Overlooking the mountains at a random pull out location

Honestly, I have no idea if I actually spent 48 hours inside Death Valley National Park. It's been an eventful weekend to say the least, and perhaps that's the reason why I feel a little brain dead at the moment. 48 hours or not, I know for sure I spent more than 36 hours inside the park. While I don't normally do posts like this I feel like I want to share my experiences with you guys. My tips of where to visit in the park and whatnot.

While there are many resources out there that outline the must-see's and most visited spots in the park but here's my own version of it. I hope you find this helpful and hopefully you will be able to enjoy this wonderful place on your own soon.

It's probably not a known fact but I live in Seattle, so I chose to fly into Las Vegas as my starting point. This is my first time doing a 'fly-in' camping trip. I'm not even sure if that's the term for it. I always opt for road trips instead of flying if I'm traveling on this side of the country. Since this was a camping trip, things got a tiny bit for complicated on my end but it all worked out. It's great that I decided to invest in some lightweight gear when I started doing more backpacking trips. I decided to pack for as though I am going backpacking. It all worked out and TSA has a surprisingly comprehensive list of camping items you're allowed on your carry-on or checked bag. Be sure to check that out if you're planning to something similar in the future.

I booked my campsite at Furnace Creek two months prior to my arrival. Death Valley gets hot, like super hot in the summer months. From now until April is regarded as the peak season for visiting the park and it make sense, I was able to enjoy temperate weather conditions (minus the wind and 'sandstorm' at night) but overall, the temperature never risen above 60 and it was the perfect condition to visit Death Valley (which consists the lowest point in the entire world, by the way). So I knew I needed to reserve a campsite if I don't want to worry about it when I get there. Packing camping gear for a flight is quite a challenge, in my opinion. McCarran isn't the best airport when you're hauling heavy bags of equipment since everything is quite spaced out (also why I prefer driving over flying) but once I made one last minute trip to REI to get my supply of dehydrated food and snacks, I started driving towards Death Valley.

“Instead of hiking on established and popular hikes, pull out on random spots on the highway and just hike wherever.”

I opted for dehydrated food because I didn't want to stress about building a fire every night. I want to maximize my time at the park. Plus, I didn't want to spend addition money on renting gear since flying my cookware isn't the most ideal either. All I brought was my JetBoil and I was all set.

It only took about 2 and 1/2 hours to drive from Vegas to Death Valley. It was about 2:30pm. The first stop I made was to 20 Mule Team Canyon. This drive was insane but it takes you throw canyons on a bumpy ride. If you have a high clearance vehicle, you have to this drive. I stopped by the Visitor Center first. I always do this whenever I arrive at the park. Obviously, I did my fair share of researching (hikes, spots, weather, etc) but it's always good to stop by and talk to the rangers. I pretty much asked about hikes and good spots for sunrise and sunset. The lady had so much energy and passion when she was sharing her insights and recommendations that I was sold and decided to do what she recommended. She also gave me a valuable tip - instead of hiking on established and popular hikes, pull out on random spots on the highway and just hike wherever. As long your car is within the white line, you are good to go. I took her advice and I was so glad I did. You also get to beat the crowds and enjoy a little bit of solitude since you're pretty venturing out solo to a brand new spot nobody knows about.

I went back to camp to set up. By the time I was done, it was around 3:30pm. Perfect time to grab a quick snack and head to the Mesquite Sand Dunes for sunset. Sunset was at 4:50pm. I drove to the dunes, found a good spot away from the crowds and just sat there watching the sun slowly drop below the horizon. While the sun was doing its usual thing, the full moon was literally in full blast. The lady ranger did inform me that it was going to be full moon. I took the opportunity to really soak in the beauty around me. The sand dunes were a great spot because you see the sunlight reflecting on the dunes and then you see the mountains in the backdrop slowly glowing up into a cotton candy pink. It was so amazing that I couldn't describe it in words.

I wanted to do a full moon hike around the dunes more but I knew I was exhausted (I've been up since 4:30am that day of to catch my flight) and I wanted to get plenty of rest to wake up for sunrise the next day. I was set on going to Zabriske Point for it despite it being one of the most popular spots for sunrise. But I know with a little bit of determination and a good night's rest, I will be on my A game to snatch a great spot to watch it.

The wind at night was brutal. I felt like I was going to get blown away. The other time I felt like that could happen was when I went backpacking in Ptarmigan Ridge in Mount Baker Wilderness. Good thing there was no rain this time. Just lots of howling wind and sand. By the time I was able to fall asleep, it was probably around 11:30pm. But my mind was still set on catching that sunrise. *I have to, and therefore I will*.

I realized how long and detailed this post is becoming. I will separate this into two parts. So stay tuned for part 2 if you want to read about my first full day experiencing sunrise and sunset at Death Valley National Park. I'll catch you next time.

48 hours in Death Valley - Part I