Artists Palette

The remarkable colors of Artists Palette are entirely natural, the product of different minerals weathering in the volcanic rock. Iron compounds produce the reds, pinks, and yellows; the greens come from decomposing mica-bearing rock called chlorite; and manganese gives the purple tints.

Together they wash the hillside in a soft, almost pastel array that looks painted on. A short walk up from the pullout brings you closer to the most colorful slopes, though the hues shift with the light and are most saturated when the sun is low.

Artists Palette is the centerpiece of Artists Drive, a nine-mile, one-way scenic road that branches off Badwater Road and winds up through eroded badlands, dips, and narrow canyons before rejoining the main road. The drive itself is a delight, with tight curves and sudden colorful reveals.

Because the road is one-way and has a vehicle length limit, larger RVs cannot make the loop. Late afternoon is the ideal time to drive it, both for the softer light on the colors and for the way the low sun deepens the shadows in the surrounding hills.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Artists Palette is a famous viewpoint in Death Valley National Park, California, where a stretch of desert hills is splashed with pastel greens, pinks, purples, and golds. The colors are entirely natural, produced by volcanic minerals weathering in the rock: iron compounds create the reds, pinks, and yellows, decomposing mica-rich rock produces the greens, and manganese gives the purple tints. The result looks like a painter's palette spread across the mountainside. It is reached by the scenic, one-way Artists Drive off Badwater Road, and the colors are most vivid in the soft light of late afternoon, making it a surprising and much-loved sight in the park.

The colors at Artists Palette come from different minerals in the volcanic rock, oxidizing and weathering over time. The reds, pinks, and yellows are caused by iron oxides, essentially different forms of rust in the rock. The soft greens come from a mineral called chlorite, formed as mica-bearing volcanic rock decomposes. The purple and lavender tints are produced by manganese. Because these minerals occur in patches across the hillside, they create the soft, multicolored, painted appearance that gives the spot its name. The colors are natural and delicate, so visitors are asked to stay on established paths and off the fragile slopes to help preserve the scene for others.

Artists Drive is a nine-mile, one-way scenic road in Death Valley National Park that branches off Badwater Road south of Furnace Creek and leads to the Artists Palette viewpoint. The road winds up through colorful eroded badlands, dips through washes, and threads narrow canyons, making the drive itself a scenic highlight with sudden reveals of color and dramatic desert terrain. Because it is one-way and includes tight curves and a vehicle length limit, larger RVs and vehicles cannot drive it. The best time to make the loop is late afternoon, when the low sun makes the pastel colors of Artists Palette glow and deepens the shadows in the surrounding hills.

The best time to see Artists Palette is in the late afternoon, when the soft, low-angle light makes the pastel greens, pinks, purples, and golds of the hills glow at their most vivid. Harsh midday sun tends to wash out the subtle colors, while the warm light near sunset brings them to life, which is why photographers favor the end of the day. Seasonally, the cooler months from late fall through early spring are the most comfortable for exploring Death Valley, as summers here are dangerously hot. If you visit in the warmer months, drive Artists Drive in the early morning or late afternoon and carry plenty of water, as with anywhere in the valley.