Sometimes the best places are those you discover accidentally. Eureka Dunes, is most definitely one of those.
On my first trip well off the beaten path at Death Valley, I did most everything they tell you not to: on the way in from the Lone Pine area, I decided to head off on the Saline Valley Road on the spur of the moment. The Saline Valley Road a rough dirt road that leads into an almost desolate northern section of the park. I also headed in without a good map, any idea of the road conditions and no way to call out if a problem arose. Not exactly a prescription for success.
But the adventurous side of me prevailed over the more prudent one. The idea of coming in to Death Valley, and specifically a spot called the Race Track I'd always wanted to visit, via a route akin to what the pioneer miners might have used. I couldn't resist the urge to head off into the unknown to see what I could find.