Death Valley, California, USA

In November 2024, I visited Death Valley, California, on a day trip from Las Vegas, USA as part of book research for my next thriller. Here are some of the interesting aspects and my pictures.

The first stop was one of the most breathtaking panoramas in the park, Dante’s View. It provides an incredible vantage point, offering sweeping views of the valley floor.

Zabriskie Point is known for its eroded badlands, formed from sediments of the ancient Furnace Creek Lake, which dried up around five million years ago. The result is a striking, otherworldly landscape of ridges, gullies, and vibrant colours.

Death Valley experienced a mining boom in the late 19th century, especially for borax. The Harmony Borax Works was once a thriving operation, using “20-mule teams” to haul borax across the desert, an enduring symbol of Death Valley’s human history.

I went in November so there was a cool wind and it was around 21°C, a perfect time to visit. I would definitely not go there in the summer as Death Valley holds the record for the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth: 134°F (56.7°C) at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913. In summer, temperatures regularly reach well over 120°F (49°C).

Furnace Creek is one of the hottest inhabited places on Earth and serves as a visitor hub with the Death Valley Visitor Center, giving insights into the region’s ecology and geology. There’s also a hotel and golf course.

I would visit again at night since Death Valley is a designated International Dark Sky Park, making it one of the best spots for stargazing in the United States. Its remote location and lack of light pollution allow you to see countless stars, the Milky Way, and even planets with the naked eye. I noticed several night trips out of Las Vegas for photography fans.

The Devil’s Golf Course is covered with jagged, crystallised salt formations that have been eroded by wind and rain, creating a surreal, otherworldly landscape. It’s said that “only the devil could play golf here.” The guide showed us this deep hole in the salt, which reveals the thick crust.

Despite its harsh conditions, Death Valley occasionally experiences “superblooms” — an event where wildflowers blanket the desert floor in a burst of colours, typically after unusually heavy rainfall. I’d love to see that!

Death Valley is home to Badwater Basin, which is 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level. It’s the lowest point in North America, providing striking landscapes of salt flats and barren terrain. Even in November, with cool air elsewhere, I couldn’t walk out onto the sand.

The colours at the area of Artist’s Palette are primarily due to the oxidation of different metals and minerals within the rocks. The red, pink, and yellow are created by the oxidation of iron. Green is from decomposing mica or chlorite. Purple and blue are manganese compounds. The unique combination of minerals and volcanic deposits creates the variegated layers on the hillsides.

I went with Pink Jeep Tours and it was around two hours each way, with lots of stops within the national park. The Jeep picked me up from my hotel around 6.45am and I was dropped back by 5.30pm. The trip included lunch and water and stopped for comfort breaks and snacks.

Books about Death Valley or fiction set in the area

• Badwater, in the Forensic Geology Series — Tony Dwiggins. Death Valley earns its name when a terrorist threatens to unleash lethal radioactive toxins in America’s most fragile national park. Forensic geologists Cassie Oldfield and Walter Shaws embark upon a perilous mission to find and stop the terrorist.
• Death Valley National Park. Moon Travel Guides. Trek across the salt flats, scale the towering rocks, and explore the marble canyons of this otherworldly landscape with Moon Death Valley National Park.
• Death Valley Duel — Scott Graham. When archaeologist Chuck Bender makes a stunning discovery of a century-old crime, he believes it may be related to a series of deadly accidents plaguing the Whitney to Death 150, the world’s toughest ultra trail-running race.
• Ghost Town Living: Mining for Purpose and Chasing Dreams at the Edge of Death Valley — Brent Underwood. A long-abandoned silver mine for sale sounded like an adventure too great to pass up, but it turned into much more—a calling, a community of millions, and hard-earned lessons about chasing impractical dreams.
• Death Valley — J.F. Penn. The Desert Sanctuary Hotel promises an exclusive escape for the ultra-wealthy, a five-star oasis in Death Valley’s unforgiving landscape. But when a devastating sandstorm cuts the resort off from civilization, paradise becomes a prison—and then a killing ground. As the storm rages and the resort burns, eight lives collide in a desperate battle for survival.

I hope you enjoyed this virtual visit to Death Valley!