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P.O. Box 579, Death Valley, CA 92328
Phone: 760-786-2331 or 800-365-2267
Fax: 760-786-3283
Open All Year
Overview. Death Valley, with its all-time-high of 134 degrees Fahrenheit and an average July temperature of 116 degrees Fahrenheit, is the hottest place in North America. Its salt desert also boasts the lowest elevation in the Western Hemisphere: 282 feet below sea level. But the Panamint and Amargosa ranges that rise on either side of the valley sport peaks that are over 11,000 feet in elevation. Death Valley is a land of contrasts. Even though its average annual rainfall is under two inches, the desert blooms sometimes with a carpet of wildflowers. Some, like the Panamint Daisy and the Panamint Monkey Flower, are only found within the park's boundaries. Coyotes have been known to lounge on the outskirts of the lush oasis golf course at Furnace Creek, while the Devil's Golf Course, a stretch of craggy, sharp salt crystals blanketing the valley floor, is as inhospitable to duffers as level land can get. Lush resorts, seasonal brackish lakes, lofty peaks, shifting sand dunes, colorful canyons, and the ruins of mining operations are all part of the Death Valley experience. What to see and do. Resorts at Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells provide good staging areas for desert exploration. Both have lodges, campgrounds, restaurants, gas stations, swimming pools, and air strips. A resort at Panamint Springs has a motel, restaurant, RV camp, and gas station.The Furnace Creek Visitor Center offers park information and posts scheduled events. Also at Furnace Creek, the Death Valley Museum's interpretive exhibits acquaint visitors with the natural and human history of the park, while the Borax Museum presents the mining history of Death Valley, including the famous 20-mule teams that brought borax out of Death Valley and hauled it over the Panamint Mountains 165 miles to the railroad depot at Mojave. A short trail leads from Furnace Creek Campground to the Harmony Borax Works, a stabilized mining operation. Other amenities at Furnace Creek include a golf course and riding stables where you can arrange horseback riding trips or carriage rides. At Badwater, a brackish pond along the main park road, you can stand 282 feet below sea level and marvel at 11,049-foot Telescope Peak towering above you. If you're hardy, you can climb to its summit from the western part of the park. Be sure to stop by Scotty's Castle near the park's northern entrance. Here, would-be prospector Death Valley Scotty got his pal, Chicago millionaire Albert M. Johnson, to build a palatial desert vacation home. Scotty was a frequent house guest of Johnson and his wife Bessie, and, after Johnson's death, lived there full time until his own demise in 1954. Today you can tour the castle and eat at the snack bar there. Death Valley offers many more attractions for adventurous visitors, from the mysterious sliding rocks of Racetrack Playa to the gorgeous, multihued canyons along Artists Drive and up Furnace Creek Wash to Zabriskie Point. Aside from the main road, there are many jeep trails with some tracks accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicles. Bicyclists are welcome to use these sparsely traveled backroads as well. There are nine campgrounds in Death Valley, with more than 1,500 sites available, and they range from luxurious RV parks to primitive sites with only pit toilets. Permits are not required for backcountry hiking, but rangers recommend that you register your route with them before you set out. There are few established trails, with cross-country desert hiking the norm. Birdwatchers will want to explore the Salt Creek marsh, where you can often see killdeer, ravens, and great blue herons; more than 300 bird species have been observed in Death Valley. Please note that Death Valley National Park is larger that the state of Connecticut. Points of interest are widespread, temperatures, especially in summer, are intense, and fresh water is practically nonexistent. Before you set out, be sure you have a full tank of gas and plenty of water for both your passengers and your car. Gas and water are available at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Scotty's Castle, and Panamint Springs.
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Visitor Center |
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Wildflower Viewing |
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Wildlife Viewing |
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