Exploring the Extremes: Our Photo Adventure in Death Valley
- Keith Peters
- May 31
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 6
There’s nowhere on earth quite like Death Valley—where extremes meet in stark beauty, and silence stretches for miles under an endless sky. Death Valley—a place of stark contrasts, surreal landscapes, and untamed beauty.
On our latest photo adventure, we set out to capture the raw, surreal landscapes of this legendary desert. From the golden dunes of Mesquite Flat at sunset to the ridges of Zabriskie Point and the salt flats of Badwater Basin at dawn, Death Valley gave us light, texture, and solitude in ways we never expected. This blog chronicles the moments, moods, and images we brought home from the heart of the desert.
We will explore the valley from south to north.
1) Badwater Basin: A Surreal Salt-Crusted Wonderland
No trip to Death Valley is complete without standing at Badwater Basin, so we will start our tour here. With an elevation of 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America. Yet as you stand on the salt flats framed by the snow-covered mountains, you do not get any sense of how low you are, it is only when you turn back to the parking area, and a sign located high on the canyon wall that says Sea Level, that you grasp the enormity of this place.
As we stepped out onto the vast expanse of white salt flats, it felt like walking on another planet. The salt flats that seem to go on forever were formed by ancient lakes that once filled the valley. Over thousands of years, as the water evaporated, it left behind thick crusts of salt. Today, those deposits create intricate geometric patterns—polygon-shaped ridges that seem almost too perfect to be natural.
Due to the uniqueness of this location, it is very popular, and there is a constant stream of visitors exploring the salt flats. However, if you really want to get this place to yourself, I recommend visiting before sunrise, just as we did.
We arrived about 30 minutes before sunrise and found ourselves completely alone—just us and the vast expanse of Badwater Basin. A few clouds hovered gently over the mountains, and the moon drifted slowly toward the horizon. The air was cool and calm, and the stillness was awe-inspiring—so complete, it felt as if time itself was holding its breath.
Gradually, the deep predawn blues began to soften. Hints of orange and red crept into the sky as the rising sun lit the clouds from below, casting a quiet glow over the salt flats. It was a slow, breathtaking transformation.
At sunrise, Badwater isn’t just a location—it’s an experience. A moment where silence speaks, and stillness becomes unforgettable.
2) Devil’s Golf Course
What's in a name?
Just up the road from Badwater Basin is Devil’s Golf Course.
As you explore Death Valley, some of the locations have very interesting names. The first of these is The Devil's Golf Course. The name was first referenced in the 1934 National Park Service guidebook. The guidebook itself was part of a series of publications produced by the National Park Service in the early 20th century, aimed at educating visitors and encouraging them to visit. The comment in the guidebook for this location states, "Only the devil could play golf on such rough links." The name has endured, becoming the official designation for this section of Death Valley National Park.
This area remains part of the expansive salt flats, but the polygonal ridges at Badwater have transformed into much larger, jagged salt pinnacles.
3) Artist's Drive and Palette
Artist's Drive is a scenic one-way loop that veers off the main road and winds through a narrow canyon, immersing you in a surreal desert landscape. As you descend into the canyon and look east, the terrain bursts into view—vibrant hills and rugged mountains painted in an astonishing array of colors.
At Artist's Palette, the view from the parking area is exceptionally breathtaking. The hills here are streaked with vivid purples, greens, pinks, and golds—an effect caused by the oxidation of various metal-rich minerals in the rock. It’s a natural masterpiece that lives up to its name, offering one of Death Valley’s most unforgettable sights.
4) Golden Canyon
There are numerous side canyons in Death Valley; however, if you had to pick one, Golden Canyon is the one. I say this as it has two very important features that some of the others do not. The hike is very picturesque and offers an easy, gentle grade. It appears that I am not the only one who feels this way, as the parking lot tends to fill up early.
Hiking up the trail, Golden Canyon lives up to its name with towering walls of golden-hued rock, sculpted by millions of years of erosion. The canyon narrows and twists, revealing new colors and formations around every bend. As there are a few side washes, you could see where someone might take the wrong fork. However, thanks to the Park Service, there is no chance of going off trail, as there are a few easy-to-follow arrows along the way.
As you continue up the trail, you begin to see hints of Red Cathedral, until you reach this spot that allows you a full view of Red Cathedral.
Red Cathedral is a dramatic and iconic rock formation. The formation is part of the Miocene-era badlands geology, composed of red-hued sedimentary rock rich in iron oxide, which gives it its striking color. This vivid red looks out of place as it contrasts sharply with the surrounding golden and tan cliffs of Golden Canyon.
With its vertical fins, rugged buttresses, and cathedral-like silhouette, Red Cathedral lives up to its name, evoking the grandeur of a natural sanctuary carved by time.
5) Zabriskie Point
What's in a name
Zabriskie Point is named after Christian Brevoort Zabriskie, a key figure in the early 20th century who served as vice president and general manager of the Pacific Coast Borax Company—more on that shortly.
From the overlook, you’re treated to a stunning panorama of golden, cream, and brown hills, sculpted by millions of years of erosion. The result is a surreal, dune-like landscape, although these formations are not made of sand, but rather ancient sediments shaped by water, wind, and time.
Mining
Mining in Death Valley took off in the late 1800s, following the discovery of valuable mineral deposits by explorers and settlers. The region was rich in resources, including borax, gold, silver, lead, and copper. Today, visitors can explore two key sites that offer a deeper insight into the history and operations of mining in this harsh desert landscape.
6) Harmony Borax Works
When you hear the words Borax and Death Valley together, the iconic image of 20 Mule Teams hauling massive wagons of borax across the desert immediately comes to mind. Although these teams operated for only a brief period—from 1883 to 1889—their legacy has been immortalized in television shows, books, and most notably by the Pacific Coast Borax Company, which used their image to promote borax products nationwide. More than just a chapter in mining history, the 20 Mule Teams symbolize hard work, innovation, and the pioneering spirit that helped shape the American West.
At the Harmony Borax Works site, you can explore the ruins of the original processing facilities, including the remains of furnaces and mining equipment. Just a short walk downhill, a display showcases the impressive loads once pulled by the mule teams: two massive ore wagons accompanied by a water wagon, offering a tangible glimpse into the grueling work behind borax transportation.
7) Keane Wonder Mine
Heading north on Beatty Cuttoff Road, you will come to the Keane Wonder Mine. Discovered in 1903 by Jack Keane and Domingo Etcharren, this mine became one of the region's most productive gold sources, yielding nearly $1 million in gold between 1904 and 1917.
One of the key reasons for the Keane Wonder Mine’s success was its ingenious ore transport system. Unlike many other mines where ore was hauled in rail cars by mules or, later, electric motors, this operation relied entirely on gravity. Built in 1907, the mile-long aerial tramway spanned 13 towers and used a fleet of ore buckets capable of moving up to 70 tons of ore per day. As loaded buckets descended 1,500 feet from the mine to the mill, their weight powered the entire system—delivering ore to the crusher, returning empty buckets to the top, and even helping to run the ore crusher and pump water. It’s just one more reason I love visiting ghost towns and historic mining camps—the level of ingenuity required to survive and thrive in such harsh, remote environments never ceases to amaze me.
8) Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Back on Highway 190, heading north, a shimmer appears in the distance—the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. At first, they seem almost like an illusion. In the heart of Death Valley—where jagged mountains loom and cracked earth stretches endlessly—these golden waves of sand rise up as if they don’t quite belong.
Driving toward them feels surreal. The surrounding landscape is harsh and angular, but the dunes are smooth, fluid, and strangely graceful. They look like something from another world, dropped into the desert basin by accident—yet they fit perfectly.
Several unique conditions make Death Valley an ideal—and unexpected—place for sand dunes to form. While dunes usually appear near coastlines or within vast desert systems, this valley has its own quiet formula, shaped over millions of years.
It starts in the mountain ranges flanking the valley. Wind and water steadily erode the rock, carving canyons and grinding stone into sand. Gravity pulls that debris downhill, depositing it into the valley floor.
There, the surrounding mountains—including the Amargosa Range to the east—serve a crucial purpose. Rather than letting strong winds blow freely through the valley, they act as windbreaks. As the wind slows, it drops its load of sand. Over time, those grains accumulate, forming the ever-shifting dunes.
It’s a slow, quiet alchemy of rock, wind, and time—transforming rugged highlands into a sea of soft, golden curves.
Sunset is my favorite time to visit. The sand glows under the warm light of late afternoon, and the wind-sculpted ridges become sharply defined. As the sun lowers, long shadows stretch across the slopes, adding depth and serenity. The eye is drawn to the play of light and shadow—first across the dunes, then farther out to the soft, glowing contours of the distant Amargosa Mountains. It's peaceful, quiet, and mesmerizing—a perfect ending to a day in Death Valley.
9) Ubehebe Crater
Ubehebe Crater is yet another of the amazing geographic oddities in Death Valley. This is a volcanic crater of a different sort. Rather than the typical volcanic craters that are formed by eruptions of lava, ash, and gases from a vent or caldera collapse, Ubehebe Crater was created when hot magma contacted groundwater, causing a sudden vaporization that blasts out a shallow, wide crater.
Death Valley Summary & Final Thoughts
There’s truly no place on Earth like Death Valley—a land of extremes, where silence stretches beyond the horizon and every corner tells a story shaped by time, geology, and light. On our latest journey, we sought to capture that raw, surreal beauty—from the quiet glow of dawn at Badwater Basin to the kaleidoscope of color at Artist's Palette, the grandeur of Golden Canyon, the engineering marvels of historic mines, and the golden dunes of Mesquite Flat.
Each stop along our route revealed a different face of the desert: sculpted rock, wind-etched sand, forgotten industry, and stunning natural artistry. Whether it was the solitude of a moonset morning or the vivid hues of oxidized hills, the valley offered more than just photographs—it offered perspective, reflection, and awe.
Death Valley is not just a destination; it’s an experience that deepens the longer you stay. Harsh yet fragile, desolate yet full of life, it reminds us that beauty often lives where we least expect it. As you scroll through the images and words of this blog, I hope you’ll feel even a fraction of the wonder we felt, walking quietly through this extraordinary, unforgiving, and unforgettable landscape.
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