Beatty is a small town in southern Nevada that serves as the main gateway to Death Valley National Park from the east, sitting along US-95 a short drive from the park's Nevada-side entrances, but it is not a place with commercial car rental desks of its own. Travelers looking to rent a car for a Death Valley trip almost always do so in Las Vegas, roughly two hours south along US-95, where the airport and downtown locations offer a full range of vehicles from international and local companies. Picking up in Las Vegas and driving north into Beatty and onward into the park is the standard approach, and it gives you a chance to fuel up and check tire pressure before the long desert stretch ahead.
Once you leave Las Vegas, the drive north on US-95 passes through open desert basin and mountain-range terrain with long gaps between towns, so Beatty itself functions as an important refueling and supply stop rather than a rental hub. From Beatty, the entrance to Death Valley lies only a short distance west, with roads dropping quickly from the town's higher elevation down toward the valley floor, where summer heat becomes extreme and vehicle cooling systems and tire condition matter more than usual. Many drivers top off in Beatty even if their tank looks adequate, since services thin out considerably once inside the park boundaries.
Driving is on the right throughout Nevada, and the roads around Beatty and into Death Valley are generally well paved but remote, with cell coverage unreliable in the lower valley. Carrying extra water, checking fuel before entering the park, and avoiding the hottest midday hours for long desert legs are standard precautions worth planning around. A standard sedan handles the paved routes fine, though some travelers prefer a higher-clearance vehicle if they plan to explore any of the unpaved backcountry roads branching off the main park routes near Beatty, especially outside the cooler winter months.