Visiting Death Valley National Park
Southern California Desert Monument Epitomizes the American West
Popularized by Hollywood productions such as the television series "Death Valley Days," southern Caifornia's Death Valley is well known as the hottest, driest, lowest place in North America. What the name of the place doesn't convey is the stark beauty of a stone wilderness that encompasses sand dune seas, marble canyons, parched salt flats, volcanic craters and multicolored geographical wonders such as Zabriskie Point, a classic place to take in sunrise and sunset.
A cursory, one-day tour of the park can take in diverse geographic wonders including Badwater, 20-Mule-Team Drive, Devil's golf Course and Artist's Drive. Add a second day to see Scotty's Castle, a desert fantasy built by a 1920s eccentric, and Ubehebehe Crater, a volcanic pit colored with bright smears of minerals.
Come in the winter to enjoy the knock-your-socks-off scenery in perfect weather. Come in the summer, as many Europeans do, to earn hot-weather bragging rights.
Facts About Death Valley
- The long, narrow valley dips to 282 feet below sea level and is rimmed by some of the highest mountains on the continent. Mount Whitney, highest peak in the continental United States at 14,505 feet, is easily visible from Badwater, on the valley floor.
- According to park service statistics, the hottest temperature ever recorded was 134 degrees Fahrenheit on July 10, 1913.
- In 2001, records show, a stint of 154 consecutive days with a maximum temperature above 100 degrees F was recorded. But that's only part of the story: Ground temperatures on the valley floor are 40 percent higher than the surrouding air temperature and sometimes top 200 degrees F.
- Average rainfall in Death Valley is 2.5 inches per year.
- The winter of 1997-1998 was the wettest season on record, with 6.09 inches of precipitation recorded.
- No rain at all was recorded in 1929.
Death Valley National Monument and Park
Death Valley was named a national monument in 1933 and a national park in 1994. The preserve encompasses 3.3 million acres and is visited by about 1.2 million people each year. The entry fee, $20 per vehicle, is good for a week.
Death Valley National Park is about a five-hour drive from either Los Angeles or Los Vegas. It is bisected east to west by California Highway 190. Motel accommodations are available in Furnace Creek or Stovepipe Wells. The luxury Furnace Creek Inn is a national park classic with a rich history. Nine campgrounds accommodate recreational vehicles and tent campers. For campground reservations: 877-444-6777. For park information: 760-786-3200.
Sunrise at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley
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