Weather - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (2024)

FAQs

What is the best time of year for Death Valley National Park? ›

SPRING. It is the most popular time to visit Death Valley. Besides warm and sunny days, the possibility of spring wildflowers is a big attraction.

Most visitors to Death Valley National Park explore the park by private vehicle or as part of a permitted tour group. There is no public transportation to or within the park. There is no cell phone service along most park roads.

Death Valley National Park officials say July is typically the hottest month of the year.

Death Valley National Park only accepts debit/credit cards or digital payments for entrance and campground fees. If cash will be your only option when visiting the park, consider purchasing your pass online before your visit or see below for authorized third-party vendors. No reservation is required to enter the park.

The most popular drive in Death Valley is the Badwater Road. If you visit the Devils Golf Course, Badwater, and take Artists Drive on the return trip back to Highway 190 it should take about 1½ hours round-trip.

That hot, dry air in Death Valley National can potentially have a pretty big impact on your vehicle's performance. You'll even see signs in a few areas of the park warning drivers to turn off the car's air conditioner so that it doesn't overheat.

Yes, you can sleep in your car in Death Valley, but only in designated campgrounds. It is not allowed to sleep in your car outside of these designated areas or along the side of the road.

Three days in the park allows you time to see most of its major sights—from Furnace Creek down to Badwater, out to Zabriskie Point and Dante's View, up to Scotty's Castle and Ubehebe Crater, and out to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and Stovepipe Wells—with a fair amount of time to see other sights along the way and take ...

America's lowest, hottest, and driest national park, adventurous visitors enjoy Death Valley for its many extremes and mysteries such as the sailing stones.

Flash Floods: Avoid canyons during rain storms and be prepared to move to higher ground. While driving, be alert for water running in washes and across road dips. Mine Hazards: Do not enter mine tunnels or shafts. Mines may be unstable, have hidden shafts, pockets of bad air, and poisonous gas.

Does anyone live in the Death Valley? ›

“Some members of the tribe still live within Death Valley, and their village is in Furnace Creek,” Wines said. “It's right here in the center of the park. Unfortunately, they don't have a visitor center or anything to really welcome the public.

Winter daytime temperatures are mild in the low elevations, with cool nights that only occasionally reach freezing. Higher elevations are cooler than the low valley.

A group of European Americans, trapped in the valley in 1849 while looking for a shortcut to the gold fields of California, gave the valley its name, even though only one of their group died there. Several short-lived boom towns sprang up during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to mine gold and silver.

Death Valley National Park Remains Closed Following Heavy Rains and Flooding. Flooding from heavy rain damaged CA-190 between Zabriskie Point and Furnace Creek. Photo taken morning of August 21, 2023.

Death Valley National Park charges an entrance fee year-round. More information can be found on the fees and passes page. Please note that some activities, like staying in park campgrounds, have additional costs.

Sunny skies are the norm in Death Valley, but winter storms and summer monsoons can bring cloud cover and rain. Wind is common in the desert, especially in the spring.

Wildflower bloom in Death Valley National Park

Just a little bit of winter rain can bring an abundance of life to Death Valley. With mild temperatures in the 60-70s, mid-February to mid-May is the best time to explore the park and enjoy the wildflowers.