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.
Looking up a steep tan-color slope with loose gray rocks. A black circle added to the photo indicates the hiker's location where the slope becomes completely vertical.
Park Rangers Rescue Man in Steep Gully
Park rangers successfully rescued a stranded hiker from a steep and unstable gully in Death Valley National Park on January 15, following a challenging evening operation.
Vehicle tracks on white sand dunes, with some shrubs.
NPS Seeks Public’s Help Identifying Individuals Responsible for Damage to Eureka Dunes Plants
The National Park Service (NPS) seeks help identifying the person or people who illegally drove on Eureka Dunes in late December or early January. The vehicles caused significant damage to rare plants that are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Hundreds of stars dot the sky, forming what looks like a white haze of distant stars horizontally across the skyline. The foreground is slightly reddish with small shrubs.
Start Planning Your 2025 Trip to Death Valley National Park
As 2025 begins, consider planning a visit to Death Valley National Park. Fee free days and good star-gazing periods can all be ideal times to plan a visit to the 5,000-square-mile desert park.
Steam or smoke surrounds a firefighter as they spray water from a hose at a warped flatbed trailer. A second firefighter stands nearby wearing full protective gear.
Firefighters Respond to Trailer Fire on CA-190
National Park Service (NPS) and Beatty firefighters successfully extinguished a trailer fire in Death Valley National Park on December 29, 2024.
A 20-foot-tall wooden tower leans to the right. On the left, a person stands with ropes attached to the tower. The ground is flat with blue sky and distant brown mountains.
Leaning Towers Straightened in Saline Valley
Preservation specialists from the National Park Service are working to protect three historic wooden towers in Saline Valley. Additional work is planned for Tower #1, which was toppled in April 2024.
badlands bathed in pale pink and orange light from the setting sun
Photo by Ronald Gaddis
Morning light on the badlands below Zabriskie Point.
Photo by NPS Photo
white salt flats with dark gray clouds
Photo by NPS photo
a sunset overlooking a valley filled with white salt
Photo by NPS / Jan Vanderlay
pink lupine flowers with an orange and black butterfly
Photo by NPS / J. Jurado
nine 25 foot tall rock beehive structures
Photo by NPS / J. Jurado
a field of yellow flowers with a mountain
Photo by NPS / Kurt Moses
thermometer reading 130 f 54 c
Photo by NPS / J. Jurado
polished walls of a narrow canyon
Photo by NPS / J. Jurado