Death Valley — Badwater Basin & Artist'sDrive.

Distance

100 km

Duration

1 day

Climb

300 m

Rating

4.7 / 5

743 reviews

Clone in App Share

Curated by Rider · Updated Jun 2026

Overview

Death Valley — Badwater Basin & Artist's Drive.

A 100 km loop through the lowest and most alien landscape in North America. Zabriskie Point's golden badlands, Artist's Drive's multicoloured volcanic hills, Badwater Basin at -86 m, and Devil's Golf Course — all in one day.

Quick facts

SurfacePaved

Distance100 km

Days1

Total climb300 m

DifficultyEasy

Loading map...

Day-by-day

The route.

ROUTE

7 stops

Furnace Creek Visitor CenterStart · Fuel at Furnace Creek Ranch — the only reliable gas in Death Valley. Elevation: -56 m. Start early; temperatures above 45°C are common by midday in summer.

Zabriskie PointPhoto Spot · Golden badlands of eroded mudstone carved by ancient Lake Manly — ochre ridges and knife-edge spires. Best light before 9am.

Artist's Drive — EntranceScenic Point · Turn onto the one-way loop through the Artist's Hills. The road narrows and becomes a slot canyon of coloured volcanic rock.

Artist's PalettePhoto Spot · The multicoloured volcanic hills — ochre, green, purple, and pink — colour from manganese, iron oxide, and mica. The most photographed spot in Death Valley.

Badwater BasinScenic Point · The lowest point in North America at -86 m. Walk out onto the infinite salt flat polygon field. The "Sea Level" sign on the cliff 87 m above you is visible from the boardwalk.

Devil's Golf CourseScenic Point · A vast plain of jagged halite salt crystal formations — knife-sharp ridges of crystallised sodium chloride stretching to the horizon. Named for being too rough for any sport but golf by the Devil.

Furnace Creek Ranch

Reviews

From riders.

743 verified rides logged on this route.

4.7/ 5

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

743 verified rides

More routes in US

Pacific Coast Highway — Big SurUS · 160 km Angeles Crest Highway — CaliforniaUS · 146 km Mulholland Drive — Hollywood HillsUS · 47 km

Save this ride. Open the app.

Clone it to your planner, customize dates and stops, then ride. All free.

Get the app More routes →

Open in MotoVault

Navigate this route with GPS

Open