Your Death Valley National Park CME conference.

Death Valley after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM local time. Near Furnace Creek, the Harmony Borax Works loop is 0.4 miles on a paved path, about 30 minutes round trip, and sits 1 mile west of Furnace Creek on CA-190. The park service says it passes adobe ruins and a 20-Mule Team wagon. Artists Drive is a nine-mile paved, one-way drive winding through multicolored, eroded hills, and the park service suggests allowing 25 to 45 minutes for it. Vehicles longer than 25 feet cannot use it because of dips and sharp turns.

Cell coverage is limited to nonexistent in much of the park, according to the park service, so decide how you will connect to your study session before you choose where to stay. Travel, lodging and your park entry are arranged separately. Your conference follows your specialty and interests, and the valley is simply the setting you pick for it.

Salt flats and viewpoints

Badwater Basin is 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in North America, and lies about 18 miles south of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center on Badwater Road. A short hike of a quarter mile leads to the polygon salt formations, and the park service suggests allowing one to two hours. In summer you can view them from the parking area. Devils Golf Course, with its jagged salt spires, can be visited at any time of day.

Dantes View stands 5,575 feet above Badwater Basin and is a 45-minute drive from Furnace Creek, per the park service. Zabriskie Point is on CA-190, 3.5 miles east of Badwater Road, and the park service lists it as a popular sunrise and sunset spot. Because study finishes at 2:00 PM, check how far each stop is from your lodging before you plan an evening outing.

Dunes, canyons and short walks

At Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes the walk to the high dune is 1 mile each way with no formal trail, and the park service rates it easy to moderate with 185 feet of climbing. Allow about 1.5 hours round trip. The park service also lists the dunes as a popular sunrise and sunset location.

The Golden Canyon trailhead is 2 miles south of CA-190 on Badwater Road, with paved parking and a restroom. Routes through the canyons and badlands run from 3 to 8 miles, so they suit a day off better than a post-study stroll. For something shorter, the park lists the Natural Bridge trail at 1 mile out and back and the Salt Creek Interpretive Trail as a 0.5-mile boardwalk loop. Do not hike canyons during a rainstorm, the park warns.

Beyond the valley floor

The park’s things-to-do page lists a self-guided driving tour of film locations, ranger-led talks and night programs, and hundreds of miles of unpaved backcountry roads that range from two-tracks to graded surfaces. It also names Manzanar National Historic Site, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and the Rhyolite ghost town as nearby attractions. Check current road conditions before any unpaved drive, and stay on designated roads, because the park service says off-road driving damages the desert and is illegal.

Driving and staying prepared

Gas is sold at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells and Panamint Springs, and the park service says help may be many hours away, so travel prepared to self-rescue. The closest rapid electric vehicle chargers are in Beatty, Nevada, 43 miles from Furnace Creek, the park says.

The park service notes that most deaths in the park involve single-vehicle rollovers on winding roads, so follow posted speed limits. It also asks visitors to carry plenty of water and to tell someone their itinerary. Check the park’s alerts page for current road status before any drive.

When to visit Death Valley

At Furnace Creek, the park service lists average highs of 67°F in January, 90°F in April, 116°F in July and 93°F in October. Winter and spring are described as very pleasant, with wind common in spring and dust storms possible as cold fronts approach. Annual rainfall averages less than 2 inches. In summer the park service says nightly lows often stay above 100°F, so the coolest hour is usually just before sunrise.

The park recommends hiking from November through March and says summer hiking at low elevations is not recommended. Wildflowers depend on winter and spring rain, with blooms possible in late March and early April at low elevations. Temperatures fall 3 to 5°F for every 1,000 feet you climb.

Getting to Death Valley and your study setting

Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas is the arrival point shown in this guide. The park service says the whole trip from Las Vegas is about 120 miles and takes 2 hours, with the fastest route through Pahrump, Nevada.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.