2 Best Sights in Death Valley National Park, California

Don't rush this quiet, lonely 9-mile paved route that skirts the foothills of the Black Mountains and provides intimate views of a changing landscape. About 4 miles in, a short side road veers right to a parking lot that's a few hundred feet from one of Death Valley's signature sights: Artists Palette, so called for the contrasting colors (including shades of green, gold, and pink) of its volcanic deposits and sedimentary layers.  The drive is one-way, heading north off Badwater Road, so if you're visiting Badwater Basin from Furnace Creek, come here on the way back. 

This popular, one-way, 27-mile drive starts at Nevada Highway 374 (Daylight Pass Road), 2 miles from the park's boundary. Highlights include a hike along the Fall Canyon Trail (from the parking area), the Leadville Ghost Town, and the spectacular limestone and dolomite narrows. Toward the end of the route, a two-way section of gravel road leads you into the mouth of the canyon from northern Highway 190. This dirt road is steep, bumpy, and narrow, so high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicles are strongly recommended.