Winter is the best time to visit Death Valley National Park
Summary
Death Valley is the hottest, driest, and lowest national park in the United States (as well as the third largest). Death Valley is known (or infamous) for its extreme conditions, including the hottest temperatures recorded in the United States. In the summer, visitors endure some of the hottest temperatures in the country, and in the winter, Death Valley can be snowbound.
Death Valley is interesting in the summer for those who can tolerate the heat, but for many, the best time to visit is the winter season. In winter, it's much easier to walk the many excellent trails in Death Valley without fear of heat stroke (plus it's usually the least crowded in winter). The days are warm and sunny, which is perfect for hiking and exploring.
Death Valley National Park is an extreme vacation destination
Death Valley has excruciatingly hot summers and cold winters.
View of Badwater Basin from the trailhead at Telescope Peak, Death Valley National Park, California, Shutterstock
Death Valley is an extreme of extremes. Visit the park in the summer during the sweltering heat and in the winter when the park's peaks are covered in winter snow. Perhaps the most magical time to visit Death Valley is during rainstorms, followed by endless fields of wildflowers.
Death Valley is located east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and straddles the border of the states of California and Nevadan. The park protects salt marshes, sand dunes, valleys, mountains, badlands, and ghost towns. There are even a few short-lived 19th and 20th century boomtowns in Death Valley that tell of the harsh lives of the pioneers who tried to settle here.
Death Valley is the largest national park outside of Alaska, with an area roughly the size of the country of Slovenia in Europe. About 93% of the park's territory is designated as a wilderness area.
- Lowest point: 282 feet or 86 meters
- Size: 4,740,911 (largest in the continental U.S.)
- The highest temperature: 134 °F (56.7 °C) - recorded in 1913 at Ferns Creek
Perhaps the most famous spot in Death Valley is Badwater Basin. Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America, located 282 feet or 86 meters below sea level (the Dead Sea in the Middle East is the lowest point on Earth).
Related: How to drive through Mojave National Preserve and Death Valley
But Death Valley is perhaps best known for its heat (a village called Furnace Creek can give some idea of how hot it can get here). It is the hottest and driest place in North America, with the highest temperature in the United States recorded in 1913: 134 degrees Fahrenheit in 1913.
Of the four different seasons of Death Valley, winter is the best time to visit
Winter is a leisurely season in Death Valley, but there are scenic spots to explore.
An artist's palette in Death Valley, photo by Carter Baran on Unsplash
Spring: The season of revitalization in Death Valley
Spring is the most popular time to visit Death Valley. One of the main attractions of spring is the opportunity to see spring wildflowers if it has been rainy in winter. In spring, the park, its hotels and campgrounds are full (reservations must be made in advance).
Summer: Death Valley's scorching heat season.
The summer season in Death Valley starts early. Temperatures are often too hot for most visitors (although many still come in the summer). All facilities remain open in the summer, but camping, in particular, can be unpleasant.
During this period, hikers should be very careful when hiking on trails to avoid heat stroke and take enough water with them (it is often best not to stray too far from the car).
Fall: The cooling season in Death Valley
With the onset of fall in late October, temperatures drop again. The park is not as crowded at this time, except for Thanksgiving and the second week of November, when Death Valley hosts the 49ers Encampment, a large-scale camping, entertainment and arts event.
Beatty, Nevada is the gateway to Death Valley, illustration by Mike from Pixabay
Winter: The best season in Death Valley
The best season in Death Valley is a somewhat subjective question, but winter finally brings cooler days (as well as cooler nights). In winter, tourists can enjoy the contrast of desert valleys and snow-capped peaks in the park.
Death Valley is least crowded in the winter, so booking lodging (at least outside of holiday weekends) is usually unnecessary. Enjoy your vacation in the hottest place in the United States without feeling the heat.
Related: See the moving rocks of Death Valley and other desert phenomena
What you need to know about visiting Death Valley National Park in winter
It doesn't usually snow in Death Valley, but there's plenty to see here
Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, Photo by Tanya Nevidoma on Unsplash
Death Valley is worth exploring at any time of year, even if you're just passing through. There are plenty of accommodation options in Death Valley, including Panamint Springs Resort, The Oasis at Death Valley and Stovepipe Wells Village.
You can also camp outside the park and find other lodging options (see the National Park Service website).
Unlike most national parks, the national park does not have an entrance gate manned by rangers. Instead, visitors pay an entrance fee at one of the campgrounds, visitor centers, or automated kiosks within the park.
Despite its name, this region is actually full of life, and there is plenty to do and discover in Death Valley.
Is there snow in Death Valley?
Although winter is a much more tolerable time to visit Death Valley than summer, snow does not fall here very often . It has snowed a few times in Death Valley in recent years, but the flakes don't stay for long.