Death Valley National Park, USA's desert wonder

It’s aridly dry on first glance, but once you start exploring Death Valley National Park’s little gems you will find so much scenic contrast. Yellow-red canyons cut into the earth offer you a chance to hike for a few hours to higher terrain to enjoy splendid views of the dry valley floor below. Follow the tar road from Furnace Creek to Badwater and stroll out into the desert to find yourself 282 ft below sea level. Here rocks ‘sail’ slowly over the harsh terrain with winds sweeping over the salty crust of earth. To the north and central part of the park you will find soft red dunes before mountainous terrain hugging the western side of the park. If you ever wondered what it feels like being on the moon – this is it! In fact, NASA use this terrain as a testing ground for some of their space equipment such as the upcoming Mars lander planned for 2021. Check with the visitor centre on arrival to find out what talk is on for the night, you won’t be disappointed to attend one of these informative talk evenings. Spend a night here looking up to the sky with bright stars and galaxies above. Accommodation varies from camping to hotel, though pre-booking well in advance is essential as space is limited.