20 Mule Team Canyon

The badlands around Zabriskie Point are a favorite attraction for visitors to Death Valley National Park. Unfortunately, hiking into them requires a certain amount of physical mobility and can be quite taxing during the hotter parts of the day. A great option to see this marvelous terrain is to take the 20 Mule Team Canyon scenic drive, just over a mile to the east.

This 2.8-mile one-way well-graded dirt road winds through a lovely example of Death Valley badlands. These formations are composed of Artist Drive Formation (Pliocene) and are soft and rapidly eroding. The tour doesn’t require any hiking (though it can certainly be used as a jumping off point for on-foot exploration of the area as well). This is also a great place to take children and let them explore the washes and easily-climbed hills of the area.