Auto Touring

On and off road, Death Valley offers some of the greatest and most-varied auto touring opportunities of any national park -- to the properly equipped and well-prepared. Most of the popular scenic spots in the park can be reached via California Highway 190, Badwater Road, Scotty's Castle Road, and the paved roads to Dante's View and Wildrose. As the Park Service notes, many Death Valley roads are narrow and twisting, dating to the 1930s when cars were much slower. Keep you speed under control to avoid rollovers and other accidents. Paved roads represent only a portion of the 785 miles of roadways in the park. The rest are unpaved, access the backcountry, but require high-clearance four-wheel drive vehicles. If you are planning to drive these roads, be sure you have a vehicle in good repair with all necessary tools and replacement parts, some knowledge of driving on rough dirt, gravel and 4-wheel drive roads, and plenty of water and supplies on hand, especially in the summer months. Finally, don't drown in the hottest, driest place on Earth: never attempt to cross a flash flood if one covers the road you are on.