Welcome to the State of California's Deserts Region
Death Valley
In Early March is wildflower season in Death Valley Death Valley Death Valley
Eureka Dunes sunrise
Eureka Mine
Racetrack, good for sunrise, best sunset camp at the Lippincott mine about 27 miles away on dirt road ( a 4x4 or high clearance vehicle is a good idea) Rocks are at the south end go to the second stopping point.
Ubehebe Crater
Stovepipe Wells dunes (Mesquite Flat Dunes) are best at sunrise also nearby hotel
Furnace Creek has hotel
Amargosa Opera House nice show and hotel
Badwater
20 miles south of Furnace Creek. Get there at sunrise and early morning. It is 280 feet below sea level. Get down low an take a reflective shot of the water and surrounding valley
Devil's Golf course and salt ponds
Take Badwater Road 12 miles south of Furnace Creek, follow the graded dirt road. The farther you get from the parking lot the better the salt crystals are. You will need to get down on your knees to shoot them, bring something to kneel on. Be careful not to cut your self on the salt crystals. You will want to be there in the afternoon.
Zabriskie Point
Five miles southeast of Furnace
Creek on Route 190.
Best Time: Sunrise Next to the sand
dunes, Zabriskie Point is the place
to go for sunrise. Arrive early to
get your location there will be
other photographers. The best
location is at the parking area. also hike
the trail that runs south down the
ridgeline for unobstructed view of
the Mohave River
Dante's View
26 miles southeast of Furnace Creek (22 miles beyond Zabriskie Point). Take Route 190 southeast to the Dante View turnoff and continue for another five miles. Best Time: Early morning is best. Sunset if there are some clouds (rare). From the vantage point of 5,475 feet you can see most of Death Valley. Below you can see Badwater, a pool of water set in barren salt flats. Across the valley are the Panamint Mountains and, on a clear day, you can see to the snow-capped Sierra Nevada.
Golden Canyon
Take Badwater Road Three miles south of Furnace Creek. Turn off to the parking lot. Hike the main canyon ¾ of a mile then go left to the Red Cathedral. Best time to shoot is afternoon to sunset. The canyon glows a golden just before sunset. Follow the main canyon 0.75-miles to the end and then go left to the Red Cathedral
Artist's Drive is an 8 mile loop narrow road. Best place to stop is Artist's Palette and the trails in the Golden Canyon area are usually best in late afternoon to sunset
Mushroom Rock
Take Badwater road seven miles south of Furnace Creek to the end of Artist Palette Drive. Good for something to do during the day. You can shoot the rock with many different angles of light hitting the rock.
Ryolite,
Scotty's Castle
Charcoal Kilns
Pinnacles National Natural Landmark
Titus Canyon
Keen Wonder Mine hike
Blue Bell Mine hike town still there untouched
Salt Creek Nature Trail (pupfish)
Aguereberry Point
Rhyolite Ghost town
Harmony Borax Works
Natural Bridge
15 miles south of Furnace Creek follow the two-mile dirt road east to a parking lot. Hike the 1/4 mile trail to the rock formation.
Darwin Falls
Cahuilla Lake has great mountain reflections around sunset on a calm day
Joshua Tree National Park, Lots of fantastic rock, Joshua trees and Cholla cacti. Cottonwood Canyon
Lee Flat area and Hidden Valley. Sunrise at the rocky areas in the north and northwest part of the park. Arch Rock which is located in back of the White Tank Campground best afternoon, Key View good for sunsets
Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge
Dos Palmas from the Salton Sea headquarters take Parkside road at the "T"go right, then left at the sign indicating Dos Palmas. Short trail to dense palms along the San Andreas fault. Mud Pots southeastern side of the Salton Sea. At the town of Niland. Take Davis Road. From the Mud Pots go right on Schrimpf Road then left on Garst Road. There is trees sticking out of the water where birds nest. Also from the town of Niland, take Beal Road to Salvation Mountain. Salvation Mountain is a dirt pile that an old man named Lenoard has painted bright colors with bible quotes all over. Next to Salvation Mountain is Slab City which is an old military base that is inhabited with snow birds in the winter months. Also check out Bombay Beach, North Shore, and Salton City.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Classic desert photo's of cactus, big horn sheep, mountain lions. Also can be good in wildflower season.
Mojave National Preserve
Kelso sand dunes - Kelso Train Station, Joshua tree forest and lava flows
Trona the Pinnacles are best photographed at sunrise or sunset. To get there from the intersection of SR 178 and the Trona-Red Mountain Road go 7.7 mile east on SR178 to a dirt road (RM143) that leaves SR 178
29 Palms has some interesting murals on the sides of businesses in town. That might make for some interesting photography as well.
Cholla Garden.
Santa Rosa Mountains. Take the Palms to Pines highway for landscapes, backlit chollas. This area is good wildflower season
Indian Canyons. Murray Canyon, Palm Canyon and Andreas Canyon. Murry Canyon just down South Palm Canyon Blvd., in Palm Springs. Nice stream with 7 foot waterfalls, hundreds of palm trees nice hike of about 2 miles.
Taquitz Falls west of Palm Springs
Palm Spring Aerial Tramway. great views and dinner
Windmills. Just north of Palm Springs. There are thousands of windmills also south near Whitewater and toward Rainbow Hills.
Living Desert. A sort of an outdoor natural zoo for desert animals. Mountain lions, bobcats, lots of different antelope, raptors (see the daily shows), walk through bird enclosures, etc. in Palm Desert.
Ladder Canyon in the Mecca Hills near Mecca nice slot canyon. To get there from Box Canyon Road, turn left towards Mecca Hills on graded dirt road which will veer right in to the hills. When the road stops the entrance will be on your right. Ladder Canyon and the entrance to Painted Canyon are ¼ miles apart. Hike up one canyon and then down the other.
Imperial Sand Dunes North is the nature preserve and south is an OHV area. Stay in Brawly go west on 78 to dunes.
Arch Rock that's located at the back of White Tank Campground best afternoon 15 miles south Furnace Creek follow two-mile dirt road east to a parking lot. Hike 1/4 mile trail rock formation.
Cibola River National Wildlife Refuge Blythe
Havasu River National Wildlife Refuge Needles
Santa Rosa Wilderness and Horse Thief Creek Canyon nice hike
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve
Wild flower report links
Calico Ghost Town
Wild Flower Idea's
Ironage Road and Hwy 62, East of 29 Palms off of Gold Crown Rd. Take this dirt road south from Hwy 62 for about three miles to the north slopes of Humbug Mtn, Old Dale Rd. about one mile north of Pinto Basin Rd inside Joshua Tree NP.
The best locations to take photo's are in our database. If you know of any Photography Locations you have visited or pictures that you would like to share SUBMIT them. Thank You for your help in making our Photo Locations Guide database grow.