Pro tip: The view from Badwater Basin at 3 AM is way better than daytime...

I drove out to Death Valley last month thinking I'd get some classic sunrise shots of the salt flats. But I got there way too early, like 2 in the morning, and just sat there. At 3 AM the Milky Way was so bright it lit up the whole valley floor. No tourists, no noise, just the stars reflecting off the salt. I've been telling everyone to go at night instead of fighting the crowds now. Anyone else have a spot that works better after dark?

3 comments

3 Comments

umar491mo ago

Nah man, I gotta respectfully disagree on this one lol. Sunrise at Badwater is incredible precisely because of the crowds and the chaos. The way the light hits the salt crystals when the tourists start trickling in, the weird contrast between total silence and then little kids running around screaming... it's like watching a ghost town come alive. I did the 3 AM thing once and honestly just felt cold and lonely staring at a dark sky, not magical at all. The salt flats look way cooler when they're actually reflecting the sun instead of some distant galaxy.

the_piper1mo ago

Gotta point out Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America, not a salt flat.

felix4141mo ago

...and is it really that deep though lol? It's a salt flat with some stars, not exactly a life-changing experience either way.