Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Rounding out its awesomeness, Death Valley holds International Dark Sky Park credentials. During our too-short stay we crammed in a slot canyon hike, white-knuckled our way through a 43-kilometre (27-mile) off-road back country drive, scaled enormous sand dunes and explored several old-west ghost towns, all while avoiding seeing one of the park’s native “sidewinder” rattlers. The park wooed us at first sight, making the four days we allotted feel woefully inadequate. Only a few roads lead into the valley, all descending sharply from the ear-popping passes over the surrounding mountain ranges to the lowest elevations on the continent. Welcome to Death Valley, where your adventure begins before even entering the park. We knew little about them and almost skipped them, only to be blown away when we arrived. Many of our favourite places blindsided us. Death Valley National Park, California. More than a year later we continue to reminisce about the sunsets and stars, coyotes yipping through the night, hikes through slot canyons and tropical oases, 805 kilometres (500 miles) of unpaved roads, wide-open space for kids to roam and the unforgettable view of the Badlands from Font’s Point. We circled the wagons with a group of travelling friends over New Year’s, setting up camp in one of the huge expanses of empty desert available to campers and RVers. Only an hour from the sprawl of Palm Springs, the setting feels unexpectedly remote. Anza-Borrego sports a rugged look, much like the bighorn sheep who call it home. Its infamous dry heat, the aroma of Brittlebush and Ocotillo in bloom, the jaw-dropping night skies - this is the happy place I retreat to in my mind while getting a cavity filled or having blood drawn. Our family’s favourite ecosystem? Easy: the desert. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.