Construction to close Dantes View in Death Valley

Dante's View, in Death Valley National Park, Calif., features a bird's-eye view of Badwater Basin below. (Charlotte Wall/View)

A popular overlook at Death Valley National Park will close Monday for two months of renovations.

The National Park Service plans to temporarily shut off access to Dantes View during the construction of new viewing platforms, improved parking and other upgrades.

The closure is expected to last until early April.

Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said the overlook draws more than half a million visitors a year but is in “desperate need of stabilization.”

Perched at more than a mile above the valley floor, Dantes View provides one of the most expansive vistas of Death Valley. Part of the original 1977 “Star Wars” movie was filmed at the overlook about 125 miles west of Las Vegas.

The upgrades are being made possible through private donations and park entrance fees.

The planned improvements include the installation of a touchable bronze relief map of the area by artist Bridget Keimel. The renovations are being done by S.T. Rhoades Construction, the same contractor that upgraded the overlook at Death Valley’s Zabriskie Point in 2015.

Contact Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @RefriedBrean on Twitter.