |
When to Visit: Weather vs. Peak Visitation
Death Valley National Park is the 69th most visited park in the country.
Death Valley is the hottest place on Earth. In the summer months (May-September) temperatures average over 100°F (38°C), and often exceed 120°F (49°C).
Death Valley National Park, however, is perfectly safe to visit in the summer with some caution. First, drink and carry plenty of water with you. Carry with you and drink at least one gallon (4 liters) of water per day to replace loss from sweat, and drink more if you are active. Second, stay on paved roads in summer. If your car breaks down, stay with it until help comes. Lastly, watch out for signs of trouble. If you feel dizzy, nauseous, or get a headache, get out of the sun immediately and drink water or sports drinks.
Using Historical Data to Predict
We crunched 30 years of historical weather and/or park service data to find the best months to visit Death Valley National Park. We looked for the optimal temperatures, the least amount of snow and rain, and stayed away from peak visitation months if we could help it. All this data then helped us paint a picture as to what the absolute best time to visit Death Valley National Park is.
Our data shows the best months to visit Death Valley National Park are March, April, October & November.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Visits | 80,263 | 109,242 | 171,617 | 140,477 | 80,770 | 56,077 | 52,909 | 42,775 | 55,804 | 108,985 | 133,130 | 114,502 |
| Precipitation | 17 | 23 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 9 |
| Avg Temp | 58 | 61 | 70 | 77 | 87 | 96 | 102 | 100 | 92 | 80 | 66 | 56 |
| Max Temp | 67 | 72 | 81 | 90 | 97 | 105 | 109 | 106 | 101 | 92 | 77 | 66 |
| Avg Temp | 34 | 36 | 40 | 44 | 52 | 59 | 67 | 65 | 58 | 48 | 39 | 33 |
| Min Temp | 26 | 27 | 30 | 33 | 41 | 48 | 57 | 56 | 48 | 36 | 28 | 24 |
Death Valley National Park Road Trips
Many family vacations consist of stringing one or more national parks together during a week-long trip. Creating these types of trips is our specialty! Here are the road trips we've created where Death Valley National Park is visited.
Other Nearby National Park Sites
From national monuments, to historic sites to seashores and more, here are the other parks closest to Death Valley National Park.
| Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Manzanar National Historic Site | 81 mi |
| Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument | 87 mi |
| Sequoia National Park | 100 mi |
| Kings Canyon National Park | 109 mi |
| Mojave National Preserve | 113 mi |
| Lake Mead National Recreation Area | 114 mi |
| Castle Mountains National Monument | 115 mi |
| César E. Chávez National Monument | 120 mi |
| Devils Postpile National Monument | 157 mi |
| Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument | 176 mi |
Nearby Campsites & RV Parks
If you are looking to pitch a tent or park an RV at a campsite near Death Valley National Park, here is a list of the closest campsites in the surrounding area. They all have slightly different amenitites, so its best to check them all out instead of just chosing the first on the list.
| Name | Details | Miles Away |
|---|---|---|
| Mahogany Flat - Death Valley National Park | CA more | 13 miles |
| Thorndike - Death Valley National Park | CA more | 14 miles |
| Texas Spring - Death Valley National Park | Furnace Creek, CA more | 15 miles |
| Sunset - Death Valley National Park | Furnace Creek, CA more | 15 miles |
| Furnace Creek - Death Valley National Park | Furnace Creek, CA more | 15 miles |
| Wildrose - Death Valley National Park | CA more | 20 miles |
| Emigrant - Death Valley National Park | Panamint Springs, CA more | 28 miles |
| Stove Pipe Wells - Death Valley National Park | Panamint Springs, CA more | 31 miles |
| Panamint Springs | Panamint Springs, CA more | 36 miles |
| Shoshone - Tecopa - Dispersed | Shoshone, CA more | 37 miles |
Nearest Ski Resorts
For those of you who are the diehard outdoors type, visiting a national park on a ski trip can be quite the adventure. Here are the ski resorts within 100 miles of Death Valley National Park:
| Name | Location | Summit | Difficulty Score™ | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Canyon | Las Vegas, NV | 11,289 ft | 71% | 92 mi |
Nearest Airports
When visiting a National park, many people are faced with either a very long drive across country, or a much shorter flight. For those of you looking to fly into Death Valley National Park, we've listed the closest airports in the area.
Large Airports
A large airport has scheduled major airline service with millions of passengers per year. This type of airport always accepts international flights. Here are the closest large airports to Death Valley National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Reid International Airport | LAS | Las Vegas, NV | 94 mi |
| Ontario International Airport | ONT | Ontario, CA | 157 mi |
| Los Angeles International Airport | LAX | Los Angeles, CA | 182 mi |
| Lake Havasu City International Airport | LHS | Lake Havasu City, AZ | 192 mi |
| San Diego International Airport | SAN | San Diego, CA | 243 mi |
| Reno–Tahoe International Airport | RNO | Reno, NV | 276 mi |
| Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport | SJC | San Jose, CA | 292 mi |
Medium Airports
A medium-sized airport has scheduled regional airline service. This type of airport may or may not accept international flights. Here are the closest medium-sized airports to Death Valley National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meadows Field | BFL | Bakersfield, CA | 137 mi |
| Fresno Yosemite International Airport | FAT | Fresno, CA | 165 mi |
| Hollywood Burbank Airport | BUR | Burbank, CA | 165 mi |
| Palm Springs International Airport | PSP | Palm Springs, CA | 168 mi |
| Lake Havasu City International Airport | HII | Lake Havasu City, AZ | 181 mi |
| Long Beach Airport (Daugherty Field) | LGB | Long Beach, CA | 183 mi |
| John Wayne Airport | SNA | Santa Ana, CA | 187 mi |
Credits: Campground data provided by USCampgrounds.info. Map shapes from CartographyVectors. Weather data from NOAA. Airport data from OurAirports.com. Images from Unsplash, Flickr and Parks&Trips. All data has also been updated and augmented by Parks&Trips.