Sunset at Dante's View (HDR)
Death Valley stretches almost a mile below you, generously affording you some of the best mountain views, when you are standing on Dante’s View parking lot. Directly below are the salt flats of Badwater, the lowest point on the Northern Hemisphere.
The panoramic vistas from Dante’s View are legendary. Take the short trail to the south for an even better view of the entire Death Valley or walk the trail to the north to the top of Dante’s Peak for a 360-degree view of the landscape.
The cooler weather makes Dante’s view an excellent refuge from the hot valley floor.
How to get there
Starting at the Visitor Center head south on CA-190/CA-178. Keep left at the intersection, following CA-190 toward Zabriskie Point. After about 11.5 miles, turn right on Furnace Creek Wash Road and follow the road to Dante’s View (about 13 miles). The road becomes very curvy toward the end and ascends steeply. Older cars easily overheat during the summer. Always turn off your air condition and keep an eye on your water temperature.
GPS position
How to photograph Death Valley from Dante’s View
Dante's view during the day
Dante’s View is a premier spot for sunrise and sunset photography. Timing is key. Come early to scout a good location with potential foreground elements and to set up and get ready. Arriving 15 minutes too early is not dramatic, but being 15 minutes too late can mean a missed opportunity.
Dante’s View is very remote and very little light pollution reaches here. This makes it a perfect spot for stargazing and star trail photography. Come at least 3 hours before sunrise or 1 hour before the onset of Astronomical Twilight.
During sunrise and sunset, you should also pay attention to the Black Mountains behind you, not just the Panamit Range in front of you. During sunrise, the sky over the Black Mountains will start to get color first; and it may look dramatic during sunset, especially when clouds are present. Make sure you have a good view in both directions from your vantage point.
You probably need multiple exposures or graded ND filters during the sunset or sunrise hours, especially if no clouds are present. The valley below will be very dark, even with the sun already peaking across the mountains. The picture at the top of this article is composed from an extended range of +/- 4 EV by assembling 5 shots into a HDR photograph using .
Walk on the trail to the south and look for a small ledge with an interesting looking brush in the foreground. Use a wide-angle lens to capture the bush and to accentuate the vast distances of Death Valley.
Use a telephoto lens for tighter crops like the abstract of the valley floor shown below.
Jagged Earth of Badwater shot from Dante's View
Best Time of the Day and Best Season
The best light happens during sunset and sunrise.
I prefer winter. Dramatic skies and snow capped mountains and maybe even snow on bushes in the foreground is a recipe for striking images.
Time required
You should expect at least 45 minutes driving time from Zabriskie point. Around sunset, you will see people flying back and forth between the two locations. It is easy to underestimate the distances in Death Valley since the park is so large. Come early and pick the best spot.
If you come for sunset / sunrise photography, you should plan at least 40 minutes before and 30 minutes after the official time. I use a GPS to predict the exact times, but you can also check online the day before. The sun will disappear behind the Panamit Range at about sunset, since you are at a similar altitude.
During the day, you need at least 30 minutes for photography, but I recommend more time.
Equipment
- Lenses of all focal length
- Tripod and cable release (HDR, Sunrise, Sunset, Star Trails)
- Flashlight
- CP Filter
- Split ND Filter
- UV Filter
Fees
Dante’s View is part of Death Valley National Park. National park fees apply.
Difficulty Getting There
You can take excellent pictures right from the parking lot or walk a few hundred yards on any of the trails. Plan plenty of driving time, especially when it is still or already dark. The road is very curvy and tricky at night.
Close Locations in Death Valley
- Zabriskie Point
- Furnace Creek
- Badwater Viewpoint
- Artist’s Drive and Mushroom Rock
- Mesquite Flat Dunes (near Stovepipe Wells)
- Mosaic Canyon
- Wildflowers
- Aguereberry Point (the western equivalent to Dante’s view is far away, but if you like to view the sunset from the opposite mountain range, this is the place to be).
- Death Valley Wildflower Update
Close Locations outside Death Valley
- Amargosa Opera House
- Goldwell Open Air Museum
- Rhyolite Ghost Town
- Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Nevada
Useful Resources
Subscribe to my feed and be the first to learn about the secret places to photograph.
What have I forgotten? Please share your thoughts below!
Tweet This! :: 
E-Mail This!
Do you find this post 
de.licio.us? Tell people that you 
reddit!
5 Comments
A splendid alien landscape! The rays exploding out in that first photo made me inhale sharply. Beautiful.
Once again, awesome! I feel redundant saying basically the same thing all the time but it’s true.
I’ve never been to Death Valley, I guess I should go because it’s starkly beautiful. Something about going from one really hot place to another really hot place has not made it very inviting.
Stunning sunset shot
Love that sunset shot. HDR worked great for you here.
Excellent work Andre, as usual.