The Lowest, Hottest and Most Surreal Road in America

California 190 drops from the Panamint Range into the largest national park in the contiguous United States — 13,600 km² of salt flats, sand dunes, slot canyons, and volcanic craters occupying a basin that sinks 86 meters below sea level at Badwater, the lowest point in North America. The road crosses two mountain passes before descending to Furnace Creek, where the world's highest reliably recorded air temperature — 56.7 °C (134 °F) — was logged in 1913, and where summer ground temperatures still routinely exceed 90 °C. From Furnace Creek, Badwater Road threads south through Artist's Drive's psychedelic mineral palette, the jagged salt pinnacles of Devil's Golf Course, and down to the vast white salt pan of Badwater Basin, while detours lead to golden slot canyons, ancient volcanic craters, and some of the darkest night skies in America — Death Valley holds a Gold Tier International Dark Sky Park designation.

Key Stops

Panamint Springs A remote desert outpost on CA-190 at the park's western edge, sitting at 600 m elevation between the Argus and Panamint Ranges. The Panamint Springs Resort offers the last fuel, food, and lodging before the long descent into the valley. Father Crowley Vista Point nearby provides sweeping views down into Rainbow Canyon, where military jets from China Lake frequently practice low-altitude maneuvers — a surreal spectacle known locally as "Star Wars Canyon."

Stovepipe Wells Village The first resort ever built in Death Valley (1926), located on the valley floor at near sea level. The village serves as the gateway to Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, the park's most accessible and photographed dune field, where golden sand rises 30 m against a backdrop of the Grapevine and Cottonwood Mountains. Sunrise and sunset turn the dune ridgelines into sculpted light-and-shadow compositions. The historic Stovepipe Wells marked a critical water source on the old borax wagon routes.

Scotty's Castle A Spanish-Mediterranean fantasy villa built in the 1920s by Chicago millionaire Albert Johnson, named after his colourful prospector friend Walter "Death Valley Scotty" Scott, who claimed he'd built it with gold-mine riches. The castle has been closed since a catastrophic flash flood in October 2015 that caused over $90 million in damage. The National Park Service has been undertaking extensive restoration; limited "Flood Recovery" walking tours resumed January–March 2026. Full reopening is projected for late 2026.

Ubehebe Crater A dramatic 240 m deep, 800 m wide volcanic maar crater in the park's northern section, formed by a massive steam explosion when rising magma hit groundwater — likely just 2,100 years ago, making it geologically recent. The multi-coloured layered walls reveal orange and black volcanic deposits. A steep trail descends to the crater floor, and a rim trail leads to neighbouring Little Hebe Crater. Strong winds at the rim are common.

The Racetrack (optional, 4WD) One of Death Valley's greatest mysteries lives on this remote dry lakebed, where "sailing stones" — some weighing over 300 kg — leave long tracks across the playa surface, seemingly moving on their own. The mystery was finally solved in 2014 by researchers who documented thin ice sheets forming on the playa, which, pushed by light winds, slowly slide the rocks across the wet, slippery mud. Reaching the Racetrack requires a 43 km rough dirt road (high-clearance 4WD essential); flat tyres are common on the sharp rocks. Currently verify access as Titus Canyon Road in the area has been closed for flood damage repairs.

Furnace Creek The heart of Death Valley and home to the park's main visitor centre, where rangers provide daily talks and updated road-condition reports. The Furnace Creek area includes The Oasis at Death Valley (formerly Furnace Creek Inn), a 1927 AAA Four Diamond resort built in mission style on a natural spring-fed hillside, and the more rustic Ranch at Death Valley with its spring-fed swimming pool. The Borax Museum here preserves the story of the 20-mule-team wagons that hauled borax 265 km to the railroad at Mojave in the 1880s. Furnace Creek holds the Guinness record for the hottest place on Earth.

Zabriskie Point One of Death Valley's most iconic viewpoints, offering a panorama of elaborately eroded mudstone badlands in gold, cream, and brown — ancient lake sediments from five million years ago sculpted by wind and flash floods into a maze of ridges and gullies. The point is named after Christian Zabriskie, a borax-mining executive. It became globally famous after Michelangelo Antonioni's 1970 film of the same name. Sunrise here is legendary, when the low-angle light ignites the sediment layers.

Dante's View At 1,669 m (5,476 ft), this mountaintop overlook on the crest of the Black Mountains provides the supreme Death Valley panorama — Badwater Basin's white salt flat 1,755 m directly below, the Panamint Range beyond, and on clear days, both the lowest point in North America (Badwater, −86 m) and the highest point in the contiguous US (Mt. Whitney, 4,421 m) visible simultaneously. The 21 km access road climbs steeply from the valley floor; arrive at sunrise for the most dramatic light.

Golden Canyon A short, vivid slot canyon with towering walls of gold, red, and orange mudstone that glow in afternoon sunlight. The 5 km (round-trip) trail leads through the narrows to Red Cathedral, a dramatic amphitheatre of crimson cliffs stained by iron oxide. The canyon was carved by flash floods through 15-million-year-old lake sediments, and the trail offers one of the park's most accessible geology walks.

Artist's Drive A 14.5 km one-way scenic loop road that winds through hills painted in an extraordinary palette — green (decomposed mica), pink (manganese), purple (haematite), and gold (iron oxides) the result of volcanic ash deposits oxidising over millions of years. The highlight is Artist's Palette, where these colours appear most vivid in late-afternoon light. The road has a 7.6 m vehicle-length limit due to sharp switchbacks.

Devil's Golf Course A vast expanse of jagged salt crystal pinnacles — some rising 60 cm — covering the valley floor, formed as underground salt deposits were pushed upward and eroded into sharp, chaotic formations. On quiet days, you can hear the salt crystals popping and crackling as they expand and contract with temperature changes. The salt crust is up to 1.5 m thick here, sitting atop a salt bed extending nearly 300 m deep — the evaporated remains of ancient Lake Manly.

Badwater Basin At 86 m (282 ft) below sea level, the lowest point in North America and the emotional climax of the drive. A short boardwalk leads onto a seemingly infinite expanse of white polygonal salt flats stretching toward the distant Panamint Range. Look up at the cliff behind the parking area to spot a small sign reading "Sea Level” startlingly high above you. After rare rains, a thin sheet of water transforms the basin into a vast mirror reflecting the mountains. The Badwater Ultramarathon, a 217 km race from here to Mt. Whitney's trailhead, is considered one of the world's toughest footraces.

Driving Tips

• Fuel up before entering — there are only two fuel stations inside the park (Panamint Springs and Furnace Creek), both charging premium prices; fill up in Olancha, Lone Pine, or Beatty
• Carry at least 4 litres of water per person per day and extra engine coolant; summer breakdowns in this heat can become life-threatening within hours
• Check road conditions at the visitor centre or nps.gov before attempting any unpaved roads; flash floods regularly wash out routes including Titus Canyon Road (currently closed for repairs)
• Park entrance fee is $30 per vehicle (valid 7 days) or free with an America the Beautiful annual pass ($80)
• Never drive on closed or unpaved roads without proper vehicle — standard rental cars are prohibited on dirt roads per most rental agreements, and towing from remote locations costs thousands
• Watch for soft sand on road shoulders — pulling off the pavement, even slightly, can result in getting stuck
• Fill up your tank whenever possible — distances between services are vast and mobile phone coverage is virtually nonexistent throughout most of the park
• Drive slowly at dawn and dusk when coyotes, kit foxes, and desert bighorn sheep may cross the road
• For more information visit: National Park Service – Death Valley