Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Northern California → Death Valley → Artist’s Palette

Location: South of Furnace Creek, Death Valley

Time Required: ~45 minutes – 1 hour for the total drive (including stopping for a short hike in the hills at the Artist’s Palette pull-out)

Red Tape/Notes: Access to Death Valley is $25/vehicle for a 7 day pass. The Artist’s Palette is accessed via the scenic and very worthwhile Artists Drive, a 9 mile one-way loop off Badwater Road. Not suitable for large RVs (the nps website says vehicles should be 25 feet or less)

What’s Nearby?: Harmony Borax Works, Zabriskie Point, Devil’s Golf Course, Badwater Basin, Ashford Mill Ruins

Taking the brief 9-mile detour off Badwater Road onto Artist’s Drive is probably the most comfortable way to view some of Death Valley’s fascinating geological features, since you’ll see multi-colored cliffs and colorful mountains and pass through some fun little canyons, all from the comfort of your air conditioned vehicle. There are a couple of places where you can pull over and park and take some short hikes for better views, the most notable of which is the Artist’s Palette, where unusual green hues are present in the cliffs amongst the more common reds, yellows, and browns.

Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Northern California → Death Valley → Artist’s Palette