How Far Is Death Valley From Los Angeles? Plus Palm Springs and Las Vegas
Death Valley is about 266 miles and 4 hours 45 minutes from downtown Los Angeles to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, via CA-14 and the Panamint Valley into the park's west side. Palm Springs is a similar drive at about 283 miles and roughly 5 hours, since both routes funnel through the same stretch of desert highway. Las Vegas is by far the shortest approach, about 123 miles and 2 hours 15 minutes. Our Death Valley winter hiking itinerary covers what to do once you arrive.
Los Angeles to Death Valley
From downtown Los Angeles, Furnace Creek is about 266 miles, roughly 4 hours 45 minutes without stops. The route runs north on CA-14 through the Antelope Valley, then east through Ridgecrest and Trona before climbing into the park through Panamint Valley and Death Valley Scenic Byway (CA-190), which is the park's confirmed west-side entrance. It is too far for a comfortable day trip and back; plan on at least one night, either in the park at Furnace Creek or Stovepipe Wells, or in Ridgecrest or Lone Pine on the way in.
Palm Springs to Death Valley
From Palm Springs, Death Valley is about 283 miles, about 5 hours. It is not a shortcut over the Los Angeles route despite starting further east, because the practical road network sends both routes through the same corridor: north on I-10 and I-15 toward Barstow, then the same Trona and Panamint Valley road into the park. Build in a fuel stop around Barstow or Trona, since gas inside the park at Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells costs noticeably more than it does outside.
Las Vegas to Death Valley
Las Vegas is the closest major city to the park by a wide margin: about 123 miles and 2 hours 15 minutes to Furnace Creek, via Pahrump on NV-160 and then CA-190 through Death Valley Junction. This is the route most visitors use for a Death Valley day trip, and it is short enough that it works as one even without staying overnight.
| From | Distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | About 266 miles | About 4 hours 45 minutes |
| Palm Springs | About 283 miles | About 5 hours |
| Las Vegas | About 123 miles | About 2 hours 15 minutes |
Which Way In: East or West Side
Coming from Los Angeles or Palm Springs, you enter Death Valley from the west, through Panamint Valley on CA-190. Coming from Las Vegas, you enter from the east, through Death Valley Junction, also on CA-190. Both are paved and maintained, but the park itself warns against relying on GPS for the final stretch into remote sections, since navigation apps have routed drivers onto closed or impassable backcountry roads. Stick to CA-190 and the highways named above.
Timing the Drive
Whichever city you start from, avoid arriving at Furnace Creek in full midday sun during the warmer months. Leaving Los Angeles or Palm Springs before sunrise puts you into the park by early afternoon at the latest, which still leaves most of a summer afternoon at its hottest. A better plan for a longer trip is to leave in the late morning, stop for lunch in Ridgecrest, Trona or Pahrump, and arrive at Furnace Creek in the early evening when the light is better for Zabriskie Point or Dantes View anyway. Traffic out of Los Angeles on CA-14 through the Antelope Valley is worth checking before you leave, since it is the one stretch of this drive that regularly runs slower than the open desert highway that follows.
Before You Go: Fuel, Heat and Current Closures
Fill the tank before you leave Ridgecrest, Trona, Barstow or Pahrump, since fuel inside the park is limited to Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells and priced accordingly. From May through September, the drive itself is part of the heat plan: cars overheat and tires fail more often on hot pavement, so check your tire pressure before a summer trip and carry extra water in the car, not just for hiking. As of September 2026, Scotty's Castle remains closed for flood recovery with no confirmed reopening date, and Titus Canyon Road, though open now, is scheduled to close again from October 1, 2026 through September 2027 for repairs, so it is not a reliable detour to plan around this year.
Have Us Plan the Drive
Tell us where you are starting from and how many days you have, and we will time the drive around sunrise at Zabriskie Point or sunset at Dantes View. Planning is free, and we earn only if you book through us.
Keep planning with Death Valley National Park Day Trip and The Best Time to Visit Death Valley.
How Far Is Death Valley From Los Angeles? Plus Palm Springs and Las Vegas FAQs
About 266 miles to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, roughly 4 hours 45 minutes without stops, via CA-14 and Panamint Valley into the park's west side on CA-190.
About 283 miles, about 5 hours. The practical route from Palm Springs funnels through the same Barstow, Trona and Panamint Valley corridor as the Los Angeles route rather than offering a shortcut.
Not comfortably. At about 4 hours 45 minutes each way, a same-day round trip from LA means about 9.5 hours of driving alone. Plan at least one overnight, in the park or in Ridgecrest or Lone Pine on the way.
Las Vegas, by a wide margin. It is about 123 miles and 2 hours 15 minutes to Furnace Creek from Las Vegas, versus about 266 miles and 4 hours 45 minutes from Los Angeles.
The west side, through Panamint Valley on CA-190, the Death Valley Scenic Byway. Coming from Las Vegas, you enter from the east through Death Valley Junction, also on CA-190.
Yes. The worked day-by-day plan is Death Valley Winter Hiking: A 3-Day Itinerary (3 Days), with the permits, the stays and the drive times already sorted. Tell us your dates and we will put it together for you and confirm what is genuinely open on those days. Asking is free: no card, no deposit, and nothing is held until you say yes.
