The Artist Palette: A Death Valley National Park Must See!

You might not expect to see incredible colors in a place named “Death Valley”, but this is exactly what you’ll get at Artists Palette.  

With incredible shades of green, pink, and tan splashed across their mountains, you’ll understand the name Artists Palette.  And with a scenic drive mixed in, this place is a Death Valley National Park MUST SEE!

Whether you have a couple hours or a full week here, you’ll definitely want to include Artists Palette in your Death Valley bucket list.  Let’s jump right in with all the details you need to know.

Important Links

• Death Valley National Park website
• America the Beautiful Pass
• Artists Palette – AllTrails Link
• Badwater Basin – A Nearby Must See!
• Zabriskie Point – A Nearby Highlight
• Hiking Backpack Checklist Freebie – Always Be Prepared on the Trails
• Hiking Journal – Never Forget the Details of Your Favorite Hikes Again!

Location

Artists Palette is located right in the middle of Death Valley National Park.  This beautiful and colorful section of the park is a must see, but be prepared for quite a bit of driving to reach it.  

Artists Palette is located 2.5 hours from Las Vegas, NV, 5 hours from Los Angeles, CA,  and about 4.5 hours from Bakersfield, CA.  There are a few small towns (like Beatty, NV) just outside the park, but nothing big for several hours.  So don’t expect a Walmart!

National Park Fees

Just like all other federal recreation areas, Death Valley National Park requires an entry fee.  The Standard Fee to enter the park is $30 per vehicle and is good for 7 days.  Or $25 per motorcycle.

However, unlike other National Parks, Death Valley doesn’t have a large entry gate where you must stop and pay.  In other words, the park operates more on the honor system than others.  

To pay, you’ll have to go to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center and pay at the front desk.

Annual Pass Options

If you plan to visit Death Valley National Park two or more times in a year, you can purchase their Death Valley Annual Pass.  This pass is good for 12 months and costs $55.  The pass and your ID gets you and a car-full of guests into the park for free. 

Another option is for those of you who plan to visit more than 3 National Parks within a 12 month period.  It’s a bit of an investment, but you’ll want to purchase the America the Beautiful Pass.  This pass is $80 for US Residents.  With this pass, you and a car-full of guests can enter any federal recreation area for free for 12 months.  I have purchased the America the Beautiful Pass for the last 5 years and have saved a fortune on entry fees!

Again, you can purchase any of these passes at the visitor center.  So, let’s quickly discuss the visitor center.

Visitor Center

The only visitor center in Death Valley National Park is the Furnace Creek Visitor Center.  Here is where you can buy your park pass, regardless if it’s a standard pass, an annual pass or an America the Beautiful Pass.  

The Park Rangers here are extremely helpful with answering any questions you may have.  Whether you have questions about the road conditions for the backcountry, or the hiking trails, they’ve got you.  

The museum and exhibits are great for learning about the park and the unique climate.  And whether or not you need a park pass, I highly recommend stopping in to learn all about the park.  There is also a small gift shop here for all your national park memorabilia.  

Now, let’s jump right into the one-way road to reach Artists Palette!

Artist Drive

Getting to Artists Palette requires a drive down the one-way road known as Artists Drive.  This drive is worth doing even if you don’t have the time to stop for Artists Palette.  

Artists Drive is a 9 miles paved loop that takes about 30 minutes to drive, not including time for stops and photos.  The road leads you past all of the uniquely colorful mountains in the park.  

Just be aware that this road is restricted to vehicles UNDER 25 feet long. There are quite a few tight turns on this road, which is the reason for the limitation.  

But if you are making the drive, I highly suggest that you stop and see Artists Palette.  So let’s get to where you’ll be parking.  

Parking

In short, you’ll be parking here. The parking lot is very small, with only room for about 10 cars.  Although, I’m sure more people will try to squeeze in here by late morning.  

If you can, you’ll want to arrive in the morning or the evening.  By mid-morning the parking lot will be overflowing.

So let’s jump right into what you can expect from the hike.  

Hiking Artists Palette

“Hiking” to Artists Palette might be a bit of an exaggeration, as you’ll be looking at less than a quarter mile walk from the parking lot.  However, here are the trail stats straight from AllTrails.  

Essentially, you’ll park your vehicle, follow the path (down and then up) to as close as you can get to the colorful mountains.  These unique colors can also be viewed right from the parking lot if you can’t, or don’t want to, make the walk.

This trail is simple to follow with an easy up, easy back trail.  Just be careful of the loose gravel on the walk back to the car, or you might end up on your butt.  

The Elements of Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is the hottest, lowest and driest place in the United States.  And while the hike to Artists Palette won’t have you out in the sun for hours and hours, you need to be prepared for these elements.

Going to a hot and dry place means you’ll have to be drinking more water than usual.  My husband and I visited in early March and couldn’t believe how much water we had to drink just to stay mostly-hydrated.  Even in early March the temperatures were well into the 80s and 90s each day.  

This area has no shade or cover.  So you’ll want to be prepared with plenty of sunscreen, hats, sunglasses and any other sun protection that you need.  You might want to invest in a sunshirt to keep the sun off your skin entirely.  

Our Experience

My husband and I visited in early March of 2026 and loved being able to see the colors of Artists Palette.  This area is so unique to Death Valley that we had to drive through this area twice!

The green was a particular stand out color.  And yes, while most people do enhance the green color in their photos, the green is still distinctly noticeable with the naked eye.  This is why visiting Artists Palette is a must do when in Death Valley National Park.

Other Things in the Area

Death Valley is full of incredible locations you must see!  Starting with Badwater Basin, which is the lowest place in the entire United States.  This area is beautiful and certainly worth visiting, no matter the time of year. Just be prepared that this is the hottest area of the park.

There is also Zabriskie Point, which is a great place for sunrise, and Dante’s View.  Both of these viewpoints are must-sees when visiting Death Valley National Park.  They are also both easily accessible with a car and you can see a beautiful view without hiking.  

And if you are there to do some hiking, you’ll love checking out the hike in Golden Canyon, the hike to Mount Perry, or hiking to Telescope Peak or Wildrose Peak.  There are over 100 hiking trails in Death Valley, so do some research about which trails will be best for you!

Conclusion

Death Valley National Park is a beautiful national park filled with unique and diverse rock structures.  One of the must-see locations in the park is Artists Palette.  This incredible mountain filled with unique colors is a must-see in the park and you won’t regret adding this to your list!

As always, feel free to email me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions about this area.

-Happy Hiking!