Scenic Drive along Badwater Road

Scenic Drive along Badwater Road

Location: Death Valley National Park
Length: 45.2 miles
GPS Coordinates: N36 26.999 W116 51.076 (Furnace Creek Inn)
Contact Information: Death Valley National Park
P.O. Box 579
Death Valley, CA 92328

Badwater Road is one of the main roads in Death Valley National Park. It is very popular because leads to the most popular attractions, including Artist Palette, Devil’s Golf Course, etc.  Badwater Road is a wonderful drive to Badwater basin, the lowest point in North America with an elevation of 282 ft below sea level. This road is paved and its total length is 45.2 miles. the part of the road that leads to the lowest point in USA, also known as CA 178, is 15.5 miles long.

For those people who do not have lots of time for exploring Death Valley, Badwater Road may be a great answer to their dilemma what to see and visit. Many of the most popular and visited attractions are located close to the road, so you won’t spend hours hiking to an overlook. Badwater is a great road trip if you choose summer for your visit. Temperatures can be really extreme here, and travelling by car with a conditioner makes your travelling more comfortable. The world record highest air temperature of 134°F was recorded here. Potentially dangerous animals include rattlesnakes, scorpions, black widow spiders, bees, wasps, coyotes, and mountain lions.

Badwater Road is very easy to find on every map. From the north Badwater Road can be reached near the Furnace Creek Inn. It starts at the junction with S.R. 190

Also keep in mind that there are no services along this road, be sure to fill the tank, buy plenty of water and food before turning onto Badwater Road. The nearest services will be at Furnace Creek or Shoshone.

We were driving Badwater Road in spring, and were lucky to experience the Super Bloom. Badwater Road was full of beautiful windflowers. Many flowers grow alongside the road because of the water that collects not on the road, but on its sides. Usually, the best months for viewing wildflowers are March-May.

Photo: Roman Khomlyak
Photo Editing: Juliana Voitsikhovska
Information: Marina Petrova

Share this post

Leave a Reply