Photographing Death Valley Nation Park

We have rented an RV in June and going to drive from George to Santa Barbara.  Along the way we are going to be stopping at various attractions, the one that I find interesting and not sure about is Death Valley.  It's so darn big, where are the best spots to photograph if you are limited time? 

Hmmm...June...Death Valley.... yeah... is there a reason you really want to do this?

Death Valley is pretty much in-hospitable most of the year, but June and July are really going to be awful...hot
If you're interested in natural beauty in front of your lens, perhaps you might want to consider a more human friendly environment.

Las Vegas is obviously going to be on the way if you're heading to DV. If you are looking for natural wonders between Georgia and Santa Barbara, I would recommend a stop at the Grand Canyon followed by a stop in Vegas where you can hit....

1. Nelson, a ghost town that was once a gold mining hot spot (about 28 minutes from boulder city where you would cross into NV from AZ). This is a photographers dream where they simply ask for a 20.00 donation and you can shoot old cars, mining shacks and cool barns all in the space of a couple of acres. Check them out online.

2. Red Rocks - Just outside of Vegas, you can hit one of the greatest rock climbing and hiking centers in the world. Still gonna be hot in June, but you can see the strip from here....

3. Valley of Fire - About 40 min outside of Vegas (not far really) is the Valley of Fire with amazing rock formations, petroglyphs and great hiking. Much more fun than Death Valley in my book.

You could hit all three of these places if you wanted to rush in one day...hit Nelson on your way into town from Grand Canyon, and then choose either Red Rocks or VoF for the next day before heading on your journey...and you'll still be able to take in the night life of Vegas and shake off some of the road dust.

Death Valley... in June... Yeah, not so much...

 
Yeah that part of the desert is well hell at that time of the year. I do not even go towards Vegas during the summer. Now you could stop at Joshua Tree NP which is still hotter than hell, and not that much of a diversion from the beaten path. Also it is a great place to go with a lot of things to shoot. Death Valley is a winter type of place to go. Depends on what route you are taking, and your itinerary, so JD if you could please let us know what your general plans are. As far as northern Arizona if you are going the I-40 route, I can help you see a lot on the way to SB.

During day light it will be horribly hot there.  If you must visit, super early is going to be your best bet.  It's been years since I have been there, and when I was here, it was just quick.    I'm not much help on this. 

When I was there the thermometer at the visitor center in the shade was 122 degrees. It was hot, but I have felt hotter many times in Georgia and Florida. It was strange to be that hot and not have sweat running down my face. 

I've been to Death Valley in summer, and it won't happen again. I spent many a summer vacation on Lake Havasu and the Colorado river when I was younger, but its different when you need heat relief. Even nights can be sweltering.....no thanks!

You all have me thinking about this now.  At first it was to get an idea of Death Valley, more from a recon standpoint.  There was a photo workshop I was going to attend there last month and I was on the fence about it.  Honestly I knew I was going to be making this road trip this summer and figured I would check it out and if I liked it, I would attend the work shop later this year or 2015.  I've seen some great photos from Death Valley and it looked fun, I guess I underestimated the heat there in the summer months.  Thanks for the honesty and help. 

It's called Death Valley for a reason 

Number 7 wrote: It's called Death Valley for a reason 

LOL I get it, it's warm.