#2 of 74 sights in Death Valley
Sight · Death Valley National Park
Grandstand view over Badwater Basin from 5,475 feet
Overview
Perched atop the Black Mountains at about 5,475 feet, Dante’s View is the park’s big-view balcony—an easy, drive-up overlook with a payoff that’s instant and enormous. It’s widely considered a must-see for first-timers and repeat visitors alike, thanks to its sweeping, elevated perspective over the heart of the valley.
Map
Local know-how
Pack layers—a 20–25°F temperature drop and strong winds are common up here.
For quieter photos, walk a few minutes along the ridge north or south of the lot.
Aim for sunrise or sunset; bring a headlamp if you’ll stay for night skies.
Bring plenty of water and snacks; there are no services at the overlook.
The last stretch is steep; check vehicle restrictions and road conditions after storms.
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Death Valley Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Death Valley National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Death Valley audio tourRecorded for this place
Dante's View: The Best Panorama in the Park“The road you're on climbs to Dante's View, perched in the Black Mountains over a mile above the valley floor. It's famous for having one of the best panoramic viewpoints in the park.”
Plays as you drive up to Dante's View in the Parkwolf Death Valley Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Look straight down more than a vertical mile to the white crust of Badwater Basin’s salt flats, with the Panamint Range and Telescope Peak looming across the valley. After rare storms, a temporary lake can form on the basin floor, turning the scene into a giant mirror. On clear days, the views run for many miles in every direction.
From the parking area, short paths along the ridgeline to the north and south give quieter vantages and slightly different compositions. A longer, unofficial route follows the treeless ridge toward Mt. Perry with constant ups and downs—beautiful but exposed and more demanding; plan accordingly.
You’ll find a paved parking area right by the overlook and vault toilets. There’s no water and no concessions up here—bring everything you need.
This exposed, high-elevation ridge isn’t a wildlife hotspot. You might spot ravens riding the wind and, in warmer months, the occasional reptile along the trails.
Wildlife
71 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
101 sightingsDesert TortoiseMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
458 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
28 sightingsFeral BurroMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
30 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
62 sightingsKit FoxMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Death Valley. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingDante's Ridge to Mount Perry9 mi · 5 hr · At the trailheadDifficult, exposed unofficial ridge route from Dantes View to Mount Perry
EasyBadwater Basin Salt Flats1.9 mi · 33 min · 2.4 mi awayWalk from Badwater Basin onto the otherworldly salt polygons at North America’s lowest point
EasyBadwater Basin Boardwalk1 mi · 30 min · 2.4 mi awayEasy, accessible stroll from Badwater Basin’s boardwalk to the edge of Death Valley’s salt flats
ModerateNatural Bridge Canyon Trail1.4 mi · 1 hr · 4.8 mi awayRocky out-and-back to a natural bridge and dry fallsParkwolf’s Death Valley ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
