Death Valley - Zabriskie Point

Death Valley National Park is just a two hour drive away from Las Vegas, but it feels a world apart. And after a day spent submerged in the thick crowds and flashing lights, I was eager to get out of town. My Aunt was flying in, so I picked her up from the airport and we drove west towards California.

We had a late start, so we got to the park around sunset. We hurried to Zabriskie Point, as the last of the day's light faded away.



Zabriskie Point is one of the park's most popular overlooks, and the view from there is spectacular. A series of eroded badlands stretch out in front of you, with salt flats and towering mountains in the distance.



The badlands are the geologic remnants of a vast lakebed that existed millions of years ago. The lake dried up, and the lands were uplifted. Erosion then created the carved and multi-colored badlands that we see today.



One of the most notable features of the view from Zabriskie Point is Manly Beacon. While it sounds like one of those all-male dance shows that was advertised along the Strip in Las Vegas, it's actually a prominent peak that stands over the badlands. It's a little shocking to see that it has an elevation of only 823 feet, which really doesn't seem like it's all that much until you remember how close we were to sea-level there. The point was named after William Manly, who rescued several pioneers who had gotten lost in Death Valley during the 1849 Gold Rush.



We ran out of light, but returned the next morning at sunrise. It was interesting to see the subtle differences in light play out across the badlands.





The view from Zabriskie Point has been used in lots of different movies and TV shows, and was the backdrop on the cover of the U2 "The Joshua Tree."



After taking a few pictures, we then headed over to a nearby trail that would provide a different perspective on the nearby mountains and badlands...