Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Northern California → Death Valley → Zabriskie Point

Location: Furnace Creek Area, Death Valley

Time Required: 15 minutes – 1 hour

Red Tape/Notes: Access to Death Valley is $25/vehicle for a 7 day pass. Best at sunrise and sunset; likely to be crowded regardless

What’s Nearby?: Harmony Borax Works, Artist’s Palette, Devil’s Golf Course

Built in the 1920’s as a way stop for vehicles, Zabriskie point remains one of the most popular stops in the park due to its fascinating landscape and ease of access. The scenery is impressive from multiple directions, showcasing the starkly beautiful eroded landscape of the badlands with banded cliffs, artistically hewn gullies and ravines, and views of Manly Beacon, the Red Cathedral, and Gower Gulch.  The area displays to the best advantage in the soft light of sunrise and sunset (though at sunset it will likely be very crowded), but it’s pretty any time of day. A 2.5 mile Badlands Loop hike starts and ends at the point, or you can just walk the 0.2 mile (0.4 mile round trip) paved walkway to the top. If you’re lucky enough to be here during a good wildflower year, this area is a good spot to see them, since they grow in the gullies and washes.

Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Northern California → Death Valley → Zabriskie Point