Death Valley National Park guide · 2 min read
Artist's Drive and Artist's Palette
Artists Drive is a nine-mile paved route that runs past eroded hills in many colors in Death Valley.
Traffic moves one way, heading north from the southern end, so the drive suits visitors who want to see the park's colors without doing a lot of walking. Volcanic deposits of varying makeup built these hills, and their hues come from compounds such as iron oxides and chlorite.
Artist's Palette is one of the highlights of the drive. Pink, aqua, and purple slopes there owe their color to metals in the soil that have reacted with oxygen. A paved lot that is small and level sits beside the hills, and an optional gravel walking area, which the park does not maintain, lets visitors get closer. Many people find the walk manageable with some hiking experience. There is no designated accessible parking, and the site has one vault toilet.
Late in the day the light makes the hues look richest, so the afternoon is the best time for photographs. Around 3.4 miles along the route sits a canyon that carries no sign and no name, 0.9 miles short of the Artist's Palette lot. Pull off where the pavement dips, then set out on foot toward the east. Plan on 10 to 30 minutes. Getting in means a modest scramble up the first rise, after which the going is simple.
Dips and sharp bends are the reason vehicles longer than 25 feet are not allowed on the drive. Bicyclists are common here, so keep an eye out for riders and anyone on foot in the lanes.
Fans of the franchise may recognize the scenery around Artist's Palette, since parts of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope were shot here decades ago. Today the park no longer allows most filming of that kind, a rule meant to protect its wilderness.
