Parking
Park in the signed Zabriskie Point lot on CA-190, about 3.5 miles east of Badwater Road. The paved lot has large RV/bus spaces, two accessible parking spaces, and two vault toilets.
Overview
About Zabriskie Point Overlook Trail
This short out-and-back follows the named Zabriskie Point Trail from the Zabriskie Point Parking Area to the overlook above Death Valley's colorful badlands. The mapped corridor is about 0.16 miles one way, while the visitor walk is about 0.3 miles round trip.
Why go
- A short 0.3-mile round trip reaches the overlook from the parking area
- Paved asphalt surface is wheelchair-designated and stroller-friendly, though the grade is steep in places
- Wide views include Manly Beacon, the badlands, salt flats, and Panamint Mountains
Heads up
- The fully exposed approach has no shade and can be dangerously hot
- The paved grade is steep in places despite the short distance
- Sunrise and sunset are popular and the small overlook can be crowded
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Death Valley map
Full mapElevation627–663 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to visit
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 Zabriskie Point Overlook Trail, 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 trailhead
Zabriskie Point: A Famous View and a Trail into the BadlandsListen
“You're approaching Zabriskie Point, which offers what might be the single most famous view in Death Valley. A short paved path leads to an overlook with a huge panorama of colorful, rippling badlands.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Death Valley Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Roller-Coaster Drive Through Twenty Mule Team Canyon
- Gower Gulch: The Famous Loop's Finale
- Golden Canyon's Famous Hike and Loop Trail
- Desolation Canyon: A Quieter Badlands Hike
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Zabriskie Point Overlook Trail
What You'll SeeThe overlook opens onto yellow and brown badlands shaped by water.
The overlook opens onto yellow and brown badlands shaped by water. Manly Beacon is the prominent feature, with salt flats and the Panamint Mountains visible beyond. Sunrise and sunset bring especially dramatic light.
Trail ExperienceThe route is a continuous paved asphalt footway.
The route is a continuous paved asphalt footway. OpenStreetMap marks it wheelchair-designated and stroller-friendly, while the National Park Service describes a steep paved grade to the viewpoint. The route is stored once from the parking-area trailhead to the overlook; return on the same corridor.
Parking and ConnectionsUse the signed Zabriskie Point lot on CA-190.
Use the signed Zabriskie Point lot on CA-190. The paved parking area has large RV/bus spaces, two accessible parking spaces, and two vault toilets. The Badlands Loop Trail begins at the parking area; longer badlands routes can connect toward Gower Gulch, Golden Canyon, and Red Cathedral, but those are separate hikes.
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.
