Death Valley: Land of Extremes

No where to go but up.

From Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park this is a topographical fact.

At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. It is among the many surprising discoveries one might make in this land of extremes.

Everybody knows Death Valley is low and hot, but most people don’t know Death Valley can also be high and cool. In this vast park of 3.3 million acres (twice the size of the state of Delaware) are abundant mountains.

Telescope Peak in the Panamint Mountains that tower directly over Badwater Basin, is 11,049 feet. On a recent late-March visit to Death Valley, there was still too much snow to climb Telescope Peak, but it was 90 degrees in Badwater Basin. A hike to the summit of 9,064-foot Wildrose Peak led us through a variety of life-zones as we climbed in elevation. Near the summit there was snow on the ground and wind cold enough to find us digging in packs for warmer clothes.

Only 85 miles away from Badwater Basin are California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains and Mt. Whitney, which at 14,494 feet, is the highest point in the contiguous United States.

The vast changes in elevation have a lot to do with the weather extremes famous in Death Valley.

It is those mountains to the west that capture almost all the moisture out of every storm. Death Valley, sitting in the rain shadow of the Sierras, averages only about 2 inches of rain a year.

The low elevation is partly responsible for the warm temperatures that make it one of the hottest place on earth. The record high temperature in Death Valley is 134 degrees F in July, 1913. That ranks as the second highest temperature ever record anywhere in the world, topped only by a 136-degree day record in the Sahara Desert of Libya in 1922.

Annual average temperatures rank Death Valley as the warmest place in the world. Among its long list of records is the most consecutive days with a temperature of 100 degrees or more: 154 days.

Since this is the land of extremes, the record low temperature must also be cited: 15 degrees, in January of 1913.

With the famously hot weather, it should come as no surprise that not many of the roughly 1 million annual visitors choose the summer months for a  trip to Death Valley. The most popular month is March when spring break, daytime highs in the 80s and the chance for blooming wildflowers are the big draw.

Given the harshness of the area, park visitors tend to congregate in the campground areas where services are provided, but of the 3.3 million acres in the park, roughly 3 million acres are desolate wilderness. The park boasts some 600 miles of backroads, almost all of which will leave you with an immense feeling of loneliness. Some of the backroads require four-wheel-drive but most simply require the time and patience to endure mile after mile of bone-crunching washboards. In such a vast and empty land, motorists shouldn’t miss opportunities to fill the tank with gasoline. Service stations are few and far between and it’s easy to drive 100 miles or more in a typical day of exploring the park.

Constructed hiking trails are relatively rare in the park, which makes this an explorer’s dream vacation. The park welcomes visitors to just get out and walk and explore. Obviously, any wandering soul should be prepared for rough terrain and carry lots of water – one gallon a day is recommended.

Nature enthusiasts won’t find a lot of native animals to watch, although the park is home to bighorn sheep and coyotes. Kangaroo rats, rattlesnakes and spiders also are fairly common. The famed pupfish in Salt Creek are a marvel of adaptability and found only in this area.

Plant life is surprisingly varied for such a harsh climate. The park is home to more than 1,000 plant species, 23 of which are only found in Death Valley. There are 13 species of cactus in the park.

A surprising aspect to this National Park are the number of abandoned mines. The California gold rush of 1849 left Death Valley crawling with prospectors and miners. Not much gold and silver was produced there, but left behind are between 6,000 and 10,000 abandoned mines. Ghost towns dot the backcountry.

Among other works of man in the park is a golf course at Furnace Creek Ranch. Built long before Death Valley became a national park in 1994, the Furnace Creek Golf Course is not only the world’s lowest golf course at 214 feet below sea level, it also is the only golf course in a national park.

Furnace Creek is near the low point of Death Valley surrounded by salt flats. The contrast of the harsh desert and the lush, palm tree-lined fairways of the golf course represents an enormous incongruity.

Following is a list of sites recommended by the Park Service. Access is relatively good to most of these areas.

• Golden Canyon. Hikers entering the narrows of this canyon are greeted by golden badlands. The walk is two miles.
• Artist’s Drive. This is a scenic loop drive through colorful volcanic and sedimentary hills. Artist’s Palette is especially photogenic in late afternoon light. This is a 9-mile, paved, one-way road. No vehicles more than 25 feet long.
• Devil’s Golf Course. An immense area of rock salt eroded into jagged shapes.
• Natural Bridge. A massive rock span across a narrow desert canyon. The access road is gravel and often rough. From the trailhead, it’s a one-half mile walk to the bridge.
• Badwater. The lowest point. From the parking area is a vast salt flat. You can walk as far as you want (it’s five miles across), but you won’t want to walk very far if it’s hot.
• Zabriskie Point. Surrounded by a maze of wildly eroded and vibrantly colored badlands, the view is one of the park’s most famous. It is particularly popular at sunrise and sunset.
• Twenty Mule Team Canyon. Winding through badlands, this 2.7-mile, one-way loop drive is unpaved but suitable for all vehicles other than buses, RVs and trailers.
• Dante’s View. the most breathtaking viewpoint in the park that can be accessed by vehicle. This mountain-top overlook is more than 5,000 feet above the inferno of Death Valley. The paved access road is open to all vehicles less than 25 feet in length.
• Sand Dunes. The sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells rise 100 feet above Mesquite Flat. Late afternoon light softens the harsh landscape and makes for excellent photographs.
• Mosaic Canyon. This short, narrow canyon boasts polished marble walls and mosaic patterns of breccia. A little rock scrambling is required in the slot-like lower half mile.
• Salt Creek. This salty stream is home to the ultra-rare pupfish, which have adapted to an increasingly salty environment and are only found in Death Valley.
• Titus Canyon. A 26-mile, one-way road winds through this long, narrow canyon and represents one spectacular way to enter the park from Nevada. In this canyon are lofty walls, multi-colored volcanic deposits, a mining ghost town, petroglyphs, bighorn sheep and winding narrows. A high-clearance vehicle may be needed.
• Father Crowley Vista. A landscape of dark lava flows and volcanic cinders gives way to Rainbow Canyon.
• Wildrose Charcoal Kilns. Ten beehive-shaped structures are almost perfectly preserved. They were built in 1876 to make charcoal for mining fuel out of the pinyon and juniper in the area. This is also the trailhead for Wildrose Peak.
• Lee Flat Joshua Trees. This is the best stand of tree-sized yucca plants in the park.
• Aguereberry Point. 1,000 feet higher than Dante’s View, this overlook gives a perspective over Death Valley from the west. Along the road are the remains of Pete Aguereberry’s camp and his Eureka Mine.
• Scotty’s Castle. Prospector “Death Valley Scotty” claimed this elaborate Spanish-style mansion was built by gold from his fictitious mine. In reality it was the 1920s vacation home of his wealthy friends. Park rangers offer living history tours of the castle.
• Ubehebe Crater. A 600-foot crater formed 300 years ago in a volcanic eruption that buried the surrounding area in cinders. Hike around the rim of the crater or venture down inside.
• Eureka Dunes. These dunes rise nearly 700 feet and are the highest sand dunes in California. Isolated from other dunes, they are an evolutionary island, home to rare and endangered species of plants and animals.
• The Race Track. It’s worth the effort to drive the rough, 27-mile road to this dry lakebed where rocks mysteriously move, leaving behind long tracks for visitors to ponder.
• Mosaic Canyon. This short, narrow canyon boasts polished marble walls and mosaic patterns of breccia. A little rock scrambling is required in the slot-like lower half mile.
• Salt Creek. This salty stream is home to the ultra-rare pupfish, which have adapted to an increasingly salty environment and are only found in Death Valley.
• Titus Canyon. A 26-mile, one-way road winds through this long, narrow canyon and represents one spectacular way to enter the park from Nevada. In this canyon are lofty walls, multi-colored volcanic deposits, a mining ghost town, petroglyphs, bighorn sheep and winding narrows. A high-clearance vehicle may be needed.
• Father Crowley Vista. A landscape of dark lava flows and volcanic cinders gives way to Rainbow Canyon.
• Wildrose Charcoal Kilns. Ten beehive-shaped structures are almost perfectly preserved. They were built in 1876 to make charcoal for mining fuel out of the pinyon and juniper in the area. This is also the trailhead for Wildrose Peak.
• Lee Flat Joshua Trees. This is the best stand of tree-sized yucca plants in the park.
• Aguereberry Point. 1,000 feet higher than Dante’s View, this overlook gives a perspective over Death Valley from the west. Along the road are the remains of Pete Aguereberry’s camp and his Eureka Mine.
• Scotty’s Castle. Prospector “Death Valley Scotty” claimed this elaborate Spanish-style mansion was built by gold from his fictitious mine. In reality it was the 1920s vacation home of his wealthy friends. Park rangers offer living history tours of the castle.
• Ubehebe Crater. A 600-foot crater formed 300 years ago in a volcanic eruption that buried the surrounding area in cinders. Hike around the rim of the crater or venture down inside.
• Eureka Dunes. These dunes rise nearly 700 feet and are the highest sand dunes in California. Isolated from other dunes, they are an evolutionary island, home to rare and endangered species of plants and animals.
• The Race Track. It’s worth the effort to drive the rough, 27-mile road to this dry lakebed where rocks mysteriously move, leaving behind long tracks for visitors to ponder.