Death Valley is an easy park to underestimate on a map — it's a long detour from most Southwest road trip routes, and one day feels like it might not be enough. Having done it as a tight 24-hour loop twice now, my answer is: yes, it's worth it, but the timing of your day matters more here than almost anywhere else.

Beat the heat, literally

This is the hottest place in North America, and even in cooler months the midday sun flattens the landscape's color and makes hiking miserable. Build your day around sunrise and sunset, and treat midday as a driving-and-air-conditioning window, not a hiking one.

The tight 24-hour route

• Sunrise: Zabriskie Point, for the golden badlands view without a single other car in the lot.
• Mid-morning: Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America — walk out onto the salt flats before it gets brutally hot.
• Midday: Drive the loop through Artist's Palette with the AC on; get out only for the short overlooks.
• Sunset: Dante's View, for a sweeping look back over the entire valley as the light turns orange.

Death Valley rewards patience with light more than almost any other park — the same view at noon and at sunrise barely look related.

Practical notes

Fill your tank before entering — services inside the park are limited and priced accordingly. Carry more water than feels necessary, and check the forecast; even shoulder-season days here can hit triple digits by early afternoon.