Saturday: Rosy View

While Wildrose Peak isn't as high as Telescope, the unobstructed view it offers is arguably the best in Death Valley. Bring snacks, warm layers, a beanie, and allow plenty of drive time (1 hour and 15 minutes from Furnace Creek) to get to the trailhead. The drive, winding up and around the enormous Panamint Mountain Range, is half of the fun. Then it's off on a 4.2-mile (one-way) peak-bagging adventure into and through a pinyon pine and juniper forest. Within 2 miles you'll reach a grand eastward view of Death Valley and the Amargosa Range. If you're content with a relatively short, satisfying hike, turn around and head back here. For a more challenging trek, continue up and along the snow-speckled trail. The last mile to the top is a butt-kicker as the trail climbs in a series of switchbacks along the southeast ridge. At 9,065 feet, you'll"feel the altitude"—but the reward is worth the sweat: a view of multiple mountain ranges, with the snow-capped Sierras cutting a jagged sawtooth skyline. Below, the Death Valley desert rambles for 90 miles. Sign the logbook and snap some brag-shots. Big mission accomplished.

SHOW DUNES: On your way back, pop into the General Store in Stovepipe Wells and pick up some snacks to enjoy at one of the world's premier picnic spots—the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes—just 2 miles east of Stovepipe Wells. Park on the side of Highway 190 and start walking north. The tallest dune is about a mile away, with plenty of others rolling in the foreground. Pick a dune, climb its spine, and enjoy a picnic while waiting for the show: a sunset that colors the mountains in changing shades of rose and violet. The dunes are like a giant sandbox, perfect for handstands and logrolls (always a crowd pleaser). Don't leave too soon: This is a choice spot for stargazing or watching your moonshadow.

The Wildrose Peak trailhead is at the Charcoal Kilns parking area on Wildrose Canyon Rd. The trail starts next to the first kiln. You'll need good hiking shoes for patches of mud and snow. Allow 4–6 hours to hike it.