With the re-emergence of Lake Manly at Badwater Basin, I decided to drive out to Death Valley National Park to see it. With two campsites in the park still closed due to the severe storms, I opted to stay at Stovepipe Wells. This is a first-come, first-served site, so I made it my first stop to secure a site. With that chore done, I headed down to the heart of the park; Furnace Creek and the Badwater Basin area.
After grabbing my passport stamp, swapping my plastic Junior Ranger badge for a wooden one, and picking up a few souvenirs, I headed directly down to Badwater Basin. The winds were calm, so the shallow lake reflected the surroundings nicely. After enjoying the views for a while, I headed back to the car for lunch. Being mid-week, there were no issues parking, but I had heard the weekend was a different story.
My next stop was to hike the Natural Bridge Trail. This is a short, easy trail up to the bridge, then onto a nice, dry fall.
Next, I opted to take the Artist Palette drive and make the short hike to view the stunning, colorful views. The afternoon light really brought out the colors.
I then made the 30-minute drive back towards Stovepipe Wells, but stopped at the Mesquite Dunes first. I hiked out to the tallest dunes and watched the sun emerge from the clouds. The light and shadows across the dunes were incredible. The recent rains made the sand a bit firmer, so that was nice.
Back at my campsite, I set up my Luno mattress and got a campfire going. I ate my dinner under the glow of the fire, as the stars slowly began to appear in the night sky. After the fire died out, I crawled into the Outback and read a chapter of my book before turning in for the night.
I awoke before sunrise, quickly broke camp, and drove south again to Zabriskie Point to watch the sunrise. It was fairly overcast, so it wouldn’t be as dramatic as it could be. Properly bundled against the cold, I watch the sun’s rays illuminate the mountains to the west, including the snow-covered Telescope Peak.
After some hot oatmeal, OJ, and coffee in the parking lot, it was time to head home. Rain fell intermittently along the drive as I listened to two guest lectures for one of my classes. I stopped at the NASA Goldstone Visitor Center for a quick tour, then grabbed lunch at the Original Del Taco, before the final drive home.
I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails: San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!
In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and both the Arizona-Winter and Arizona-Summer).
I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.