father crowley vista point

This was our first stop going into DV. It is worth the stop and really worth it if you get to see the fighter jets go down the valley like we did!We had a smaller rental car and went down the extra first road and it was well worth it.

There are few places that give a really good overview of a portion of Death Valley and this is one of them. The main parking lot is adjacent to the highway and is all paved. The views from this area are great, however, if you continue onto the dirt road from the park, being very careful as it is a rough section, for about 1/2 mile, you'll find another parking area where the views are even better. There are some really cool geological formations across the canyon plus you can look down on the highway below you snaking up and out of Death Valley. This is a great place to stop either when you are just entering the park or leaving it. One way or the other, you'll remember this stop.

Father Crowley Vista Point was our last attraction when exiting Death Valley NP heading west on CA 190 towards the Owens Valley (Mt Whitney, Alabama Hills, Manzanar, Ancient Bristlecone Pines and eventually Mono Lake and the eastern entrance of Yosemite NP) and served as a good place to stop, stretch the legs, use the clean pit toilet and take in the view after driving up and down, through a couple fairly impressive mountain passes; if you are entering Death Valley from the west, it is a good place to stop before the up and down drive ahead. The large parking area at the point provides an excellent view over dark volcanic flows and cinders to the Rainbow Canyon beyond. In the back of the parking area, to the right of the monument to Father Crowley (known as the Desert Padre, he served the remote Owens Valley and promoted the valley as a tourist destination), is a dirt track, about 0.8 mile (1.3k) round trip, that is best hiked unless one has a high clearance 4x4 vehicle, leading to very impressive overlook of the northern portion of the Panamint Valley at the end.

Not too sure of the history behind this gentleman but he obviously was well loved & respected & remembered by the locals. He only lived a short 49 years but left a legacy , got this lovely viewing point named after him in perpetuity ! Coming in to DVNP from Lone Pine this was our first stop after the Ranger Station (Great info, friendly staff & well worth a stop !!!) and it was our welcome to a great day. You are actually looking down on Panamint Valley and from here you wind down lower & lower to the real Valley after Panamint Springs and the adventure begins !!

This area hosts a nice paved parking lot that is a great place to stretch your legs. If you're coming in to Death Valley from the west, this is the first viewpoint you'll reach. If you're departing Death Valley (coming from the east), this is your final chance to look back toward the valley.The view from the parking area is nice enough, but it is not Death Valley down below but the Panamint Valley. Death Valley is beyond the mountains. Don't let that deter you from taking a look.Depending on the heat, I recommend that you look for the dirt road departing from the roadside parking area. If you have a high clearance vehicle, you may drive for about 1/2 mile to the actual Father Crowley Viewpoint which is much nicer than the one by the parking area. I wouldn't take a low clearance vehicle on the dirt road although we observed a Honda Civic slowly making its way along. There are also pit toilets in the parking area, and if you're leaving Death Valley, this is your last chance for a toilet until Lone Pine.My opinion: Worth a quick stop, stretch your legs and weather permitting, walk or drive down the short dirt road to the "real" viewpoint.

This is one of the best places to view the panamint valley, the other would be on the way up to townes pass.

Nice road stop when entering the canyon from mid-state California. Nice view and great place to stretch your legs. The better attractions await deeper inside the park.

On the hundred mile ride from Olancha to Death Valley, this is a good place to stop, take 5 minutes to admire the view, stretch your legs, and snap a couple of pictures.

Wow! Simply stunning views across Rainbow Canyon in Death Valley. The high elevation gives you a panoramic view into Death Valley from the Father Crowley vista point. It is an excellent photo stop, especially as the sun goes down and the canyon comes alive with colour. There is off road parking available.

We visted the bitumen road turnout, carpark and restroom area to read Father Crowley plaque. After starting to drive off i noticed a dirt side road off the carpark (there's only one) and we witnessed the real Father Crowley vista, incredible views amd the best high views we saw in Death Valley. We drove our low clearance Mustang over the rocky road which i would not highly recommend unless you carefully pick your way around rocks. If you are not confident driving then i highly recommend walking down to the end of the road, say 0.6miles, as best views. Enjoy

newly constructed parking lot gives you a great view down into Rainbow Canyon, actually the throat of a volcano - which you 've been driving through. But go out the dirt road to the loop for even better views!!

Happened upon this vista as driving out of Death Valley. Great views, wouldn't necessarily have driven there just for the views but head on up to the summit for breathtaking photo ops.

Una volta entrati nella DV prima iniziate a vedere le strade piene solo di cespugli e di joshua tree, quindi dalla strada piatta arrivate a salire inaspettatamente. E questo bel punto panoramico si trova proprio tra queste simil colline dai colori scuri, che vi ricorderete quando vedrete il bianco accecante del bacino di badwater! Il caldo non pensate sia inferiore perché più in alto, ma per fortuna proprio per la geologia del posto c'è sempre un vento costante, caldo ma almeno vi indica che siete vivi! Insomma vale la pena fermarsi, perché una volta vista tutta la DV vi accorgerete così di quanto è varia e fantastica!

Naar mijn mening een van de mindere punten in het Death Valley park. Veel minder kleuren te zien. Maakte niet zo'n indruk.

La vista dall'alto da questo punto /parcheggio è veramente bella, da non perdere. Da parcheggio parte una strada sterrata di circa 1 km. (molto sconnessa) che porta ad un piccolo parcheggio di cui si gode una vista migliore sulla vallata. Al parcheggio ci sono i bagni.