4 Day Itinerary- Suggestions welcomed (and appreciated!).

Question

I have roughly planned out a four-day itinerary for my Death Valley National Park trip (with my daughter) in early April…I will have my own high-clearance 4WD, and we enjoy moderate hikes. For folks with experience, can you please let me know if this works (or if you would suggest changing a few things). Thanks!!

Day 1: Badwater Basin & Dante’s View

Morning:

• Zabriskie Point (Sunrise): Iconic viewpoint with golden badlands. Short, easy walk.

• Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral (4 miles RT, moderate): Hike through narrow, colorful canyons.

Afternoon:

• Badwater Basin: Walk out onto the vast salt flats, the lowest point in North America (-282 ft).

• Natural Bridge (1-mile RT, easy): Short hike to a massive rock bridge.

• Devil’s Golf Course: Rugged salt formations—best viewed up close.

Evening:

• Dante’s View (Sunset): Stunning panoramic overlook at 5,475 ft.

Day 2: Remote 4WD Adventure & Ubehebe Crater

Morning:

• Titus Canyon via 4WD (27 miles, moderate difficulty): Dramatic drive through a stunning slot canyon with petroglyphs and ghost town remnants (Leadfield).

• Racetrack Playa via 4WD (26 miles one way, high clearance required): See the famous “sailing stones” on the remote playa.

Afternoon:

• Ubehebe Crater: Short hike along the rim or down into the crater (steep, 1.5 miles RT).

• Little Hebe Crater: Add-on hike for a more secluded crater experience.

Evening:

• Return to Stovepipe Wells or Furnace Creek for dinner.

• Stargazing near Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.

Day 3: High-Elevation & Strenuous Hike

Morning:

• Wildrose Peak (8.4 miles RT, strenuous): Incredible views from a 9,064-ft summit. Begins at Charcoal Kilns (worth visiting).

Afternoon:

• Eureka Dunes (if time allows, 4WD required): Tallest sand dunes in California, incredibly remote.

Evening:

• Relax at Furnace Creek or Stovepipe Wells.

Day 4: Slot Canyons & Unique Rock Formations

Morning:

• Mosaic Canyon (4 miles RT, moderate): Beautiful narrows with polished marble-like walls.

• Desolation Canyon (5 miles RT, moderate): Less crowded with colorful badlands.

Afternoon:

• Artist’s Drive & Artist’s Palette: Short scenic drive with vibrant mineral-streaked hills.

• Return via Badwater Road, stopping for any missed sights.

Evening:

• Final sunset at Zabriskie Point or Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.

Answer

Your 4-day Death Valley itinerary is very strong—well balanced, incredibly scenic, and it shows you’ve done great research. With a high-clearance 4WD, early April timing, and interest in moderate hikes, you’re positioned for an excellent trip. Below is a detailed review of each day with suggested improvements, timing tips, potential overload areas, and alternate options that might make your trip smoother or safer.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

This plan is ambitious but doable if you keep an eye on pacing, hydration, and weather. The biggest concern is Day 2 (Titus Canyon + The Racetrack + Ubehebe Crater), which is a massive day even with a 4WD. Everything else is reasonable. Some days have long drives stacked with long hikes, so I’ll offer strategies to reduce fatigue without sacrificing highlights.

DAY 1 — BADWATER BASIN AND DANTE’S VIEW

This day is well-structured and the order makes sense—start cool in the morning for the hike, mid-day for salt flats, and high elevation in the evening.

Zabriskie Point at sunrise is perfect. Crowds are light and the golden glow is iconic.
Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral is moderate and enjoyable. The temperature in early April should be reasonable if you start early.
Badwater Basin + Natural Bridge + Devil’s Golf Course all fit nicely into one afternoon. Each is close together, making this efficient.
Dante’s View at sunset is excellent—cooler, panoramic, and easy to reach with your 4WD.

Recommended tweaks:

Devil’s Golf Course is worth a 10–15 minute stop only—don’t carve out extra time.
If you’re feeling tired after Golden Canyon, skip Natural Bridge; it’s skippable compared to others.

DAY 2 — TITUS CANYON + RACETRACK + UBEHEBE

This is the only day that is too ambitious as written. Titus Canyon is 27 miles one-way, slow going, and absolutely worth doing. The Racetrack, however, is a notoriously slow washboard road, easily 2–3 hours each way even with a good 4WD. Combining both in one day plus Ubehebe is extremely long—often 10–12 hours of driving + activities.

The biggest issue: Titus Canyon is northeast of Furnace Creek; Racetrack is far northwest beyond Ubehebe. You will backtrack long distances.

Suggestions to improve Day 2:

Option A (Recommended): Choose either Titus Canyon OR The Racetrack, not both in one day.
Option B: Do Titus in the morning, Ubehebe mid-day, skip Racetrack entirely.
Option C: Dedicate a full day only to The Racetrack if it's a top priority for you.

If you keep Racetrack:

Leave very early (sunrise).
Bring extra water + a full spare tire.
Prepare for bumpiness—this road is legendary.
Ubehebe Crater is fine as a final short stop.

If you do Titus Canyon + Ubehebe instead:

This becomes an excellent, balanced day.
You can add Mesquite Dunes at sunset.

DAY 3 — WILDROSE PEAK + EUREKA DUNES

Wildrose Peak is one of the best higher-elevation options in the park. The climb is steady but not technical and very beautiful. Starting early is essential because afternoons in the Panamint area can warm up quickly even in April.

But: Adding Eureka Dunes after Wildrose Peak is a very long drive (2+ hours). The dunes are spectacular and remote, but realistically this becomes a long day after a strenuous hike.

Recommended improvements:

Option A: If you’re tired after Wildrose, skip Eureka Dunes.
Option B: Swap in a closer activity: Aguereberry Point, Charcoal Kilns exploring, or Panamint Dunes (also remote but closer).
Option C: Move Eureka Dunes to Day 2 if you skip Racetrack, since they are in the same direction.

The Charcoal Kilns are a must-see and included in your Wildrose Peak day—great choice.

DAY 4 — MOSAIC CANYON + DESOLATION CANYON + ARTIST’S DRIVE

This is a beautifully structured day, full of variety and minimal driving.

Mosaic Canyon is a top-tier moderate hike (great narrows early on).
Desolation Canyon is colorful and quieter—excellent pairing.
Artist’s Drive + Artist’s Palette are perfect for a late afternoon visit.
Finishing with sunset at Zabriskie or Mesquite Dunes is ideal.

Minor recommendation:

Do Mosaic Canyon first because it's more popular; parking is limited during peak hours.

SUMMARY OF KEY ADJUSTMENTS

You have an excellent plan overall; only Day 2 is too ambitious.
Pick Titus Canyon OR Racetrack—both together are a 12-hour day.
Eureka Dunes after Wildrose Peak is possible but long—optional.
Everything else is a well-balanced, scenic, and fun itinerary.

IF YOU WANT AN OPTIMIZED & SAFER VERSION:

Day 1: Zabriskie → Golden Canyon → Badwater → Natural Bridge → Devil’s Golf Course → Dante’s View.
Day 2: Titus Canyon → Ubehebe Crater → Mesquite Dunes sunset.
Day 3: Wildrose Peak → Charcoal Kilns → Aguereberry Point.
Day 4: Mosaic Canyon → Desolation Canyon → Artist’s Drive → sunset.

This keeps all major highlights, avoids long risky drives, and maximizes your enjoyment with your daughter.