jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Zabriskie Point you just park the car and you're there. Same for Racetrack and Ubehebe Crater. But the Sand Dunes may require some walking of you want to get some great photos. I've never been to Mesquite Flat. I'd say that the sand dunes would be about the only one that I know of that might require some effort to see.

gsmith051 Loc: Fairfield Glade, TN

Thank you very much jeep_daddy. Sounds great! George

SnapitSteve

Badwater has many ponds that are a great photo opportunity. Be careful walking on the salt mounds as they are very sharp and would cause injuries if you fall. Probably need to go closer to Salt Creek for any water in November.

The setup


The result

gsmith051 Loc: Fairfield Glade, TN

The result is absolutely great. Looks like a beautiful place to be photographing. Thanks for showing the photos. Looks like a Cir-pl filter would be useful. George

SnapitSteve

Yes. This was with a Lee Polarizer Filter.

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

I was there a year ago for the superbloom. We spent 4 days. Many places, the only way to get the best locations is a long walk. Trekking poles help us old guys. I'm nuts about Death Valley. BTW, I doubt that Scotty's Castle will be open by then. They said it would be a year and a half, at least. The flood damage was severe.

Don't know where you are staying. Our experience with the accommodations and food at Stovepipe Wells was very, very poor, expensive and poor with little concern for customers. The exact opposite at Furnace Creek. So if you have the option Furnace Creek is much better.

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

When you are in the Badwater area try to take a run out out West Side Rd. It skirts the west (back) side of the salt pan. You can often get better shots of the salt configurations there as it is less frequented, and therefore less trampled on, than the area near the visitors stop on the main road. You want to be there earlier than you would be at the main stop as you are on the west side of the pan and will get the rising sun earlier. Once the sun is up and shining on the pan colors and contrasts wash out almost immediately.

gsmith051 Loc: Fairfield Glade, TN

Thanks for the information. Our group will be staying at Furnace Creek Inn which looks pretty nice. In fact it looks so nice my wife "suggested" she might want to hang out by the pool for four days while the rest of us have to "work." Well have fun too! Appreciate your comment Reinaldo. George

gsmith051 Loc: Fairfield Glade, TN

Thank you Jim. Appreciate all the information you provided. It sure will help being prepared before hand. George

PWA1994DV

Just returned from DV trip. Second this year. You should be aware that Scotty's Castle is closed and will not open until 2019. all the places you want to go will be fairly easy but as some one said the sand dunes are a slog. Zabriskie Point is a steep walk but there are lots of reasons to stop and take in the vista. Also it is not very long.Sunrise is the best there.

SnapitSteve

Also, when I was at Furnace Creek last month the Rangers told me that the Furnace Creek hotel bungalows and the entire retail complex will be bulldozed in April 2017 to be rebuilt. You should check accommodations since there will be much fewer rooms and services in DV.

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

I was also there during the superbloom last year and spent a lot of time looking for the areas with the heaviest blooms. The best I could find then was about 25 miles south (from Furnace Creek) on the Badwater Road. No hiking required - great shots of expansive "fields" could be made on the shoulder of the road. However, the best areas for wildflowers varies from superbloom to supebloom, and they do not occur very often - as best I recall the last one before last year was about 10 years previously. It is amazing to see those usually totally bare alluvial plains coming down from the hills covered by yellow blooms.

As a side note, the quality of the restaurants, Stovepipe vs Furnace Creek, varies greatly from year to year, apparently due to personnel turnover. I'd say it's about 50/50 as to which is best, perhaps Stovepipe having a slight edge. This opinion is based on 35 years experience in DV.

I know this is off-topic from the OPs original query and I apologize. I hope he doesn't mind but every thread on DV seems to get a lot of attention from a lot of folks with a lot of questions. And for good reason, IMHO!!

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

Hopefully your group is OK with getting up early in the morning. Sunrise in DVNP is magical. It is definitely the best time to photograph Zabriskie Point. If you are up to a two hour hike with some steep climbing at the end Golden Canyon starting at the west end will take you to the back side of Zabriskie Point. The Sand Dunes also require an early start. They are especially good when there has been a lot of wind over night and you get there in the early morning (like before dawn). Otherwise they are covered with foot prints.

Sunrise on Zabriskie Point

(Download)

The Salt Flats at Badwater

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The Backside (West side) of Zabriskie Point

(Download)

PWA1994DV

Yes I agree. Lovely place and I am 77 and have made the hike in the last year.

Joecosentino Loc: Whitesboro, New York

I just finished leading our Death Valley workshop on 2/12 Z point is easy short walk on a paved path. The dunes can be tougher, if you park about 1 mile past the main parking area and walk in most of your walking will be on hard packed ground with some rocks, Otherwise to get to the higher dunes from the main parking area you are walking up and down over the smaller dunes either way its about a mile walk to the higher dunes, you don't need to be on the highest one to get great photos there. The crater I have never hiked into, its 700 feet deep, we stop there for a strech break before heading to the racetrack. from the parking area its an impressive sight.

The racetrack - well we went back there with jeeps and the plya was so wet we couldn't get out to where the good rocks are, they are about a mile in from the parking area but if its dry its flat walking. there has been some vandalism there. people drove cars out leaving tracks all over the place and they spray painted some of the rocks.

Badwater is easy walking and another place to consider is the charcoal kilns, there may be snow there in december, they opened up 2 days before our workshop started, they are at about 9000 feet.

So If you are in fairly good shape I would say the dunes will be the hardest to do, if you have 2 cameras get a double harness and have a wide angle and something like a 24 to 120mm on the other, then just bring your tripod. I shoot from a vest most of the time and very rarely carry a pack to a shooting location.

check out big pocket vest, they are birding vest with like 14 pockets, I can carry an f4 70 to 200 in one front pocket and a 24 to 120 in the other. with my 3rd lens on a camera. plenty of room for batteries and memory cards. as well as filters. I also carry a Sat phone in the vest because cell coverage there is very spotty. although it has been getting better. But if one of my clients needs help want to be able to reach out for the help.

Have fun and enjoy the trip, I am thinking about putting a second trip up for late October or erly November, its in the works right now. Maybe we will see each other.
Joe