Death Valley Road Trip: Death Valley Itinerary (Day 2)
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Day two of an epic Death Valley Road Trip from Los Angeles.
Death Valley National Park Two Day Road Trip Itinerary: (Jump To)
Death Valley By Car Itinerary: Day Two
Stop One: Dante’s View
Stop Two: Star Wars Shooting Location (Twenty Mule Team Canyon)
Stop Three: Zabriskie Point
Stop Four: Harmony Borax Works
Stop Five: Golden Canyon Hike
Stop Six: Devil’s Golf Course
Stop Seven: Artist’s Drive
Stop Eight: Natural Bridge
Stop Nine: Lowest Point in North America (Badwater Basin)
We woke up early from our beds at the Longstreet Inn Casino and headed back into Death Valley National Park. Our first day in the park was pure magic. Check out Death Valley Road Trip Day One.
Today we will be exploring the southern part of the park, looping around Badwater Road before heading back to Los Angeles. We entered the park by taking State Route 190 at Death Valley Junction.
Death Valley By Car Itinerary: Day Two
Day two of this Death Valley 2 day itinerary is all about packed viewpoints, short hikes, and drive-up landmarks that don’t require much effort. If you started the LA to Death Valley road trip early on day one, this is where you get the iconic desert shots and surreal terrain.
Day Two, Stop One: Dante’s View
Dante’s View gives you a full overhead look at the salt flats and Badwater Basin from 5,000 feet up. It’s one of the best sunrise spots on any Death Valley National Park itinerary and a strong start to your second day.
Shortly after the park entrance pay station keep left onto Furnace Creek Wash Drive. Follow that road for 20 minutes to Dante’s View. At the top of the hill, you’re treated to an amazing view of the salty canyon that is Death Valley.
Day Two, Stop Two: Star Wars Filming Location (Twenty Mule Team Canyon)
Twenty Mule Team Canyon is a short unpaved loop with sharp turns and sci-fi looking rock formations—you'll recognize it from Star Wars. It’s a fun detour on any Death Valley road trip and totally drivable without 4WD.
Retrace back to 190 and turn left. After about 30 minutes you’ll reach Twenty Mule Team Canyon. This is hallowed ground for Star Wars fans. This dynamic backdrop played home to nemesis Jaba The Hut. The road is a one-way loop that spits you back out onto 190.
Day Two, Stop Three: Zabriskie Point
Zabriskie Point is one of the most photographed stops in the park and looks even better in the early morning. It’s a top pick on every day trip to Death Valley and easy to add to a longer Death Valley itinerary with minimal walking.
Continue the short distance to Zabriskie Point. Sediments from a 5-million-year-old lake have formed unique erosional patterns in the hills. The point was named for the manager of the Pacific Coast Borax Company.
Day Two, Stop Four: Harmony Borax Works
Harmony Borax Works is a quick walk with signage explaining the mining history that helped put the area on the map. If you're doing a day trip Death Valley style or trying to fill out your Death Valley road trip from Las Vegas, it's a fast educational stop.
Return to 190 and continue to Harmony Borax Works. This was home to the short-lived 19th-century Borax plant. Signs in the area tell you about the history of borax. You’ll never look at laundry soap the same way again. Grab lunch at Furnace Creek General Store.
Day Two, Stop Five: Golden Canyon Hike
Golden Canyon is one of the most accessible and scenic hikes in the park, with optional add-ons to Red Cathedral or Gower Gulch. It’s one of the best trails to hit during a Death Valley day trip if you're only picking one.
Return to 190 and retrace your trail to Badwater Road, turning right to reach Golden Canyon. The rocks in the canyon glow a golden color. We Hiked into the canyon for about fifteen minutes to get a good taste of the beauty.
Day Two, Stop Six: Devil’s Golf Course
Devil’s Golf Course is a jagged salt flat full of sharp formations that look like they belong on another planet. It’s a quick photo stop on any Death Valley itinerary and one of the weirdest places in the park.
Continue down Badwater Road to reach the Devil’s Golf Course. This area was named by an early guide to the park that listed this as a place where “only the devil could play golf.” A giant prehistoric lake once covered this area. When the lake finally disappeared the minerals left behind crystallized here.
Day Two, Stop Seven: Artist’s Drive
Artist’s Drive is a one-way scenic loop through technicolor hills, with Artist’s Palette as the main stop. The colors really pop in late afternoon, and it’s one of the must-sees on any Death Valley road trip.
Return to Badwater Road and take the Artist’s Drive loop on the left. This is another one-way loop driving by colorful mineral deposits of green, pink, and yellow on the hillsides. Caused by the oxidation of iron the colors are particularly spectacular at Artist’s Pallet, a stop mid-way through the loop.
Day Two, Stop Eight: Natural Bridge
Natural Bridge is a short but uphill walk to—you guessed it—a natural stone bridge in a narrow canyon. It's a good leg-stretcher and easy to add to your Death Valley National Park itinerary if you’re heading south toward Badwater Basin.
Artist’s Drive loops you back to Badwater Road, turn left and continue to Natural Bridge Trail. This is a short in-and-back trail into Natural Bridge Canyon. After about fifteen minutes you’ll be able to walk under the unmissable huge natural stone bridge.
Day Two, Stop Nine: Lowest Point in North America (Badwater Basin)
Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level and one of the most photographed spots in the park. It’s a required stop on any Death Valley 2 day itinerary.
Return again to Badwater Road and continue to Badwater Basin. This star of the park is an enormous otherworldly salt flat that goes for as far as the eye can see. Notably, this is the lowest point of elevation in North America. Flooding and quick evaporation in the area constantly work together to create a white layer of salt crystals.
Day Two: Return Drive to Los Angeles
As the sun lowers in the sky we return to our car surprised to see that it is nearly 6 pm. From this point, the drive back to Los Angeles will take about 4.5 hours.
Death Valley Road Trip Map
You’ll want a real map or offline GPS since signal disappears fast and distances are longer than they look. Whether you’re doing a full Death Valley road trip or a fast Death Valley day trip from Vegas, planning ahead saves gas and headaches.
Two Day Death Valley Road Trip Itinerary
A Death Valley 2 day itinerary gives you enough time to hit both the big-name stops and some underrated ones without rushing. If you’re wondering how to make the most of a Death Valley road trip from LA, this two-day route gets it done without backtracking.
Day 1:
7:00 Depart Los Angeles
10:00 Enter Death Valley National Park
10:15 Father Crowley Point
12:30 Stovepipe Welles
1:15 Mosaic Canyon
2:30 Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
4:15 Scotty’s Castle
5:15 Ubehebe Crater
6:30 Salt Creek
8:00 Longstreet Inn Casino
Day 2:
8:00 Depart Longstreet Inn Casino
9:00 Dante’s View
10:00 Zabriskie Point
10:30 Harmony Borax Works
1:00 Golden Canyon
3:00 Artist’s Drive
3:30 Devil’s Golf Course
4:00 Natural Bridge
4:30 Badwater Basin
6:15 Exit park
10:00 Back home in Los Angeles
For more outdoor fun check out our list of the best National Parks in California.
