See The Highest And Lowest Points In The Continental US From A Spectacular Death Valley Trail

If you want to explore surreal Mars-like landscapes, then head to California's Death Valley National Park and the wider Southwest. At 3.4 million acres, Death Valley is the largest national park in the contiguous United States. It is also the largest wilderness in the lower 48, with some 93% of the park's enormous landscape classified as such. Despite that, there are roughly one thousand miles of paved and dirt roads for the hardy explorer to navigate — and we really mean hardy, because Death Valley can be one of the most inhospitable places not only in the United States but the world. 

One of the best hikes is the trail to Telescope Peak, the highest point in Death Valley. From here, hikers can stand thousands of feet above the lowest point of the North American continent and look out across the spectacularly harsh landscape. The park is a land of extremes, where salt flats stretch for miles under a punishing sun, volcanic craters cut deep into the earth, and strange moving rocks leave mysterious trails in the cracked desert floor. If you've been to Zabriskie Point and other scenic vistas in Death Valley, then consider a hike to Telescope Peak.

For national and international visitors, most trips to Death Valley begin at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, about two hours' drive from the park. We recommend you drop by one of the many car rental desks by the airport and pick up something with four wheel drive, as Death Valley hiking trips will take you off-piste along unforgiving dirt roads.

Death Valley and the wider southeast is a region of extremes. At 282 feet below sea level, Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the deepest point in North America. Remarkably, the peak of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the 48 states, is just 85 miles away. To see a microcosm of this remarkable terrain, hike the trail to Telescope Peak.

 The trail begins at Mahogany Flat Campground, which requires four wheel drive vehicles with high clearance to reach. Those with regular vehicles can park at the Charcoal Kilns off a long dirt road. Incidentally, these kilns — built in 1877 with a beehive-like structure — were used to burn wood and create charcoal for mining operations in the 19th century. Today, they are a useful landmark from which to start your journey to the top of Telescope Peak. 

The National Park Service considers the hike difficult and the facts explain why. The hike is a seven-hour, 14-mile round trip with an elevation gain of some 3,000 feet. But if you have the fitness and the will, Telescope Peak is worth it. The views start early. At about a mile into the journey, the pine, mahogany and other vegetation opens up to reveal the sweeping views of the valley. From there, the vistas are open to the peak, where you will stand 11,049 feet above sea level and look over the great plunge into Badwater Basin in the near distance.

Travelers should avoid Death Valley in the summer, when the park becomes one of the hottest places on earth. The entire American Southwest is notoriously hot, but Death Valley gets positively hellish owing to intense sunshine getting trapped in the deep, walled-in valley, where low-elevation air pressure causes compression and even greater heat. These geographical circumstances have seen the park reach fatally hot temperatures. In the summer of 2023, Death Valley reached 128 degrees Fahrenheit, one of the highest figures since July 1913, when the settlement of Furnace Creek hit 134°F, the hottest air temperature ever recorded on Earth.

Some travelers visit Death Valley because of this extremity rather than despite it, and some of these trips have ended in tragedy. Since 2007, 68 people have died in the park and 12 of these fatalities have been attributed to exposure. Of course, most trips to Death Valley during summer occur without incident — but only a lizard could enjoy it. Instead, we recommend you visit Death Valley in spring or late fall. Winter is possible, too, but you'll likely have the opposite issue with low temperatures and even snow and ice on the steep, slippery slopes towards the peak. Whatever you do, make sure you get the best gear for the hike, especially if it is your first solo hike.