DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA & NEVADA --

[Getting there] [Links] [RoadTrip Facts] A scenic drive to Death Valley National Park is unbelievable any time during the year, but weather conditions are often ideal for a trip in winter and spring, when temperatures in the valley of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center range from the middle 60 years to the low 80. Summer temperatures can easily exceed 115 degrees and require more careful planning to take full advantage of the wonders that this proposed park. Although several days would be needed to see all parts of the park, we decided to take a day trip from Las Vegas. Leaving Las Vegas, we drove south on Interstate 15 to Blue Diamond Road and turned west to begin our approach of spring on the mountain. This section of the road is known to the locals as "move to the Pahrump hump." As we have passed the town of Blue Diamond, the eye-catching colors of Red Rock Canyon was visible in the distance, on the side right of the road. We reviewed some of the burros and wild horses that we have seen in the past trips to this area. Despite the recent drought, we have seen the spring wildflowers are beginning to emerge, as we have reached the summit of the pass and descended into the Pahrump Valley. The so-called "oldest" (which is funny, since it is also the only) cave in Nevada is located in the town of Pahrump. After a short tour and a taste of the cave red, white and sherry, we followed the residents' road to the national park. The signs do not mention Death Valley, although it is the most direct route. Off to the north-west, we could see Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The spring-fed riparian environment is home to the second largest population of endemic animals, fish and plants in North America. The reserve is also home to 24 species of plants and animals that are found here. The past, travel, we have seen some very rare Devil's Hole Pupfish. Death Valley Junction was the next point of interest. A company town originally built in 1923 by the Pacific Coast Borax Company, the crossroads of routes 127 and 190 California is not a post office, no more, but it has something more entertaining. Marta Becket and Thomas Willett has been delighting residents and tourists to the "famous" Amargosa Opera House since 1968 with their unique blend of dance and humor. They perform most evenings during the cooler months. Turning to the west of Death Valley Junction, we entered one of our favorite national parks, Death Valley. CA-190 follows the bottom of Furnace Creek Wash the geological past fantastic colors and tints of the Funeral Mountains to the right. For an overview of the valley, we rode up to one thousand views of Dante's View. From the parking area at 5475 feet, we could look down on the right near Badwater, which at 248 feet below sea level, is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. Twenty Mule Team Canyon Twenty Mule Team Canyon Retracing our way back down the road, we passed breach in the wall of the canyon and turned left on the road to a dirt road across Twenty Mule Team Canyon. In several places, it is possible to see the tiny openings of the mine at Borax miners used to explore the cliffs to the vertical while mining desirable white mineral. The austere landscape and the amazing range of colors in the soil are breathtaking, but we are more amazed at the hardiness of the early miners who worked in such environments unforgiving. Death Valley dunes Death Valley, near the dunes Stovepipe Wells Returning to the road, we stopped to enjoy the stunning views of Zabriskie Point before heading north to see Death Valley's sand dunes. The dunes, which are worth exploring on foot if you have the time, are not far from Stovepipe Wells, one of the few water sources for early travellers in the valley. Our next step was the incomparable Artists Palette road just south of Mushroom Rock on the road to Badwater. Nine miles one-way paved the way through the foothills of the Black Mountains is a favorite of photographers, especially in the raking light of sunrise and sunset. The intense purple, green, red, brown, and are particularly acute in the late afternoon sun. Another favorite stop along the road to Badwater is the Devil's Golf. From the highway, the region resembles a flat, brown, white dirt patch, but almost brown spots are jagged spikes of salt crystal, some nearly two feet high. Continuing on the south, we have slowed to Badwater, but we could not stop because the parking lot is currently under reconstruction. Because of its extraordinary negative altitude, it is one of the most visited destinations in the park. By now the sun had set, and we proceeded south past the ruins of a transaction processing gold ore known as Ashford Mill, east of the town of Shoshone, and return to Las Vegas. With 3.3 million acres within its borders, Death Valley is huge, full of remarkable panoramas, ghost towns, breathtaking mountain scenery and extraordinary as the desert mysterious secrets of the stones sliding Racetrack Playa. A trip here is always an adventure! -- Mark Sedenquist March 17, 2003
Arabic to EnglishChinese to EnglishChinese (Simplified to Traditional)Chinese (Traditional to Simplified)Dutch to EnglishEnglish to ArabicEnglish to Chinese (Simplified)English to Chinese (Traditional)English to DutchEnglish to FrenchEnglish to GermanEnglish to GreekEnglish to ItalianEnglish to JapaneseEnglish to KoreanEnglish to PortugueseEnglish to RussianEnglish to SpanishFrench to EnglishFrench to GermanGerman to EnglishGerman to FrenchGreek to EnglishItalian to EnglishJapanese to EnglishKorean to EnglishPortuguese to EnglishRussian to EnglishSpanish to English