Death Valley National Park

Zabriskie Point is a popular place to view sunrise over the badlands.
In this below-sea-level basin, steady drought and record summer heat make Death Valley a land of extremes. Yet, each extreme has a striking contrast. Towering peaks are frosted with winter snow. Rare rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers. Lush oases harbor tiny fish and refuge for wildlife and humans. Despite its morbid name, a great diversity of life thrives in Death Valley.
Map showing location of park.
A group of people stand with their backs to the camera facing a man in National Park Service uniform (green jacket and tan flat-rimmed hat). Behind him are two tan-colored buildings, sparsely vegetated hills, and a deep blue sky.
Tours Offered at Scotty’s Castle as Restoration Continues
Visitors will have a limited opportunity to explore the historic grounds of Scotty’s Castle this season while the National Park Service (NPS) continues repairs and restoration work. Guided exterior tours will be offered most Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 10 through April 17. Private weekday tours are also available for small groups upon request.
A photo taken from an airplane looking down at an oblique angle. Two clumps of partially burned palm trees are surrounded by brown flat ground. One white vehicle, a blue pool of water, and some debris can be seen.
Most of Saline Valley Warm Springs Campground Reopens After Fire
More than half of Saline Valley Warm Springs Campground has reopened following a recent fire, while the immediate fire area remains closed due to lingering hot spots and hazardous materials. Investigators with the U.S. Wildland Fire Service determined that the fire, which burned in the Lower Springs area of the remote campground, was accidentally started when a propane grill ignited a palm tree.
A white Jeep on a one-lane unpaved road between vertical rock walls.
Titus Canyon Road closing for repairs October 2
Titus Canyon Road, one of Death Valley National Park’s most popular backcountry drives, will close Oct. 2, 2026, as work begins to repair and strengthen the road following extensive flood damage.
Wildfire-scorched palm trees with blackened trunks and sparse, scraggly fronds stand in a grove against a desert landscape.
Backcountry campground in Death Valley National Park partially reopens after fire
The National Park Service reopened a portion of Saline Valley Warm Springs Campground on September 17. The burned area at Lower Springs is closed to public entry by order of the Death Valley National Park superintendent.
Yellow flames and orange glow surround palm trees. Some shrubs appear almost white in the foreground.
Backcountry campground in Death Valley National Park closed due to fire
Saline Valley Warm Springs Campground is temporarily closed due to a fire that occurred on September 15, 2026.
badlands bathed in pale pink and orange light from the setting sun
Photo by Ronald Gaddis
Low, warm light skims across pale sand dunes.
Photo by NPS
In the foreground, a narrow stream curves through clumps of green grass and low shrubs.
Photo by NPS
A natural rock arch spans a narrow desert canyon. The viewer stands in deep shade beneath the arch.
Photo by NPS
white salt flats with dark gray clouds
Photo by NPS photo
Snowcapped mountains surrounded by bright blue skies and frames by gold wildflowers on a valley floo
Photo by NPS
Morning light on the badlands below Zabriskie Point.
Photo by NPS Photo
A dark, jagged mountain ridge runs along the bottom edge. Above it, a dense river of stars.
Photo by NPS
Rugged gray mountains rise over a brown desert landscape under a gray sky.
Photo by NPS
a sunset overlooking a valley filled with white salt
Photo by NPS / Jan Vanderlay