Welcome to Death Valley

This park preserve some of the most extreme terrain in the Western Hemisphere. Over 3,367,628 acres of scenic desert landscape. Park elevations range from 282 feet below sea-level (at Badwater) to 11,049 at Telescope Peak. It is the hottest region in North America where daytime temperatures reach upwards of 134 F. The climate includes occasional summer thunderstorms that can cause flash floods in local canyons, but the area normally only gets less than 2 inches of precipitation annually.

Interestingly enough, Death Valley is more popular for Europeans than it is for Californians. Its 3.3 million acres makes it the largest national park in the lower 48 states. The best time to visit is in spring when temperatures range from 65 to 90 and wildflowers are in bloom. People still come in the summer, and if you do, remember to bring lots of water.

Death Valley Visitor Centers

• Furnace Creek Visitor Center & Museum -
• Scotty's Castle Visitor Center & Museum - north end of park
• Beatty Visitor Information Center - Located in Beatty, NV on US-95, the eastern portal to the park.

  Exciting high adventure opportunities for exploring, boating, camping, hiking, watersports, weekend retreats and more.

  Additonal Resources
  P.O. Box 579, Death Valley, CA 92328; 760-786-2331; NPS Website;
  Park Admission: $10 per vehicle; Visitor Center Open Daily: 8AM-5PM (except Dec 25);
  DeathValley.com - Tourism Info
  Death Valley COC - Tourism Info
  CaliforniaDesert.gov - State Desert Management Group

  Death Valley gained its notoriety only in recent history when in 1849 a band of gold seekers started across the desert in the mistaken belief that it was a shortcut to the California gold fields. After running low on food and water, the band split into several groups in a frantic effort to escape. Several of the pioneers died.

  Later the area was famous for the discovery of an important mineral - borax. Prospectors built roads and assembled large 20-mule wagon teams to haul out loads weighing upto 40 tons.

  Originally designated a national monument in 1933 and the upgraded to park status with significant expansions in 1994.

  Death Valley Days
  Popular 30 minute TV western series that produced 558 episodes from 1952-1975; Info Website;
  The stories, mostly human interest vignettes, were usually based in fact on the legends and lore of Death Valley and originated in radio format in 1930. Ranging from the serious to comedy to tragedy they tell of pioneers, miners and homesteaders that made their way across the west. The show was orginally hosted by Stanley Andrews (The Old Ranger) and later by Ronald Reagan who actually dropped out when he was elected governor of California.

Barstow Desert Villa Inn Location: Adjacent to Barstow Mall
The Barstow Desert Villa Inn is located near the junction of the I-15 and I-40 freeways and is right next door to the Barstow Mall. It is a great place tp enjoy the peace and serenity of the Mojave Desert.

Hawaiian Island Getaway One of the most popular tourism destinations in the world is the Hawaiian Islands. Local attractions include touring royal palaces, miles of beautiful beaches and polynesian cultural entertainment venues.

Death Valley Adventure Tours
Look Tours -
Adventure Photo Tours -
Adventure Las Vegas -
Escape Mountain Bike Tours -
Vegas Tours -

Flora & Fauna:
Over 900 species of plants and trees are found here ranging from Pickleweed found below sea level at Badwater to the Bristlecone pines (some are thousands of years old) atop Telescope Peak. Five species of fish are also unique to this area 21 species of flora are unique to the park, including:

• Panamint daisy
• Death Valley sage
• Death Valley sandpaper plant
• Desert Pupfish - found only at Devil's Hole.
• Joshua Trees - A large forest can be found in Saline Valley.

Geological Phenomena:
The canyon and mountain walls of Death Valley change color with the shifting sunlight. The lowest elevation (and warmest spot) in North America is found at . Other landscape features:

• Sand Dunes - See Eureka Dunes for a large formation.
• sculpted rocks
• isolated valleys
• Volcanic Craters - Look for Ubehebe Crater - The blast zone also exposed many layers of surrounding rock geology.
• Sliding Rocks - Look for Racetrack Playa -
• Gold Mines - Abandoned mines are found near mining camp ghost towns such as Skidoo.
• Borax Mine - Giant mine now abandoned at Old Harmony

Furnace Creek Visitor Center
Several exhibits on flora, fauna and history of the desert park.

China Ranch Date Farm
8 China Ranch Rd; Tecopa CA; 760-852-4415; Ranch Weblink;
Open Daily 9AM-5PM / Located on Old Spanish Trail just southeast of Tecopa;
A lush garden oasis set amidst stark desert scenery and filled with hundreds of date palms and other abundant greenery along a meandering stream. There are several great hiking trails that originate from this spot.

Scotty's Castle
Daily ranger tours 9AM-5PM. (760) 786-2392.

• Musuem & Visitor Center - Located at northern end of Park.
  Located in the far northern reaches of the park is the vacation retreat built by a wealthy Chicagoan in the 1920s at an estimated cost of $2.5 million. Beautiful furnishings and artwork are still found inside. Highlight is the 50 minute long guided living history tour.

  Amargosa Opera House & Hotel
  Death Valley Junction, CA; House Website;
  Former 1920's headquarters of the Pacific Coast Borax Company have been elaborately restored into an elegant live theater and hotel, the heart of Death Valley Junction.

  Salt Creek
  A leftover from when a giant lake covered much of the region, Salt Creek is home to tiny minnow-sized pulpfish. A one-mile nature trail / boardwalk traverses these wetlands.

  Ubehebe Volcanic Crater
  Eight miles west of Scotty's Castle
  A series of volcanic craters created about 3,000 years ago. The largest is Ubehebe, about a half-mile across and 800 feet deep. Rock debris and covers the countryside near the site of the explosion. Over a dozen other explosion craters and tuff rings in the Ubehebe Crater field are the result of this type of hydrovolcanic eruption.

  Old Stove Pipe Wells - Sand Dunes
  1/4 mile north of hwy 190 on Sand Dunes Access Road, State Historic Landmark 826.
  During the 1860's this was the only known source of water in the sand dunes region of the park. It's position was marked by a length of stovepipe to help find it in case it was covered by sand.

  Rhyolite - Ghost Town
  Follow SR-374 into Nevada
  A ghost town that survived only seven years but at its height boasted an opera house, four baseball teams, 53 saloons and three newspapers.

  Jayhawkers Trail
  State Historic Landmark 441
  Route taken from Utah's Great Salt Lake in 1849 that led to disaster in the valley. Look for Burned Wagons Point on Hwy 190 near Stovepipe Wells Hotel. At this point the emigrants burned their wagons here, dried the meat of some of their oxen and continued westward on foot to eventual safety.

  Darwin-French Party Trail
  Pioneer route used in 1860.

  Skidoo - 1906 Ghost town site
  In 1906 two lost miners spotted gold traces on the Panamint range. The Gold Eagle claim fueld a the town of Skidoo with upto 400 residents working here. The town finally died in 1917 when the gold ore ran out.

  Old Harmony Borax Works - Museum
  Borax Mill Road, north of Furnace Creek Ranch
  Established in 1881 with roads built for large 20-mule wagon teams to haul borax to Mojave (165 miles made for a 20-day trip) for processing.

  Devil's Hole
  40 acre hillside containing limestone cavern home to the entire population of Cyprinodon diabolis - subspecis of desert pupfish - creating one of the most restricted environments of the world.

  Wildrose Charcoal Kilns
  7 miles east of Wildrose Ranger Station on Mahogany Flat Road
  Kilns built over 100 years ago to burn pinon trees into charcoal for use in silver smelters.

  Badwater - Lowest Elevation in the Western Hemisphere
  At elevation of 282 feet below sea level, this is the lowest point on the North American continent. Named for a pool of undrinkable water. Most of a Badwater Basin is covered by a quilt of salt crystals. Also the spot that gave the highest temperature in the western world (134 degrees) back in 1916.

  Devil's Golf Course
  Covering a 15 miles stretch of Badwater Road is a field of jagged salt crystals discovered by early emigrants. Some are over two feet high.

  Racetrack Playa - Moving Stones
  Located between Last Chance Range and Cottonwood Mountains.
  One of Death Valleys biggest mysteries are the sliding rocks of Racetrack Playa. On display in this flat, parched basin, stretching behind many of the stones you'll see grooved trails. Some are short, some long, some straight, some curvy - but no footprints are to be seen anywhere. How do these stones move?

  Last Camp
  State Historic Landmark 444, near Tule Springs From this point, members of the Manly Group, another 1849 gold-rush wagon train scattered to find escape from the desert. Many were never accounted for and presumed to have died.

  Eureka Dunes
  Giant golden-white sand dunes over a mile wide, three miles long and over 700 feet high.

  Greenwater Valley
  Jagged mountain range with rock shelters and petroglyphs.

  Saline Valley
  1994 northwest addition to the park includes a large forest of Joshua trees.

  Adventure Groups
  Partial list of wilderness guides for this region.
  Black Sheep Adventures -
  4x4 Now - Death Valley Adventure
  Surfari -

  Joshua Tree National Park
  Nature preserve covering over 793,000 acres of the Mojave Desert country in Eastern California. The rugged terrain is famous for the many unusual plants found here including Joshua trees, cactus, ocotillo, smoke treess, palo verdes, pinon pins, yucca plants. The best time to visit is early spring when a big array of desert wildflowers reach full bloom.

Palm Springs Marquis Villas Resort Hotel Location: So Calle Encilla;
Scenic views of the majestic San Jacinto Mountains and set right in the heart of downtown Palm Springs, the Marquis Villas offers complete comfort and charm.

Death Valley is most popular from early November to late April. Outdoor climate is usually quite pleasant during this time of the year. Springtime is popular because desert wildflowers are in bloom.

Keep in mind that summer temperatures can easily hit 130-plus degrees with little cooling in the nightime. Always carry extra water. Summertime activity should be significantly restricted or even avoided.

Death Valley Encampment
[Nov Event] 49ers Website;
Watch wagon trains and desert trail riders arrive after days on the trail in the desert. Western Art Show - Musicians - Photography and Needlework Exhibits - Cowboy Poetry - Campfires - Museums - Pioneer Costume Contest

Badwater Ultra Marathon
[July Event] Marathon Website;
A true "challenge of the champions," this legendary foot race pits approximately 80 of the world’s toughest athletes – runners, triathletes, adventure racers, and mountaineers – against one another and the elements. Covering 135 miles (217km) non-stop from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA in temperatures up to 130F (55 centigrade), it is the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere on the planet.

Death Valley Borax Marathon [DEC]
EnviroSports; Race Website;
Enjoy an out-and-back relatively flat course (fewer than 500 feet elevation change) for Marathon, Half-Marathon and 10k Race. You'll admire the beauty of the surrounding desert as you follow this paved run from Furnace Creek Ranch along SR-190 through the heart of Death Valley National Park. The entire course is below sea level with fantastic vistas of the surrounding mountain ranges: the Panamints, the Funerals, the Cottonwoods, the Blacks and the Grapevines. The desert is beautiful this time of year with mild temperatures; lows range between 30 and 40 degrees and highs hit the low 70s.

Death Valley Trail Marathon [FEB]
EnviroSports; Race Website;
his is a scenic trail run along Westside Road, a dirt jeep road that runs parallel to Badwater Road along the valley floor and crosses the wide salt pan known as Devil's Golf Course. Both distances run out-and-back along the flat course, which is entirely below sea level and surrounded by undisturbed desert wilderness. The desert is beautiful this time of year with mild temperatures; lows range between 30 and 40 degrees and highs hit the low 70s.

MainTour Las Vegas - Preview over 80 of the biggest and brightest resorts on the Strip and related special features for adventure, recreation, entertainment, wedding packages and other great attractions.

Death Valley - Furnace Creek Golf Course
1 Furnace Creek Blvd., Death Valley, Ca. 92328; (760) 786-2301; Rates: $30-55;
Par-72; Back-6200 yds, Front-5900 yds, Ladies-5300 yds;

Located about 2 1/2 hours from the strip. Opened in 1965, designed by William Bell. At 214 feet below sea level, this is the lowest lying golf course in the world. However, during the summer, temperatures easily top 125 degrees, so beware.

And don't bother looking for the putting green, this course is famous for "linkage so rough only the devil would play on it." Actually the course is noteworthy for rock hard salt pinnacles that create interesting formations resembling crystal caves, one of the more interesting natural landmarks in Death Valley.

Death Valley Campgrounds

• Emigrant - Free Tent only campground (Elev. 2010 ft)
• Furnace Creek - 136 campsites located at 196 ft below sea level
• Mahogany Flat - Free Tent only campground at Elev. 8210 ft, accessible by high clearance vehicle only in the Paramint Mountains.
• Mesquite Spring - located 3 miles from Scotty's Castle
• Stovepipe Wells - 190 campsites located at sea level. Also has 14 RV sites.
• Sunset - 1000 campsites at 190 ft below sea level.
• Texas Spring - 92 campsites at sea level.
• Thorndike - located at 7200 ft in the Panamint mountains
• Wildrose - located at 4100 ft in the Panamint mountains

Popular Hiking Trails:
All directions are approximate, and we strongly advise you check with the nearest ranger station regarding climate conditions, backcountry permits, trail maps and directions.

• Ubehebe Peak - 5.0 mile old mining trail with awesome views of Mt Whitney and the White Mountains. (Trailhead is north of Furnace Creek Visitors Center, follow signs on SR-190 north to Ubehebe Crater Road.)
• Marble Canyon Loop - 27 mile trail for those that want to experience a true backcountry adventure. Scenic points include Marble Canyon petroglyphs, Cottonwood Springs and Deadhorse Canyon. (Trailhead is past the Stovepipe Wells Campground.)
• Wildrose Peak - Due to higher elevation, this 8.5 mile trail is a good bet in the summertime than other park trails. 9,064-foot Wildrose Peak gets a plenty of snow in winter time and is the wettest point in park.
• Telescope Peak - Elevation 11,075, like Wildrose Peak, this is a good summertime trail. Popular overnite trailhike that offers good views of both sunrise and sunset in the desert. (Trailhead is at Charcoal Kilns near Wildrose Ranger Station.)
• Artists Drive
• Zabriskie Point
• Titus Canyon
• Salt Pools
• Dante's View

Mojave Desert Sports & Recreation


Sports & Athletics
Parks & Outdoor Recreation
Festival Guide - Sports Events
Regional Golf Courses

Mojave Desert Boy Scouts
Outdoor Recreational Adventure Activities for Youth:

Death Valley Civic Groups:

Death Valley City - Gov't Services
Chamber of Commerce - Local Business Alliance

Death Valley Picture Gallery

NPS Geology Gallery - The NPS has posted online 21 pages of very cool images from the park.
Death Valley Photo - Professional Park Photographer
Golden Gate Gallery - Art Gallery of Professional Desert Images

Palm Springs Wyndham Resort Hotel Location: 888 Tahquitz Canyon Way;
Glamorous Palm Springs, California, is the lovely setting for this impressive vacation retreat. Make yourself at home in a warmly appointed room with a panoramic view of the majestic San Jacinto Mountains. You'll enjoy the comfort and convenience of thoughtful business amenities like an oversized desk and Internet access that make it easy to get work done.