What Is Death Valley National Park?
Death Valley National Park is the hottest, lowest, and driest place in the United States, a graben between the fault-raised Panamint and Amargosa Ranges. It is remote, sprawling, and filled with mystery!
What Makes It Beautiful?
Even though this park is called Death Valley, not one member of the pioneer party who named it died here. With the exception of its spring wildflower bloom, Death Valley is a stirring vision of bleakness, the kind that makes one ask important questions while standing on salty hexagons at Badwater or watching the wind caress the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Eventually, the faults that have created the valley will create a “major seismic event,” which adds a tintillating level of apprehension to a park with an already ominous name! Some day, I would love to explore the mystery of the Race Track and its moving stones, but like much of this park, it is remote and inaccessible to normal vehicles!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Volunteer with the Volunteer-In-Parks (VIP) program!
- Donate to the Death Valley Natural History Association!
- Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!
How Do I Get There?
This park has many different entrances, but here are some of the main ones:
The West Entrance is 48mi (78km) east of Olancha on CA-190. The Northeast Entrance is 57mi (92km) northwest of Beatty, NV on NV-267. The East Entrance is 16mi (26km) west of Death Valley Junction on CA-190. The Southeast Entrance is 66mi (106km) north of Baker on CA-127.
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit the Park?
Summer is out of the question. With record-breaking temperatures, you may get a good deal, but you’ll probably have a miserable time, or die. I recommend winter or spring. New Year’s Eve was surprisingly lovely. The campgrounds were full of revelers, and a nice family bought me New Year’s dinner!
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