If you’ve never been to Death Valley National Park, the name itself does not lead you to believe there would be many soft adventures. But, Death Valley was an incredible surprise! There were so many soft adventures – and they are must-dos! The largest national park in the lower 48 states, Death Valley has some of the most unique landscape we’ve ever seen. It is also the hottest, the driest, and the lowest national park. It is hard to believe this park without seeing it for yourself!
We spent 4 nights in Death Valley at Furnace Creek Campground, but you could actually complete all of these soft adventures in one day if you want to! That’s how easy they are! Of course, we would recommend spreading them out and taking your time. All of these activities are Soft Adventure Approved, and we would recommend them to everyone who visits Death Valley! If you’re looking for more than just the soft Death Valley soft adventures, then head to ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK.
ARTISTS PALETTE
Hands down, the best Death Valley soft adventure is Artists Palette! These colorful mounds need to be seen in-person! This is a very “choose your own adventure” activity. You can drive the Artists Drive Scenic Loop and admire from the car, hop out at the overlook, or hike on the trails through this incredible landscape!
While Artists Palette is a must-do at any time of day, we’d recommend visiting near sunrise or sunset. These times of day allows for the colors to pop, as opposed to the direct bright sun of midday. But it’s also easy enough to visit that you can just go multiple times in one day and see it in all different light!
- DIFFICULTY – Easy
- LENGTH – 0.0mi / km (choose your own adventure!)
- TIME NEEDED – As long as you prefer (we’d recommend 30 min – 1 hour)
- PET FRIENDLY – NO
MESQUITE FLAT SAND DUNES
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes is another activity that allows for you to make it as easy or as strenuous as you want! Despite being a choose your own adventure type hike, you will find online and in apps that it shows the hike being around 2.8mi / 4.5km long. This is only if you hiked straight out from the trailhead, all the way to the far edge of the dunes, and back. We found that you do need to hike out about 1.0mi / 1.6km to get to an area where the dunes are not covered in footprints. But beyond that, you can hike out as far as you want, and spend as much time as you want.
You can visit Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes at anytime of day, but keep an eye on the temperature. Desert heat can sneak up on you! Take more water than you think you’ll need, and if you start to get tired, head back immediately.
- DIFFICULTY – Easy to moderate
- LENGTH – 0.0mi / km (choose your own adventure!)
- TIME NEEDED – As long as you prefer (we’d recommend 30 min – 1 hour)
- PET FRIENDLY – NO
GOLDEN CANYON
Golden Canyon is absolutely beautiful, and you guessed it – golden. This hike follows an actual trail which is just under 3 miles long. But to see and enjoy the views, we do not think you need to hike all the way until the end. If it’s hot out or you’re pressed for time, or just feel like 3 miles isn’t for you, you can easily hike out and turn around when you’re ready! The trail is easy to follow and mostly flat – definitely a Death Valley soft adventure!
- DIFFICULTY – Easy to moderate
- LENGTH – 2.9mi / 4.7km
- TIME NEEDED – 1.5-2 hours
- PET FRIENDLY – NO
ZABRISKIE POINT
No hiking needed to check out the famous Zabriskie Point. Just a short walk from the parking lot and you’ll be overlooking the badlands landscape below. Our recommendation would be to go for sunrise, but this is also when you’ll find the most crowds. If the conditions are favorable, you’ll be treated to a very vibrant and colorful sunrise as the sun shines down on Zabriskie Point.
The walk from the parking lot is 1/4 mile uphill on a paved trail. This is a quick and easy stop, but absolutely a must-do Death Valley soft adventure!
- DIFFICULTY – Easy
- LENGTH – 0.5mi / 0.8km
- TIME NEEDED – As long as you prefer (we’d recommend 30 min – 1 hour)
- PET FRIENDLY – NO
BADWATER BASIN
There are only a few places around the world where you can witness salt flats, and one of them is in Death Valley National Park. This is a must-do Death Valley soft adventure, as this is the lowest place in North America! Badwater Basin sits about 300 feet (ok, 282 feet to be exact) below sea level. Once in the basin, look behind you on the towering rock wall for a sign indicating where sea level is!
An easy and flat walk from the parking lot is just under 1mi / 1.6km out to the flats, and then from there you can roam freely around the basin. If you prefer to skip the basin, you can walk along the boardwalk, which is easily accessible from the parking lot.
- DIFFICULTY – Easy to moderate
- LENGTH – 1.9mi / 3.1km
- TIME NEEDED – As long as you prefer (we’d recommend 30 min – 1 hour)
- PET FRIENDLY – NO
5 MUST-DO DEATH VALLEY SOFT ADVENTURES
There is so much more to Death Valley National Park than these soft adventures, but if you do all 5, you’ll experience the great variety of the park! Sand dunes, badlands, colored hills, salt flats, and canyons. Where else can you witness all of that in just 8 hours and a couple hikes?? NOWHERE. This is one of the reasons we love visiting Death Valley and will return again and again. And we can guarantee that each time we visit, we will do each of these Death Valley soft adventures!
EXPLORE THE BEST OF CALIFORNIA
While this article touches on some of the best places to visit in Death Valley, there is still a TON of information about California that we simply could not pack in to a single article. That’s where our epic interactive map of California comes in handy. Within this map and guide, you will find over 270 points of interest with detailed information about each location, cost, seasonality, dog-friendliness, and much much more! It also answers the question of, “what is there to do in each place?”
Not much of a planner? No worries! We also have curated itineraries to make the planning process easier for you. And if that isn’t enough, book a call with us or have us create a custom itinerary for you! We are here to help!
LOOKING FOR MORE SOFT ADVENTURE INSPIRATION?
- 10 SOFT ADVENTURES IN GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
- 7 SOFT ADVENTURE DAY TRIPS FROM SAN FRANCISCO
- 10 OF THE MOST EPIC U.S. SOFT ADVENTURES
- 9 MUST VISIT NATIONAL PARKS FOR SOFT ADVENTURES
