Death Valley National Park, USA - travel guide

Basic facts

The Death Valley National Park includes three valleys: the Saline Valley, the Panamint Valley and the most famous Death Valley and a part of the adjacent mountain ranges. In the park, you will find high mountains as well as deep valleys and canyons. The highest point the park is the Teleskope Peak at the altitude of 3,368 meters. The most beautiful view of almost the whole valley is from the view-point Dantes View (1,669 meters) . Many tourists visit the Death Valley to have first-hand experience of what the first visitors went through 150 ago– in summer, the temperatures go well over 50 degrees and the weather is usually sunny without any clouds. There is less than 5 cm of rainfall per year in the valley. However, when it does rain, the cracked desert changes rapidly- everything comes into blossom suddenly. The desert is not that hostile as it might seem after all- scientist have discovered about 1,000 plant species in the park and there are many animals living there as well, including two endemic fishes!

Useful information

The Death Valley National Park got its name from the first settlers and their horror stories about the valley and it is still an adventurous trip to go there today. You can visit the lowest point in the western hemisphere- Badwater- at the altitude of 86 meters below sea level or one of the many local ghost towns that were built after gold or other precious resources had been discovered and were abandoned even faster when the mining ceased. However, the towns have been preserved and are now a valuable record of living at that time. Other tourist attractions include the view-point Zabriskie Point, which offers a charming sunrise. You can also admire the volcano crater Ubehebe Crater, sand dunes, the salt pan poetically called the Devil’s Golf Course or the area named the Artist's Pallette with many unbelievably colored rocks that are especially popular among photographers. The main season in the park is in winter when the weather is bearable. Visitors are advised to turn off air-conditioning in the car during the summer months- not in order for them to enjoy the heat but so that it does not overheat. Some car-rentals do not allow going with their cars to this park and they probably have a good reason for that. Apart from the main strengthened roads, there are several roads aimed for experienced off-road enthusiasts in the park. The entrance fee (valid for 7 days) , available in the visitors center Furnace Creek in the central part of the park, is 20 dollars per car and 10 dollars for a cyclist or a pedestrian.

Accommodation

There are three camps directly in the park. It can be quite uncomfortable to sleep in such high temperatures but on the other side, you will be rewarded by a view of the night-sky with countless stars. With permission, you can sleep outside the official camps, too. There are several hotels in the town Furnace Creek.

Transport

By car, follow motorway 95 and road 190 from Las Vegas , where is also the nearest international airport.

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