Parking
Use the paved Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes parking area just east of Stovepipe Wells off CA-190; pull-through spaces serve buses and large RVs, and vault toilets are in the lot.
Overview
About Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Why go
- Iconic dune field with wide mountain views and strong sunrise, sunset, and dark-sky scenery
- Sandboarding is permitted at Mesquite Sand Dunes
Heads up
- No formal trail or route markers; wind and low visibility can make navigation difficult
- Deep, soft sand, steep dune slopes, full sun, and no shade or water increase the effort
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Death Valley map
Full mapElevation-34–90 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Death Valley alerts
- ClosurePark roads closed or hazardousPlan around multiple closed roads and use extra caution on damaged routes. - Paved roads: North Highway and Beatty Cut-off are closed due to flooding and debris from the October 22 storm.Official details
- ClosureSaline Valley Lower Springs closed after wildfireLower Springs at Saline Valley Warm Springs remains closed after the September 15 wildfire; stay out because the fire left safety hazards, including potential hazardous chemicals.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Death Valley Tour Guide
Your drive to Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, narrated.
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 area
Reading the Night's Story on the DunesListen
“The sand here is like the morning paper, telling the story of who was out last night. Most desert animals are nocturnal to beat the heat, so an early walk lets you read the news.”
Plays on the road 0.1 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Death Valley Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Stovepipe Wells Village: Desert Outpost and Dune Gateway
- Stovepipe Wells Campground: The Convenient Basecamp
- Stovepipe Wells Airport: A Runway for Stargazing
- Mosaic Canyon: A Hike Through Polished Marble
- 130 audio storiesacross Death Valley’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Desert Tortoise, Coyote, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 36 trails, 114 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Wildlife
Wildlife in Death Valley
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.
