Location: Death Valley National Park, California, near the Nevada border Length: 81.5 miles (131.2 km) Time To Allow: 3 hours Description/Highlights/Points of Interest A gateway to over 3.3 million acres of spectacular scenery, expansive vistas, interesting and rare desert wildlife and sites of historical and cultural interest, this byway travels through sculpted hills, shifting sand dunes and even dips below sea level. Death Valley features the lowest point and the hottest place in the western hemisphere. Summer visitors should be prepared for extreme heat and occasional flash flooding. Suggested Itinerary The basic scenic tour of Death Valley begins in the early morning as you enter Death Valley National Park on Route 190 about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Death Valley Junction. Remember that there is a $10.00 entrance fee into the park, but the pass is good for a whole week. Stop at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center to orient yourself to the park and the area around you. Traveling north along Route 190, you'll notice that you're following along the Furnace Creek Wash. There may or may not be any water, but watch for thunderstorms — water rises fast in this area! When you stop at Zabriskie Point, about 8 miles (13 km) past the entrance, you'll enter into the heart of Death Valley — Furnace Creek. You'll want to spend tons of time here discovering the many interpretive trails and museums available. There are three major campgrounds in Furnace Creek, as well as the Inn and Ranch Resort. This area is full of history, and is a recommended "base camp" for visitors to Death Valley. Visitor services are sparse in the park, so stock up. After spending the heat of the day relaxing and learning indoors, take an afternoon drive further north along Route 190 to Harmony Borax Works and Salt Creek. Catch the sunset near the sand dunes, and then back into Furnace Creek, or on to Stovepipe Wells Village, where a hotel and campground are available. Take a day to explore the southern end of the park including Badwater Devil's Golf Course, Artist's Drive and Gold Canyon. In the summer take a detour through Emigrant Canyon and on up the road to see the Charcoal Kilns. Parts of the roads to these sites are not paved, so a 4-wheel drive, high clearance vehicle is recommended. An alternate day trip is to head north to Scotty's Castle, former home of wild west legend Death Valley Scotty. After the tour head over towards Beatty, Nevada for a tour of Rhyolite Ghost Town. Note: If you plan on visiting Scotty's Castle, plan ahead. The tours are limited to a certain number of people per day, and tickets are sold on a first come, first serve basis. Tickets are available in the Furnace Creek area for your convenience. You may want to head back to Las Vegas, Nevada, to continue touring the sites of Death Valley National Park, or you could continue west to the Eastern Sierra State Scenic Byway (California Route 395) which connects to the Tioga Road Scenic Byway and Yosemite National Park.