Artists Drive
Death Valley National Park, California
Road
23 miles | 2,250 ft elevation
Riding through Death Valley National Park feels as if you are on another planet. The basin is below-sea-level, but the terrain is anything but flat. The park is the largest in the continental U.S., so there is much to see and the roads stretch for miles. 
From the The Inn at Death Valley parking lot, ride south on the main road towards Badwater Basin. After the long stretch of desert road, head east on Artists Drive (a 9-mile one-way road) where you will climb from below-sea-level to 880 feet above-sea-level and then back down. The views along Artists Drive are spectacular and you will feel like you are riding on the moon.
(A longer route was planned to also ride to Devils Golf Course and Badwater Basin but it was extremely windy, so modifications were made.)
Hotel Recommendation
The Oasis at Death Valley – this property is located within the park near the Furnace Creek area, which is a main hub of Death Valley, and it consists of two hotels (The Inn at Death Valley and The Ranch at Death Valley). The Inn, which is a bit more per night than The Ranch, is their luxury accommodation and it truly feels like an oasis. I highly recommend taking a dip in the pool after your ride!
There are two restaurants, one at each hotel. The restaurant at The Inn is pricier and requires a reservation, and the one at The Ranch is a saloon style bar/restaurant (I recommend making a reservation there as well). Both have good food and drinks, and I suggest taking your time and enjoying your meal, as there is not much else to do once the sun sets.

Notes
Be sure to review the official Death Valley National Park website for the latest information about the park. 
There are limited services in the park (and spotty cell service), so be sure to bring enough food and water! There is a General Store near The Ranch, where you can find snacks and souvenirs.
It can be very windy, especially in the evenings. It was not as windy during the day; however, it was the most intense tailwind/headwind I have ever experienced.
There are many points of interest within the park that are worth checking out sans bike. I recommend spending 2 days in the park – one day to ride and the other day going to the “must see” spots.
There are not a lot of options for lodging in or near the park. It is about a 2.5 hour drive from Las Vegas, if you wanted to just do a day trip.
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