What to do in Furnace Creek, CA

Activities, attractions and tours
Furnace Creek Visitor Center which includes signage

Furnace Creek Attractions

Let Expedia help you to experience the best that Furnace Creek has to offer! If you’re planning a trip to Furnace Creek, we can provide you with a list of the top sightseeing attractions, as well as helping you to find unmissable activities. Whether you’re travelling to Furnace Creek with your family, planning a romantic trip with your loved one, or visiting on business, we’ll make it easy to plan an unforgettable holiday that checks all the boxes.

Places of interest in Furnace Creek

Furnace Creek is crammed with must-see places to visit and things to do. We can help you decide where to stay in Furnace Creek, and make it a breeze to explore Furnace Creek and the surrounding areas with our guides on where to go, what to see and when to see it. No matter how long your stay, it’s easy to find places of interest in Furnace Creek to make sure that you enjoy your holiday to the fullest and don’t miss a thing. Leave the local knowledge to us and leave the hassle behind.

If you’re planning a visit to Furnace Creek, why not check out our handy guides to places of interest in the area? You can browse lists of things to do, learn about the most popular attractions, and get help with planning the details of your trip. Expedia makes it easy for you to check out all the top sights in Furnace Creek.

Furnace Creek attractions

Furnace Creek has something for everyone, so whether you’re planning to get active on a summer holiday, put a spring in your step with a romantic rendezvous, or pamper yourself with a leisurely winter trip, you’ll find plenty of attractions in Furnace Creek to keep you entertained. Expedia makes it easy to book your flight, hotel and rental car in advance, making for hassle-free travel and freeing you up to explore the sights of Furnace Creek.

Looking for things to do in Furnace Creek can be time-consuming, but we can take the hassle out of planning your holiday. Whether you’re looking to get active in the great outdoors, sample the cuisine of Furnace Creek or catch up with the vibrant local culture, our guides to Furnace Creek attractions ensure that you’ll have a successful trip, whatever the season. Happy trails!

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Top places to visit

1. Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is the continental United States’ largest park. It’s also the hottest, driest and lowest. Despite harsh conditions, the park’s more than 3 million acres (1.3 million hectares) aren’t simply desert plains. Find mountains, canyons, sand dunes, extinct volcanic craters and even palm trees and wildflowers.
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Death Valley showing desert views and tranquil scenes as well as a small group of people

2. Furnace Creek Visitor Center

The Furnace Creek Visitor Center is a useful resource and jumping-off point for exploring the surrounding Death Valley National Park. Drop in to the visitor center’s adjoining museum and learn about the region’s cultural and natural history before heading off on your adventure around the park. Join ranger-led tours, watch an informative film about the park or pick up maps and brochures so that you can plan your journey.
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Death Valley showing interior views

3. Badwater

Snow-white crystals of salt fill the immense pan of Badwater Basin, a crater-like salt flat in the middle of the valley. Flanked by dusky-pink mountain ranges and purple-hued ridges, Badwater Basin is a dreamlike destination. Explore the moonscape saltpan on foot for the chance to say you’ve walked across the lowest point in North America, at 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level.
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Badwater which includes views, hiking or walking and desert views

4. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes is a spectacular natural phenomenon in the heart of Death Valley. It consists of dunes 100 feet (30 meters) high that offer unobstructed views of the surrounding mountains. Notice the ever-changing patterns carved into this sandy landscape.
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Death Valley

5. Zabriskie Point

Look out across the colorful sculpted landscape at the foothills of the Black Mountains from Zabriskie Point. Enjoy the vast scene of undulating badlands, which ripple across mudhills, gullies and mountains. In the distance, notice the gleaming white expanse of saltpans in the main valley. Made famous by the Antonioni-directed film of the same name, Zabriskie Point is a dramatic introduction to Death Valley National Park when entering from the east.
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Death Valley which includes desert views and tranquil scenes

6. Ubehebe Crater

Ubehebe Crater is one of several volcanic craters in the northern section of Death Valley National Park. Sheltered by the Cottonwood Mountains, this crater has etched its geological history into the valley. Check out the enormous crater rim, which is 600 feet (180 meters) deep and half a mile (0.8 kilometers) across. Spot stripes of sediment in the volcano walls. Imagine the force of this volcano that erupted thousands of years ago.
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Ubehebe Crater featuring landscape views and desert views

7. Artists Palette

The Artist’s Palette is a remarkable rock formation in Death Valley National Park. Admire the spectrum of colors appearing on this rock face, and watch as they shift depending on the angle of the sun. The phenomenon is the fascinating result of explosive volcanic periods millions of years ago, which can be traced in the formation’s extraordinary painted appearance and unique geological makeup.
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Death Valley

8. Golden Canyon

Experienced and beginner hikers can enjoy the trails that crisscross the Golden Canyon and its surroundings, blessed by moderate slopes and stunning views. Even though this is a popular route, the trail itself is rarely crowded. The path is easily customizable, with trips ranging from a simple, 90 minute-long in-and-out of the canyon itself to more difficult 4-hour treks past the area’s many natural landmarks. Lace up your shoes, put on your hat, bring a big bottle of water and plunge in for an up-close look at Death Valley.
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Death Valley showing desert views, tranquil scenes and hiking or walking

9. Harmony Borax Works

The story of boom-time prosperity begins at Harmony Borax Works, a historic ore-processing plant in Death Valley National Park. Explore the preserved remains of the old refinery and learn about the region’s mining history. See an example of the 20-mule team wagons that became icons for the industry.
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Harmony Borax Works showing landscape views, desert views and mountains

Popular places to visit

Image for Furnace Creek Visitor Center

Furnace Creek Visitor Center

4.5/5(6 reviews)

Find out what Death Valley National Park has waiting for you and join ranger-led tours and programs at this fantastic facility in Furnace Creek’s resort area.

Furnace Creek Visitor Center
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Badwater

4.5/5(14 reviews)

Stand on the lowest elevation in North America when you visit this spectacular salt flat beside the Black Mountains in the heart of Death Valley.

Badwater
Image for Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

4.5/5(8 reviews)

This part of Death Valley National Park is made up of an otherworldly terrain of clay, sand and the surrounding mountains.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Image for Zabriskie Point

Zabriskie Point

4.5/5(14 reviews)

An awe-inspiring panorama of the foothills and gullies of the Black Mountains unfolds from this elevated viewpoint, where you’ll find a series of hiking trails.

Zabriskie Point
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Panamint Dunes

4.5/5(10 reviews)

Commune with nature and explore the great outdoors at Panamint Dunes during your travels in Death Valley. While you're here, you can savour the top-notch restaurants.

Panamint Dunes
Image for Ubehebe Crater

Ubehebe Crater

4.5/5(2 reviews)

Peer into a monumental volcanic crater and explore the surrounding cinder fields, which tell the story of Death Valley’s ancient geological formations.

Ubehebe Crater
Image for Artists Palette

Artists Palette

4.5/5(14 reviews)

Check out the myriad hues of red, purple and blue that glimmer from deep canyons and rocky peaks when you explore this geological masterpiece.

Artists Palette
Image for Golden Canyon

Golden Canyon

4.5/5(4 reviews)

One of Death Valley’s most popular hiking trails winds through gorges, around cliffs and within canyons, showcasing all the different aspects of the area’s unique geology.

Golden Canyon
Image for Devil's Golf Course

Devil's Golf Course

4.5/5(3 reviews)

Clamber over the serrated surface of this enormous saltpan in Death Valley, where huge halite salt crystals have sculpted the bottom of a former lake.

Devil's Golf Course

Day trip destinations from Furnace Creek

Death Valley

Death Valley