The Mosaic Canyons is a popular Death Valley hike through narrow canyons. There is some scrambling involved which makes for a fun hike. The ranger said we might be able to see some bighorn sheep, but we didn't see any. Regardless, this is a fun hike that you could seemingly explore for much longer than the advertised 2 miles one day. "Let's just see what's around the next corner."

The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes is another "must-see" in Death Valley. The highest dune sits at about 100 feet, and the entire area covers an area wide enough to explore for a few hours. My only other encounter with sand dunes was in Inner Mongolia, so I was really excited to go back. There's something uniquely enchanting about hiking barefoot at the end of a hot day.  When we stopped at the Visitor Center, the Park Ranger mentioned that they always try to encourage visitors to do the moonrise hike up the sand dunes, but very few actually do it. (No idea why!!)

The Badwater Salt Flats are a must see for anyone making the trip out to Death Valley. It's a short, easy walk that is suitable for not so active and hyper adventurers alike. The salt flats cover around 200 square miles and are one of the largest protected salt flats in the world. It is also the lowest point in the western hemisphere with an elevation of 282 ft below sea level.