Park Overview
Death Valley National Park is a study in superlatives: it is both the hottest and the driest of the national parks, is home to the lowest elevation on the continent, and is the largest national park in the lower 48 states. And while its distinction of ‘hottest’ and ‘driest’ has rightly contributed to its apt name, don’t be fooled- a huge variety of plants, flowers, and even fish inhabit this incredible national treasure.
Quick Facts
Region: Along the border of eastern California and Southwestern Nevada
Park Size: 3.4 million acres
Established: October 31, 1994
Top Attractions
4. Dante’s View
If you can brave the drive up the often steep and narrow road, Dante’s View, located high atop the Black Mountains at 5,500 feet, will treat you to the best panoramic views of Death Valley. If conditions are clear, you may be able to see both the highest and lowest points in the continental U.S.- Mt. Whitney, and Badwater Basin, respectively. The landscape here is unique and was even used in the filming of Star Wars.
3. Zabriskie Point
This point, part of the Amargosa Mountain Range, overlooks a maze of vibrantly colored badlands, which were once part of a lake that dried up about 5 million years ago. The view from here is one of the most iconic in Death Valley National Park and is also a great place to take in the sunrise or sunset.
2. Hiking at Golden Canyon & Mosaic Canyon
The Golden Canyon hike features the colorful badlands, old borax mines, and amazing scenery all around. The trail is an easy 1 mile- or add some distance by venturing to any of the overlooks or adjoining trails. Mosaic Canyon is a popular walk of ¼ to a little over 2 miles and shows off colorful polished marble along the winding trail that eventually leads to a dry waterfall.
1. Artist’s Drive & Artist’s Palette
Artist’s Drive is a scenic nine-mile (one way) drive through one of the most colorful areas of Death Valley National Park. The road is reminiscent of a roller coaster at times as it makes its way through the colorful hills. Artist’s Palette is the highlight of the drive and provides spectacular photographic opportunities, especially during late afternoon.
Other popular visitor favorites include camping, birdwatching, road and mountain biking, photography, and visiting the Furnace Creek Visitor Center and Borax Museum. You can also enjoy a ranger-led adventure to gain an even better understanding of the fascinating sights, animals, and geology of the park.
Make sure to visit the Death Valley National Park website for up-to-date information on park alerts, conditions, fees, hours of operation, and helpful tips to make your visit safe and fun.
Brief History
Human habitation of Death Valley can be dated to at least 10,000 years ago. Several groups of Native Americans made their homes here, at least part of the year. These include the Nevares Spring, Mesquite Flat, Saratoga Spring, Desert Shoshone, and Timbisha Shoshone. Several members of the latter tribe still make their homes here today.
The first group of non-native people to make their way into the region in large numbers were the 49ers, chasing their dreams during the California Gold Rush; a group of whom took an alternate route and mistakenly ended up in Death Valley. Here they remained stranded for two long months, enduring starvation, thirst, and exposure before eventually finding a way out. Legend has it that upon leaving one of them looked down into the valley below and proclaimed, ‘Goodbye, Death Valley’, thereby naming the largely inhospitable land.
It wasn’t long before large-scale mining operations took off in the region, including silver, gold, lead, and copper. The longest sustained mining ventures were of talc and borate, which made prospectors more money than all other mining combined.
The mining of borax and the use of the famous Twenty Mule Teams that pulled massive wagons over grueling terrain and distances largely helped to shape the rugged image of the Old West. The formation of this identity aided in spreading the word of Death Valley’s remarkable character, landscapes, pure air, and solitude.
By the early 1900’s, most of the mining industry had collapsed, making the stark landscape and otherworldly scenery the region’s most valuable resource.
The beginning of the 1920’s saw the first tent houses in the region for the purpose of drawing tourists. In 1927, a waning borax company converted its Furnace Creek Ranch quarters into the Furnace Creek Inn, which still operates today. Soon, Death Valley became a popular winter tourist destination and in early 1933 President Hoover designated nearly 3,000 square miles of land as a national monument. However, a few months later, mining was reopened to strip and open-pit mining, which began to damage the landscape. This spurred a public outcry for greater protection of the U.S.’s national monument areas.
Thanks to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the area gained infrastructures such as trails, wells, picnic facilities, restrooms, signage, and a landing field. Visitors enjoy many of these works even today.
In 1994, President Clinton signed the Desert Protection Act, 1.3 million acres was added to the park’s territory, and Death Valley National Park was established as the largest national park in the lower 48 states.
Today, more than a million visitors enjoy the park annually.
Animals, Plants, & Environment
Despite its moniker, Death Valley National Park is home to an abundance of species that are well-adapted to life in such a harsh environment, some of which occur nowhere else in the world. Over 1,000 plant species, and more than 400 animal species- including fish and amphibians- have managed to flourish in the extreme desert environment.
Most of the plant and animal life in the park can be found near the limited water sources. The largest and most famous park resident is the bighorn sheep. Visitors may also spot deer, bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, and foxes. Smaller desert dwellers include rabbits, rattlesnakes, birds, iguanas, and the fascinating kangaroo rat.
The park also supports a remarkable array of cacti, yuccas, and wildflowers. Examples include the creosote bush and desert holly at lower elevations, up through Joshua trees, pinyon-juniper, and bristlecone pine woodlands. Much of the valley floor and lower slopes have a sparse cover with only sporadic amounts of vegetation.
Death Valley National Park is comprised the entire Death Valley, a north- to south-ward trough that formed between the Amargosa and Panamint Mountain ranges. The highest peak in the park is Telescope Peak, towering 11,049 feet above sea level. Surprisingly, the lowest point in the U.S. is a mere 15 miles away, at the Badwater Basin- 282 feet below sea level.
Extremes in temperatures are also the norm here, as Death Valley is also the driest and hottest place in the U.S. An average of just 2 inches of rain falls per year, and summer temperatures peak above 120 F°.
