Dante's View

Dante's View is a mountain overlook in Death Valley National Park positioned at roughly 5,575 feet elevation, looking down onto Badwater Basin. From this vantage point, you can see the white salt flats and the Panamint Range stretching across the valley floor.

A local resident named Charles Brown brought this location to Nevada's governor's attention in 1926, describing it as the most remarkable viewpoint in Death Valley's mountain ranges. The name was chosen later to connect this extreme landscape with poetic themes from Dante's literary works.

The viewpoint takes its name from Dante Alighieri, the Italian poet who wrote about journeys through different realms in his Divine Comedy. This poetic naming invites visitors to reflect on the vast landscape below as a kind of earthly underworld.

Access to the overlook is via a paved road from Highway 190 that leads about 13 miles to a parking area at the summit. Interpretive exhibits at the top help explain the geology and what you are seeing across the valley.

The location was used as a filming site for Star Wars Episode IV, representing the Mos Eisley spaceport when characters first glimpse Tatooine. This connection to science fiction film history surprises many visitors who see the landscape only as a natural wonder.

Location: Inyo County

Elevation above the sea: 1,669 m

GPS coordinates: 36.22066,-116.72675

Latest update: December 7, 2025 10:00