Death Valley

R2-D2 speeding down the valley Coordinates: 36°23′37″N, 116°49′50″W Death Valley, a valley situated in the U.S. state of California, is positioned to the southeast of the Sierra Nevada range within both the Great Basin and the Mojave Desert. A significant portion of Death Valley National Park is encompassed within its boundaries. Its area measures approximately 3,000 square miles (around 7,800 km²).

Certain scenes for A New Hope were shot in the valley. These primarily involved supplementary shots initially planned for Tunisia. However, due to budget constraints, filming had to be relocated closer to the production's base.

Specifically, the Mesquite Flat San Dunes near Stovepipe Wells served as the location for the scene depicting R2-D2 traversing the Dune Sea towards some mountains, en route to finding Ben Kenobi.

A scene featuring R2-D2 speeding through the Jundland Wastes canyon, once again in search of Ben Kenobi's dwelling, was filmed at Artist's Palette. Furthermore, a shot at Dante's View was combined with a shot at Sidi Bouhlel to create a scene where Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi observe Mos Eisley. Mardji, an Asian elephant, was filmed at Desolation Canyon, adorned in a costume to resemble a bantha within the Jundland Wastes. Numerous shots featuring Mark Hamill's stunt double in his landspeeder were also captured somewhere in Death Valley as he searches for R2-D2. The solitary scene for Return of the Jedi was filmed in Twenty Mule Team Canyon, where R2-D2 and C-3PO journey to Jabba's Palace. The panoramic vista from Zabriskie Point underwent digital modification to become the scene of Arvala-7 as the Razor Crest approaches for landing in the initial episode of The Mandalorian.