Death Valley

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Death Valley National Park

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Naomi_T
Naomi_T
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
7
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27
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Editor Pick

Death Valley Day

  • October 11, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by callen60 from Ozarks, Missouri
Death Valley Day

After watching the sunrise from Panamint Springs, we headed further east into Death Valley. Given how quickly the temperature shoots up after sunrise, I was surprised we didn’t see any of our fellow guests up and about.

It’s still comfortable in Death Valley at 7 am; but you can tell it’s going to be a scorcher. We headed down the road, now able to see the stark surroundings that we missed on our nighttime arrival. There was one more ridge of mountains (the Cottonwoods) to climb and descend: Death Valley owes its shape and elevation (or lack thereof) to one accident of geology, and its dryness to another. Spreading tectonic plates, one headed west to the Pacific and the other east to Nevada, left Death Valley in the middle, a deep trough sagging below sea level. To the west are four mountain ranges, including 11,000’ high Telescope Peak on the western edge, providing a sharp, adjacent contrast to the depths of Badwater (400’ below sea level). Each of those ranges progressively dries the air as it rises and passes over the ridges, so that the air masses that eventually reach Death Valley are amazingly devoid of moisture. This basin drains an area the size of New Hampshire, but hardly ever accumulates any water at all.

So it’s amazing that flowers ever bloom here. We missed the wildflower season, but encountered a different kind of beauty, in the sand dunes of Stovepipe Wells, the salt-encrusted badlands of Devil’s Golf Course, the colors at Zabriskie Point, and the blue, blue sky over all this sand, rock and heat.

As we headed in and past Stovepipe Wells, a series of signs progressively marked our descent to sea level and beyond. We didn’t stop to explore the sand dunes, which lie off the road to the north. We passed them at about 7 am, as we munched on the prepackaged cinnamon rolls and OJ we’d picked up at the store. We arrived at the Furnace Creek complex, the park’s center, about 7:45, beating the ranger by 15 minutes. We dawdled in the parking lot, finding the car already too warm to sit in without the AC on. The oversized temperature gauge beneath the station’s overhang was already nearing 90. We were there to pick up a junior ranger guide, and to wrestle with how to exchange it for a badge when my daughter was finished. We couldn’t backtrack to Furnace Creek, since we needed to be in Vegas for our flight home. The helpful ranger suggested that we mail it in, and we headed south to Badwater and Devil’s Golf Course.

Having only a fraction of a morning meant we skipped a lot. I would have like to hike the short Golden Canyon trail, and 8 am would be the time to do it. Although we were up early, we weren’t the only ones at Badwater, but there were only one or two other cars. The view up and down the valley here is impressive, and emphasizes the extent of the area that would drain into Death Valley, if only it had any runoff. Behind you is a steep bluff, and if you look carefully at the face, you see a small sign marking the elevation of sea level, 282 feet above you.

The elevation changes here are dramatic. The mountains that bound this place are not far away. As you stand at Badwater, the lowest site in the US, about two miles behind and to the left is Dante’s view, over a mile above sea level. Telescope Peak is directly in front of you, about 10 miles to the west.

Distances here are large, and the park’s sites are not close together. This park is over 100 miles long, running southeast to northwest. It’s 50 miles from Scotty’s Castle to Furnace Creek, and another 72 from there past Badwater to Shoshone. We stopped to gawk at the crusty ground at Devil’s Golf Course, where it looks like the earth has just been oozing salts around the edges of some awkwardly shaped, ancient linoleum tile that’s slowly curling up in the Sun. I’ve never seen ground that looked so lethal, both chemically and physically.

We retraced our steps to Furnace Creek, passing the Inn that closes as spring gives way to summer. We rejoined Highway 190, joining busloads of tourists from Vegas at Zabriskie Point to look out over a series of multicolored sands onto the Valley. It was odd to find ourselves in the midst of people once again, after all the emptiness of Death Valley and eastern Sierras. The temperature was nearing 100, the clock was nearing 10:30, and we reluctantly climbed back in the car and headed for Vegas.

From journal California Bold Rush

Editor Pick

Death Valley National Park

  • September 3, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Binaya from Grand Prairie, Texas
Death Valley National Park

On our way to Los Angeles from Las Vegas we decided to go to Death Valley National Park, one of the lowest valleys below sea level on earth. After driving for 4 hours from the city, we were on US highway 190 west towards Death Valley. We crossed the Welcome board to Death Valley National Park and stopped by the visitor center to gather map of the park and pay the entrance fee. The winding roads and deserted mountain were not only beautiful but made our driving exciting and non tiring. As we gradually entered the valley , the temperature was rising by 1 F in every mile we entered the valley. That was August 19th 2007.

We stopped by many view points like Mule Canyon, Hill Point. The views of these small canyons picturesque. We drove to bad water, the lowest basin below 85.5 meters sea level, what we found was white sand mixed with salt. There was no sign of water. We saw many visitors walking in the basin though it was unbearably hot and when hot wind stroke us on the face, we felt like we stopped to breathe for a sec. It was almost 4pm driving around the valley, we decide to fill our car with gas and drove south towards Los Angeles, on the way we enjoyed the scenic beauty of sand dunes and setting sun. The day in Death Valley was one of the unforgettable moments in my life. There are many places to visit within Death Valley, we were running late in our schedule routine left Death valley in the evening.

From journal Death Valley

Golden Canyon & Zabriski Point

  • March 8, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Linda Hoernke from St. George, Utah
Golden Canyon & Zabriski Point

The trail through Golden Canyon cuts through sandstone rocks glowing in different shades of orange, gold and red. I found the shaded areas picked up the deeper blues and green of the rocks. Trail guides are available and describe numbered points of interest. A total trip of 4 miles will take you through the badlands below Zabriski Point. The badlands are mudstone hills formed by sediment being buried and then compressed. If you don't want to hike the whole trail, you can drive to a parking area near Zabriski Point and it is a short but steep walk to an amazing view.

From journal Day Trips into Death Valley

Devils Golf Course

  • March 7, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Linda Hoernke from St. George, Utah
Devils Golf Course

Located 13 miles south of Furnace Creek in Death Valley, The Devils Golf Course is a salt flat that has been carved by wind and rain. Caution should be taken while walking on or around the formations as they are very sharp. Early morning and later in the day are best to photograph the contrast between the pillars of salt and the mountains beyond.

From journal Day Trips into Death Valley

Sand Dunes

  • March 7, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Linda Hoernke from St. George, Utah
Sand Dunes

We visited the sand dunes in the late morning... still enough time to catch the colors and shadows of inspiration. The dunes are near Stovepipe Wells and are easy to get too. The ripples and stark beauty of the dunes are a must-see. We didn't get the chance but have heard it is the perfect place to be on a night with a full moon.

From journal Day Trips into Death Valley

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