Dante's View: Breathtaking Panoramic Overlook in Death Valley National Park

Dante’s View sits at 5,475 feet atop the Black Mountains, delivering stunning panoramic vistas across the southern Death Valley basin. On clear days, spot both the highest (Mount Whitney) and lowest (Badwater Basin) points in the contiguous U.S. simultaneously. As the park’s highest elevation, it offers a brief respite from the valley’s extreme heat.

If it looks familiar, that’s because it served as an establishing shot for Mos Eisley in Star Wars: A New Hope. The name dates back to Pacific Coast Borax Company visitors, who likened the dramatic landscape to Dante’s nine circles of hell in The Divine Comedy.

The parking lot vista is impressive, but for unobstructed views and fresh angles, hike partway along Dante’s Ridge to Mount Perry’s summit. This strenuous 8-mile round trip features boulder scrambles and no shade—tackle it before 10 a.m. in summer.