RT Artist's Drive

One-way, nine mile drive that passes through eroded, colorful desert hills

General Information

Hours:

Open year-round, 24 hours a day
Best experienced during daylight hours for safety and visibility

Fees:

Private Vehicle (7-day pass): $30
Motorcycle (7-day pass): $25
Individual (on foot or bicycle, 7-day pass): $15
Annual Death Valley Pass: $55
America the Beautiful Pass: $80 (discounts available for seniors, military, disabled, and 4th graders)

Pet Policy:

Pets are allowed in vehicles on Artist's Drive but not permitted on trails or outside vehicles
Must be leashed (max 6 feet) and never left unattended in vehicles

Seasons:

Spring: Ideal for wildflowers and mild temperatures (March–April)
Summer: Extremely hot, best avoided for outdoor exploration
Autumn: Comfortable weather and fewer crowds (October–November)
Winter: Cool and scenic, least crowded (December–February)

Location:

Artist's Drive, Death Valley National Park, CA

Website:

nps.gov/thingstodo/tour-artists-drive

How to Get There

From Furnace Creek (9 mi): Head south on CA-190 and turn onto Badwater Road; drive approximately 9 miles and turn left at the clearly marked entrance to Artist's Drive.

Overview

Artists Drive is a scenic 9-mile one-way loop in Death Valley, ending at Artists Palette, where hillsides glow in pinks, purples, greens and yellows caused by different oxidized minerals in volcanic deposits. It is best in late afternoon light, and the road is narrow, so large RVs are not recommended.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles "Places of interest in the Death Valley area", which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0