Death Valley is desert and mountain laid bare and dissected. This is serious wilderness, 3.4 million acres' worth (the largest patch in the lower 48), and the geography is ferociously rough: from the shimmering, superheated salt pan to the gashed and broken mountain ranges that surround it. Even the name sounds harsh. But trips here don't have to be. If you play it smart and plan your visit right-keeping in mind distances and the inherent challenge of the landscape—you will come away with a lasting taste of America at its most extreme.

GAME PLAN: Without the aid of camels (frowned upon by the authorities), backcountry epics are logistically daunting in sere Death Valley. And even if they weren't, the landscape is so varied you'd want to take day trips to experience it all. First spend a morning driving between the park's most famous sights: Zabriskie Point for sunrise over the folded yellow badlands below; Dante's View for an eagle-eye peek at the valley floor; and Badwater for the lowest spot in North America (282 feet below sea level). After lunch, head north to Fall Canyon in the Grapevine Mountains. From the Titus Canyon parking lot, take the Fall Canyon Trail three miles up a wash surrounded by metamorphosed marble and dolomite to a dry waterfall, then another three miles, if you dare, through a narrow slot. The following day, hike into Ubehebe Crater, once a steam-spewing volcano (2,000 years ago) that has collapsed into a 770-foot-deep cinder-strewn pit. Then stop by the sand dunes east of Stovepipe Wells to watch the stars emerge before heading back to base camp. On the third and final day, make the seven-mile climb to Telescope Peak (11,049 feet) in the high Panamints on the mountain's namesake trail. From the rocky summit you can take in North America's most extreme view—it stretches nearly 15,000 vertical feet from the depths of Badwater to the top of the highest peak in the contiguous United States, 14,496-foot Mount Whitney.

ULTIMATE BASE CAMP: The Furnace Creek Inn near "downtown" Death Valley, is an oasis of waving palm trees, stone archways, and red-tile-roofed Spanish architecture. The inn's huge, spring-fed pool is constantly refreshed and so chemical free that its outflow nourishes a golf course down below (open mid-October through mid-May; $305; furnacecreekresort.com).

VITALS: Fall through spring is the best time to visit, though the park is open year-round. Seven-day entry pass, $20. Campsites, up to $18 (nps.gov/deva).

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