Sight · Death Valley National Park
Quick photo stop with the famous giant thermometer out front
Overview
This is the photo‑op sign at the front of the park’s main visitor hub in Furnace Creek. It’s the classic National Park Service sign, easy to find from the main lot, and a quick way to mark your visit.
This spot anchors your visit: from the sign, you’re steps from the visitor center’s exhibits, the 20‑minute park film, the bookstore, ranger trip‑planning help, fee payment, and Junior Ranger activities. It’s the natural place to get oriented before heading deeper into the desert.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy Stop HereMap
Local know-how
Shoot early or late for better light and fewer crowds.
Check the thermometer is displaying before you wait for a photo.
Have water and sun protection ready—there’s little shade here.
Pop inside afterward for the film, exhibits, and ranger advice.
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
Furnace Creek Visitor Center Area“Up ahead is the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, the most important stop for getting your bearings.”
Plays as you drive up to Furnace Creek Visitor Center Sign 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
Don’t expect much wildlife right at the sign, but you may catch lizards, birds, or the occasional jackrabbit around the landscaped grounds during quieter hours.
Bring water and sun protection—the area around the sign offers minimal shade. Keep the stop brief in summer heat, then duck into the visitor center to cool off, see the exhibits, and get current road and conditions updates.
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
EasyMustard Canyon Loop1.3 mi · 30 min · 1.3 mi awayOne-way drive through mustard-colored badlands from Harmony Borax Works to CA-190
EasyHarmony Borax Works Interpretive Trail0.4 mi · 30 min · 1.3 mi awayA short paved loop through the ruins and stories of Death Valley’s Harmony Borax Works.
ModerateGolden Canyon to Red Cathedral3 mi · 1.8 hr · 3.1 mi awayA 3-mile Golden Canyon out-and-back to the red walls of Red Cathedral.
ModerateGolden Canyon and Gower Gulch Loop4.3 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.1 mi awayModerate badlands loop linking Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch
ChallengingZabriskie Point to Golden Canyon7.8 mi · 4.5 hr · 4.2 mi awayStrenuous 7.8-mile loop from Zabriskie Point through Gower Gulch and Golden Canyon
ModerateBadlands Loop (Zabriskie Point)2.7 mi · 1.8 hr · 4.2 mi awayA 2.7-mile moderate loop through colorful badlands below Zabriskie Point.
EasyZabriskie Point Overlook Trail0.3 mi · 8 min · 4.2 mi awayA short paved out-and-back from the Zabriskie Point parking area to Death Valley's iconic badlands overlook.
ModerateDesolation Canyon Trail3.6 mi · 2.5 hr · 4.8 mi awayColor-drenched badlands and a quiet canyon with easy scrambles
Visitor center · At the trailheadDeath Valley National Park Visitor CenterHub for rangers, exhibits, AC, and the giant thermometer
Store · At the trailheadDeath Valley Natural History Association Park StoreOfficial shop for DEVA books and souvenirs that fund the park
Sight · At the trailheadFurnace Creek ThermometerClassic photo-op thermometer for extreme heat bragging rights
Store · 0.1 mi awayFarrabee's Jeep RentalsJeep rentals and tours to reach the park’s remote backroads
Gas station · 0.1 mi awayFurnace Creek Fuel and Auto ServiceThe park’s central lifeline for fuel, at a steep premium
Campground · 0.2 mi awayFurnace Creek CampgroundCentral, reservable base camp with hookups at -196 feet
Sight · 0.3 mi awayThe Furnace Creek Golf Course at Death ValleyAn oasis round at the world’s lowest-elevation golf course
Campground · 0.3 mi awaySunset CampgroundMassive, no-frills basecamp near Furnace Creek with big skiesParkwolf’s Death Valley ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
