Zabriskie Point and Dante's View (Death Valley National Park, California)

Two of the other stops I made in Death Valley were all about spectacular views. The first, Zabriskie Point is also on the west side of the park a few miles past Furnace Creek on highway 190. A large parking lot sits below a well worn climb up to the vista point. Judging from the crowd here, this is obviously a very popular point and as I begin to climb up the short trail to the top, I can see why.

Below Zabriskie Point expands a landscape of multiple shapes, colors, and textures. As I understand it, this is the eroded remains of the ancient Furnace Creek Lake. The dry landscape and plethora of minerals in the soil here makes for some magnificent contrasts. The view from this point is ideal to see this amazing sprawl. And while my current trip won't allow me the time to explore it, there is a trail leading through these badlands. I will definitely have to hike this on my next trip.

Further down highway 190 is the turn off leading toward Dante's View. A posted signs warns against trying to pull a trailer up to this amazing view, which supposedly allows one to see the lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin (at 282 feet below seal level) and the highest point in the contiguous United States, Mt. Whitney (at 14,505 feet) all in one breathtaking scene.

 

After reaching the parking lot at the top of Dante's View, I can understand why no trailers should be pulled up here. Most of the drive is pretty easy, but the last half-mile or so is full of sharp, steep bends as the road winds around a small peak to get to the top. The view from up here is truly amazing, and possibly offers the best panoramic possible of the whole of Death Valley. Badwater Basin is fairly obvious in the foreground a few thousand feet below, but Mt. Whitney requires a bit more work to find. The range directly to the west of Death Valley is the Panamint Range, and while very scenic and even snow-covered does not reach the heights of the Sierra Nevada Range further to the west. However, if you follow the ridgeline with your eyes on a clear day (like today), you will eventually see distant snow-covered peaks above the Panamint range. I'm told this is Mt. Whitney, which lies about 85 miles to the northwest (though at this distance and from this angle, I can't confirm that myself). Amazing!

 

I take a quick hike out to another connected peak where enthusiasts are taking pictures of the length of the massive valley below, and then return to my jeep for the drive down.