Find Your Oasis

Visit Death Valley National Park and Stay at the Ranch

Oasis at Death Valley

Don’t let the name fool you. Death Valley has a completely new lodging experience that’s all about being alive! Here are five amazing ways to find your oasis in the Lower 48’s largest national park.

1) One Resort, Two Unique Stays

The new Oasis at Death Valley offers two distinct accommodations: the elegant mission-style four-diamond Inn at Death Valley, and The Ranch at Death Valley—an adventure-focused charmer with a true American West ethos.

Ideally located next to the park’s visitor center, The Ranch has a classic town square with a new restaurant, ice cream and coffee bar, general store, and the iconic Last Kind Words Saloon (which feels straight out of a Western movie).

Sample Itinerary: Float in a muscle-relaxing 87-degree spring-fed pool, explore the park’s hiking trails, and be back for a sunset dinner at The Inn Dining Room, overlooking the mountains.

After dark, relax around fire pits while staring up at the stars. Book your stay at The Oasis at Death Valley by calling (800) 236-7916.

2) Your Lowest Round—Guaranteed

Got game? The Furnace Creek Golf Course at Death Valley sure does! At 214 feet below sea level, it’s the lowest-elevation golf course in the world. It’s also one of the most scenic, with palm and tamarisk trees framing fairways and mountain views all along its 18-hole, par 70 course. (Use promo code GOLF for a good deal on the Ultimate Golf Package.) Fore sure!

Golf Death Valley

3) Shutterbug Love

The sunrise light at Zabriskie Point will make even the average photographer look like a pro. Join other photo-happy revelers and watch the sun make its entrance, slowly washing over the golden badlands at Death Valley’s signature viewpoint. Afterwards, head to the northern end of the valley to check out Ubehebe Crater, a 770-foot-deep volcanic wonder in a moonscape environment. Hike down into it, walk a mile around it, or hike 1 mile to Little Hebe Crater (recommended).

Zabriskie Point

4) Just Dune It!

Enjoy one of the world’s premier picnic spots—the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes—just 2 miles east of Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley National Park. Park on the side of Highway 190 and start walking north. The tallest dune is about a mile away, with plenty of others rolling in the foreground. Pick a dune, climb its spine, and enjoy a picnic while waiting for the show: a sunset that colors the mountains in changing shades of rose and violet. Don’t leave too soon: This is a choice spot for stargazing or watching your moonshadow.

5) Canyon Hike

Take an afternoon hike through Golden Canyon, a giant slot canyon glowing with orange, yellow, and red shades of sandstone. After a mile, take the offshoot trail toward Gower Gulch (a map is available at the visitor center). Skirt below the Manly Beacon sandstone formation, where the texture resembles swirls of giant marble ice cream. The trail runs through the quiet and narrow Gower Gulch, which is filled with old borax—Death Valley’s signature export from the 20 Mule Teams of yore.

Golden Canyon hike Death Valley

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Mike Zakowski (aka Mike the Baker) standing in front of his wood-fire oven at the Sonoma Valley Farmers' Market

    NEW! Walkin' and Talkin': Break Bread, Go On a Panoramic Hike

    What’s a world-traveling, medal-winning baker’s favorite local hike? Weekend Sherpa co-founder Brad Day caught up with Mike Zakowski (aka Mike the Baker) at Sonoma’s Friday farmers' market, where his wood-fired loaves draw loyal crowds. Between bites of fresh-baked bread, they talk baking, travel, and why Sonoma's Overlook Trail is one of his favorite quick, panoramic hikes.

    View
  2. Hidden Botanical Garden

    Forget a dozen roses. Give your love a botanical garden. Hidden on the western slope of Sonoma Valley’s Mayacamas Mountains, Sonoma Botanical Garden has one of the Bay Area’s best displays of Asian flora—and it’s a brilliant place for a quiet picnic and some calming contemplations.

    View
  3. Sunnyvale and Salty

    For up-close bird watching, it’s hard to beat a walk along the San Francisco Bay. This 5-mile loop on the Sunnyvale coast is a favorite of local wildlife photographers.

    View
  4. A man takes a break at a temple spot on a hike at Dragon Mountain in Milptas

    Dragon Quest

    The newly reopened, 4-mile out-and-back hike at Dragon Mountain in Milpitas mixes the physical with the spiritual for a serene hiking experience.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Warm Up to Winter in Reno Tahoe

    2026 is just getting started, but there’s one place already rising to the top as the best for adventure and relaxation: Reno Tahoe. The awe—and ahhhs—begin as soon as you arrive. G

    View
  2. A woman stands at Dante's View in Death Valley, looking out to Telescope Peak and Manly Lake, Badwater Basin below.

    Sunset Hike at Dante's View

    It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. Right now there's a banner and bonus view of a rare lake formation that appears only after big rains.

    View
  3. It's a Waterfall Life

    Tahquitz Canyon’s crystalline stream and lush stands of desert lavender, honey mesquite, and leafy sycamores is home to an easy day hike with a big bonus: a 60-foot waterfall that runs with remarkable gusto after winter rains.

    View
  4. Oh Snow Nice

    Live in California long enough, and you’ll come to know the rite of passage called “going to the snow”–when we ditch our fair-weather cities and towns in search of winter weather. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks deliver a winter wonderland worth a visit if there’s been a good dose of snow.

    View