Ansel shot it, so, I recommend Zabriskie Point at sunrise.
The first rays of light on Manley Beacon from there is incredible.
I usually go the last week of January.
Ansel shot it, so, I recommend Zabriskie Point at sunrise.
The first rays of light on Manley Beacon from there is incredible.
I usually go the last week of January.
I usually spend about a week, but this would include time in the northern part of the Park (Eureka Valley Sand Dunes). Since I am arriving from the north west, I'll spent 2 or 3 days in these places...Eureka Valley, Mesquite Springs Campground in the northern end of Death Valley and then just west of Stovepipe Wells (Emigrant Campground) at sort of in the center section of the Valley. The last two camps hover around 2000' elevation and are a little cooler than Furnace Creek. A trip out of Death Valley to Rhyolite is a day's worth (return via Titus Canyon!)
Driving distances are long, so that is why it is nice to change camps and work out of different areas for a few days. I am not an early riser (with exceptions), but generally I am away from camp all day, catching the sunset/moon set (or rise) before finally returning to camp. No need to hang around a camp and the people too long.
So, in the end, spend as much time as you need...and if you go late in the season (May or later), then stay as long as you can take the heat. A week could very well be too long when it gets hot! Drink lots of water -- at least a gallon per day per person...more if you are carrying your LF all over the place! Pick some of the higher elevations to give yourself breaks from the heat...there are some campgrounds pretty high up...Telescope Peak, for example.
Anyway I wish you luck!
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
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