Swirls of ancient lava rise up above the landscape, giving visitors to Father Crowley Vista Point a taste of Death Valley National Park. Stop at the entrance to see the first glimpses of the amazingly varied rock formations spreading out ahead. Come for some silent meditation, but be aware that your deep trance may be interrupted by the roar of a fighter jet, whose pilots use the red, gray and pink walls of Rainbow Canyon to practice their precision flying. Wave hello as they go by.
Sunrise sets the warm colors of the landscape ablaze. Come at any time of day to look out onto Panamint Valley and Panamint Range. The parking lot has a restroom and space to walk out to the rocky outcrop.
Get a sense of the otherworldly nature of the park itself, which is so strikingly different from anywhere else on Earth. George Lucas picked this place as the fictional planet of Tatooine in Star Wars movies. Pay your respects to the memory of Father Crowley, the “Padre of the Desert,” who preached to miners here in the 1920s and 1930s.
Walk or use a four-wheel drive or other high-clearance vehicle to follow the half-mile road that leads to yet another vantage point offering closer views of the distinctive striations and rock forms stretching up the cliff sides. Strap your hat on tightly because the wind can threaten to blow it away, whipping through the narrow gorges and spreading out over the wide-open plains. Breathe in the fresh desert air, look into the distance to see any planes and then scurry back to the car to get started on the thorough exploration of the park itself.
Find Father Crowley Vista Point just west of Panamint Springs off the park’s main highway, only a 5-minute drive from the western entrance of the park. Stovepipe Wells is 45 minutes away by car, with Furnace Creek another half-hour beyond that. Regular vehicles can access the main parking lot with no difficulties.