ROAD SORTIES Scenic Roads

Death Valley Scenic Byway

Death Valley Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in California. Within California it covers roughly 95 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Death Valley Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.

State Route 190 crosses Death Valley National Park, the hottest and driest place in North America and home to Badwater Basin, the lowest point on the continent at 282 feet below sea level. The road runs past salt flats, eroded badlands at Zabriskie Point, and the colorful volcanic palette of Artists Drive, framed by mountains that rise more than 11,000 feet above the valley floor. Summer temperatures here routinely top 120 degrees.

Designated for its scenic qualities

Plan a drive on Death Valley Scenic Byway → Drive this route in Road SortiesTurn-by-turn on iPhone · App Store

Places to stop along Death Valley Scenic Byway

  1. Mosaic Canyon

    Polished marble narrows near Stovepipe Wells that make an easy, family-friendly canyon walk.

    Website

  2. Salt Creek

    A boardwalk over a desert stream where tiny pupfish, survivors from an Ice Age lake, dart in the shallows in spring.

  3. Harmony Borax Works

    Adobe ruins of an 1880s borax plant and an original wagon from the famous 20-mule teams.

    Website

  4. Furnace Creek Visitor Center

    The park's main visitor center, with exhibits, a big outdoor thermometer, and current heat and road warnings.

    Website

  5. Zabriskie Point

    A short climb to a famous overlook of folded, golden badlands, best at sunrise.

  6. Badwater Basin

    Salt flats 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in North America. Avoid walking out on summer afternoons.

    Website

Where to Stay along Death Valley Scenic Byway

4 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Death Valley Scenic Byway.

Death Valley, CADeath Valley Backcountry Roadside CampingCheck availability →Death Valley, CAFurnace Creek CampgroundCheck availability →Death Valley, CAEmigrant CampgroundVisit site →Furnace Creek, CASunset CampgroundVisit site →Hotels & motelsNear Death Valley, CASearch stays →Renting an RV?Near Death Valley, CASee RV rentals →Harvest Hosts20% offPark free overnight at farms and wineriesSee membership →

Campsite, lodging, RV rental and membership links are affiliate links — booking through them may earn Road Sorties a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Recreation.gov links are not affiliate links.

What is a National Scenic Byway?

National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.

← All scenic roads in California