Grotto Canyon

Near Stovepipe Wells. Most people think sand dunes are common in the desert. They aren't. There are two interesting areas of sand dunes in Death Valley. The largest is Eureka Dunes, accessible only to adventurous backcountry folks. This smaller set of dunes near Stovepipe Wells is still quite impressive.

This historic marker was placed at a reliable spring in order to mark its location in harsh conditions.

This popular hike in the center of the park winds through a narrow, marbled canyon. Some climbing and scaling of slick marbled rock is required.

Travel north from Furnace Creek. Salt Creek is about two miles (3.2 km) west of the main road via an easy dirt road. This place is great. Long ago Death Valley was a lake with fish in it; as the lake dried up and salinity increased the fish evolved to cope. Now they are restricted to a short, salty creek which springs up out of the desert, flows for a few hundred yards, and then disappears back into the sand.

A popular hiking destination. While accessible only by a long, sandy road followed by a technical rock crawl through a wash, this hike is worth the headache (or fun) of getting to the base of the trail. Before you go, consult rangers about the location of various petroglyphs along the canyon walls. Though a fair few have been vandalized, many are in pristine condition.