One of Death Valley’s hidden gems is the Artists Palette painted hills. It is truly a majestic site to behold. You cannot visit Death Valley without making a stop here. So make sure you add it to your itinerary when you visit the Death Valley National Park. If you’re looking for other sites to visit in the area, definitely visit my Blog Post about why you should add Death Valley to your Bucket List.
About the Artists Palette Painted Hills
Artist’s Palette is a small area on the west facing side of the Black Mountains noted for a variety of rock colors. These colors are caused by the oxidation of different metals found in the rock formations. Iron compounds produce red, pink and yellow And the decomposition of tuff-derived mica produces the green, and manganese minerals produce a lavender purple.
The Artists Palette Painted Hills area provides evidence of one of the Death Valley’s most violent volcanic activity. In fact, just on the other side of Black Mountains, is Zabriskie Point. It provides another perspective of the ancient volcanic activity that occurred millions of years ago in the valley. It’s truly remarkable what Mother Nature has created here.
What to do at the Artists Palette
Hike the Painted Hills
I highly suggest visiting the Artists Palette Painted Hills around Sunrise or Sunset for the best color viewing. The rest of the day, the colors are more muted and appear more pastel. Or overly exposed to midday sunlight which can wash out the colors. (Of course, my photos are a bit adjusted to make the color pop slightly, but I would say only by about 20%.)
There are also less people around during Sunrise and Sunset, which means less noise echoing off the hillside and less photo bombers.
Hike the Artists Palette by following the trails that lead in and out of the hills and valleys, don’t worry, it is an easy hike. Be careful of the areas which may involve some climbing and others that may have a slight downhill decline, so use caution if you have weaker legs. I highly suggest hiking poles to make things easier. I personally have bad joints in my knees and I also have a bad back. So these Collapsible Hiking Poles have been super helpful for me. They are also compact and I can fit them into my luggage without taking up a lot of space.
Meditate
I love Nature Therapy! Visiting a quiet spot in nature and just marvel at its wonder is one of my favorite things to do. I consider this a sort of meditation. Breathe in deep of the fresh air. Unplug from technology. And just be. Death Valley has zero cell service until you get to Furnace Creek, so this is a great place to really “unplug“.
Be Artistic
Another favorite activity for visitors is to paint or draw at this location. Since it IS the Artists Palette, it’s an ideal spot to really hone in on your inner artist energy. Check out MintTinAdventures and her super adorable artwork painted inside Altoid Mint Tin boxes. I convinced her to visit Death Valley and she got to paint this cute little artwork piece directly on site!
If you’re traveling in the California area, definitely add Death Valley to your itinerary. It’s totally under-rated and hardly anyone knows about it. Far from being a barren desert wasteland, it’s an outdoor marvel of intriguing landscape and other-worldly terrain. Feel free to ask me any questions if you want to plan a trip here. Check out my blog post of all the different Death Valley sites and where to find accommodations.
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Wow, this place looks unreal! I would love to visit next time I’m in California. Absolutely stunning photos!
This place is stunning! In Florida, we really don’t have any mountains, let alone hills, so landscapes like this blow me away. Their coloration makes them that much more amazing. Also, the altoid mint painting is too cute!!
Amazing photos – the sky looks almost as incredible as the painted hills!
You found some seriously beautiful rocks and hills there Patti! I looove the bright green. It looks a lot like the colour of Malachite/copper ore – such a pretty shade.
How long are the hikes around this area? Is it just a quick walk, or could you go for a longer adventure?
This looks so beautiful. I love your idea of meditating here. I bet that would be so peaceful.
It’s a very peaceful place in general. The entire desert valley.
Oh wow! I can’t believe some of the color tones that you can see on these mountains! I am definitely adding this place to my list for when I am back in the states and exploring my own country!
I hope you get to visit it. It’s so underrated and not many people know what it’s really like there.
Wow, I’ve never heard of this place before and it looks surreal! Can’t wait to visit one day 🙂
Death Valley is on my bucket list! I can’t believe how beautiful the colors are! I love exploring nature.
Wow the pictures are absolutely gorgeous! I didnt know death valley was this beautiful!
This place looks absolutely amazing! I have never visited Death Valley, but I am saving your article for the future. I would love to visit this hidden gem. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Ah, isn’t nature amazing?? What a beautiful place! I’ve never heard of Artist’s Palette before! I’m surprised more people don’t know about this hidden spot. Thanks for the great guide!
I live in Northern California and was considering a road trip to Death Valley sometime soon. Now I definitely will do it! This looks amazing and I had no idea about the Artists Palette Painted Hills. I have to see these! You mention that sunrise and sunset give you the best colors – if I was planning to see them at sunrise, how much time should I allow to get from the parking area to the Painted Hills? I know it partly depends on my speed, but just a general idea would be lovely…
Hi Diane, make sure you check out my full post on the majority of Death Valley so you can enjoy it fully.
For the Artist’s Palette, you can literally see it from the parking area. It’s a small lot. No time needed really. Maybe 15-20 to find your perfect spot?
This is so pretty! Oregon has smaller painted hills and I’m going to see it next week. I hope to come to the Artist’s Palette as well someday soon.