Helping Your National Park

What’s Inside?1 ............... Helping Your National Park

2 ............... Park Information

3 ............... Desert Survival

4 ............... Native People

5 ............... Beyond Tourism

6 ............... Day Hikes

This year we are asking you to support your na-tional heritage in a bigger way. Many parks, includingDeath Valley National Park, are increasing entranceand camping fees to pay for public facilities, research,and the protection of natural and cultural heritage. ParkSuperintendent JT Reynolds stated, “These areas pre-serve our national heritage. America’s heritage pro-vides our national spirit. You break our heritage andyou break our spirit. You break our spirit and you breakthe country.” Protecting our heritage does not comecheaply!

In 2004, President Bush, realizing that the percent-age of tax dollars going to the National Park Servicewas not keeping up with the increasing costs of op-erations, signed the Federal Lands Recreation En-hancement Act. This Act continues to allow parks tokeep 80¢ of every $1 they collect. These funds mustbe used to accomplish projects that relate to your visi-tor use and enjoyment.

Here at Death Valley National Park, there are sev-eral areas where you can experience your money atwork. Explore the new visitor area at Badwater, tourthe newly stabilized historic structures at HarmonyBorax Works or overnight in campgrounds with newtables and grills. Some benefits to you are not as obvi-ous, but nonetheless enhance your visit to the park.

Plans for future use of these funds include a newparking area at the sand dunes and reconstruction ofthe historic Cook House at Scotty’s Castle.

The National Park Service staff is also doing itspart to protect the park. Superintendent Reynolds says,“What we accomplish in Death Valley is only possiblebecause of a dedicated crew of workers... that’s whatholds the parks together, this dedication.” Death Val-ley National Park’s committed staff continues to makeit one of the shining stars within the 388 units of theNational Park system.

But the park staff can not protect the park withoutyour help. Join them in preserving our heritage notonly for the sake of the nation, but also for the sake ofthe world. The staff of Death Valley National Parkthanks your for your continuing support.

...to conserve the scenery and the naturaland historic objects and the wildlifetherein and to provide for the enjoymentof the same in such manner and by suchmeans as will leave them unimpaired offuture generations.

NPS Organic Act 1916

7 ............... Points of Interest

8 ............... Scotty’s Castle

9 ............... Wild Death Valley

10 .............. Planning Your Visit

11 .............. Visitor Services

12 .............. Park Map

A V I S I T O R ’ S G U I D E T O

N A T I O N A L P A R KVALLEY

2006

N AT I O N A L PA R K (760) 786-3200 nps.gov/deva

DEATHVALLEY

DEATH

▼ Group size of no largerthan 8 people and 2 ve-

hicles is allowed per camp-site. Only one RV allowed per site.Larger groups wanting to camp to-gether can reserve the group sitesat Furnace Creek Campground.

▼ Generator hours are from 7 AM to7 PM, unless otherwise posted. Thesehours are chosen to accommodate theneeds of the wide variety of people whouse Death Valley’s campgrounds. Gen-erators are not allowed at Texas SpringsCampground.

Death Valley National Park andits resources belong to everyone, weall must share the responsibility of pro-tecting this land. Please remember andobey the following regulations duringyour stay:▼ Collecting or disturbing any ani-mal, plant, rock or any other natural, his-torical or archeological feature is pro-hibited.▼ All vehicles must remain on es-tablished roads. This includes motor-cycles, bicycles, and four-wheel drivevehicles. All motorized vehicles and their

RV Hookups are available only atthe concession-run Stovepipe Wells RVPark and the privately-owned PanamintSprings Resort.

Texas Springs Campground (Up-per Loop) Limits on RV site use may

apply in springtime to accomodate in-creased demand for tent campingspace.

Will you be visiting several nationalparks in the next 12 months? If so, youmay want to purchase a National ParksPass. It allows admission to any nationalpark area—including national monu-ments, recreation areas and historicsites—that charges an entrance fee.The pass covers the cardholder and any-one traveling in a private vehicle withthem. At a cost of only $50 dollars thispass is a real bargain, especially con-sidering this year’s fee increases.

Regulations Protect Your Parkdrivers must be properly licensed. Ve-hicles with off-road registration “greenstickers” may not be operated in thepark.▼ Do not feed or disturb wildlife,including coyotes, roadrunners &ravens. When wild animals are fed byhumans they tend to depend upon this“unnatural food source” rather than for-age for their natural diet.▼ Hunting and use of firearms in thepark is illegal. Firearms may be trans-ported through the park only if they areunloaded and cased.

2006 National Parks Pass

Basic Campground Rules▼ Pets must be kept on a leash nolonger than 6 feet at all times. Keep-ing your pet leashed protects othercampers and wildlife as well as your pet.Pet owners are responsible for clean-ing up after their pets.

▼ Keep pets confined or leashed.Pets are allowed only in developed ar-eas and along paved or dirt roads.▼ Camping is limited to developedcampgrounds and some backcountryareas. For details on backcountry camp-ing and to obtain a free permit, stop atthe Furnace Creek Visitor Center or anyranger station.▼ Campfires are allowed in firepitsprovided in developed campgrounds.They are prohibited elsewhere in thepark. Gathering wood is unlawful.▼ Please do not litter.

*accessible to high-clearance vehicles only. 4-wheel drive may be necessary.**Furnace Creek Campground fee changes to $12 per night from mid-April to mid-October

Campground Information

Reservations may be made for theFurnace Creek Campground and groupsites for October 15 thorough April 15.Beginning on the fifth of each month,reservations can be made five monthsin advance.

For reservations at Furnace CreekCampground and group sites call:1-800-365-2267 or visit the websiteat reservations.nps.gov

Camping Reservations

Campground Season Elevation Fee Sites Water Tables Firepits Toilets Dump Station

Furnace Creek all year -196´ $18** 136 yes yes yes flush yes

Sunset Oct-Apr -196´ $12 1000 yes no no flush yes

Texas Spring Oct-Apr sea level $14 92 yes yes yes flush yes

Stovepipe Wells Oct-Apr sea level $12 190 yes some some flush yes

Mesquite Spring all year 1800´ $12 30 yes yes yes flush yes

Emigrant (tent only) all year 2100´ free 10 yes yes no flush no

Wildrose all year 4100´ free 23 yes yes yes pit no

Thorndike* Mar-Nov 7400´ free 6 no yes yes pit no

Mahogany Flat* Mar-Nov 8200´ free 10 no yes yes pit no

from top: desert trail; Rhyolite ghost town; Jayhawker inscriptions;kit fox; Panamint City ruins; Panamint daisy.

The 2006 National Parks Pass fea-tures a photo of Death Valley NationalPark’s sand dunes near StovepipeWells. Chosen from 11,00 entries to theNational Parks Pass Experience YourAmerica Photo Contest, the prize-win-ning photo was taken by Ron Chiminelliof Leeds, New York.

You can purchase the National ParkPass at any national park where feesare collected or by visiting the websiteat www.nationalparks.org

PARK INFORMATION2

Emergency?Dial 911

Staying Safe & Sound▼ Water: Drink at least one gallon(4 liters) of water per day to replaceloss from perspiration. Carry plenty ofextra drinking water in your car.▼ Heat & Dehydration: If you feeldizzy, nauseous or a headache, get outof the sun immediately and drink plentyof water. Dampen clothing to lower yourbody temperature. Heat and dehydra-tion can kill.▼ Hiking: Do not hike in the low el-evations when temperatures are hot. Themountains are cooler in summer, but canhave snow and ice in winter.▼ Summer Driving: Stay on pavedroads in summer. If your car breaksdown, stay with it until help comes. Beprepared; carry plenty of extra water.

Death in the DunesWhen Sarah and Jason woke up that

late summer morning, it looked like itwould be just another nice day on theirhoneymoon. They were in their late 20s,physically fit, and ready for a DeathValley adventure. They had no idea ofthe disaster they were headed for.

Like so many who come to the desert,they were drawn to the sand dunes.They started on their hike that morning,enjoying the glory of the classic desertscenery. After a while, Sarah becametired; hiking on loose sand can becomedifficult and she was getting too hot. Shegave Jason the rest of her water andreturned to the Stovepipe Wells RangerStation to wait in the shade while hecontinued to the far side of the dunes.

She had already been waiting morethan an hour when the park ranger in-

vited her inside where it was cooler. Shetold the ranger she was expecting herhusband soon and that he was “outthere,” motioning with her hand towardsthe dunes. By that time, temperatureswere reaching 110ºF (44ºC) in the shade.The ranger became concerned. He sentout calls for assistance and within min-utes other rangers headed towardsStovepipe Wells. Using binoculars toscan the dune field from the flank of anearby mountain and by flying overheadin the park’s airplane, rangers spottedJason. Several of the most fit park em-ployees were dispatched to his location.When they reached him, he was uncon-scious and had labored breathing. Helater died in a Las Vegas hospital. Heatand dehydration had proven to be stron-ger than he was.

Death Valley National Parkreceives nearly one million visi-tors a year. Even when it is hot,people are able to travel throughthe valley in the comfort of airconditioned cars. Due to that easeof travel, visitors often underesti-mate the dangers of being in oneof the hottest places on Earth.

Could this death have been pre-vented? This incident tells us that evenfit and healthy people must use caution.With better planning, better timing, andenough water this story could haveended differently. (See “Staying Safe &Sound” above for more details.) Wemust all learn to respect the desert toenjoy it safely.

Survive the Drive▼ The main cause of death in

Death Valley is single-caraccidents.

▼ Follow the speed limit to helpnegotiate the narrow roads, sharpcurves and unexpected dips.

▼ Avoid speeding out of controlon steep downhill grades byshifting to a lower gear andgently pressing on the brakes.

▼ Don’t block traffic. Pull off thepavement if you want to stop toenjoy the scenery.

▼ Wear a seatbelt and make sureit is adjusted to fit snugly.

▼ Unpaved roads are subject towashouts. Check for conditionsbefore traveling these routes.

The extremes of summer in DeathValley pose the ultimate test of survivalfor wildlife. Animals must have specialadaptations of bodies and habits to sur-vive the severe climate.

Kangaroo rats can live their entirelives without drinking a drop of liquid, avery handy ability when living in a placefamous for its aridity. All of the waterthey need to survive can be metabolizedwithin their bodies from the dry seedsthey eat. They also conserve moisture;their kidneys can concentrate urine tofive times that of humans.

Kangaroo rats avoid the intense heatof the day in underground burrows thatare both cooler and higher in humiditythan outside. Water vapor in the humidair is reclaimed by special membranesin their nasal passages, and is also ab-sorbed by the food stored within the den.They may even plug the burrow’s en-trance with dirt to keep out heat andintruders.

Sidewinders are the type of unwel-come guests the kangaroo rat is trying

to keep out. These small rattlesnakesalso spends the hot days in undergrounddens. Rather than digging their own bur-rows, they simply move into one previ-ously occupied by the unlucky rodenteaten for dinner.

Although best known fortheir odd looping motion of

t r a v e l ,

sidewinders are welladapted to the ex-

tremes of Death Valley.Like kangaroo rats,

sidewinders do not need to drink water.All the moisture they need comes fromthe juicy animals they eat.

Endothermic (warm-blooded) animalssuch as kangaroo rats and humans usefood as fuel to produce body heat inter-nally, but ectothermic (cold-blooded)reptiles like sidewinders must absorb

heat from their environment. Desertshave a lot of heat, but little food, so rep-tiles are excellent desert dwellers.

The tiny pupfish of Salt Creek arealso ectothermic, yet they cannot escapethe high temperatures of solar-heatedpools. Pupfish are among the most heattolerant of all fishes. Some species evenlive in warm springs. They have beenknown to survive in water temperaturesof 112° F.

Another obstacle these fish face ishigh salinity. Pupfish can survive in wa-ter three times saltier than sea water.Excess salts are excreted through theirkidneys and gills.

During your visit, keep in mind that onlythe ability to carry water and to createartificial shelter allows you to behere in relative comfort. Youare not as physically adaptedto survive in Death Valley’sheat as its wildlife residents.

Desert Wildlife: Masters of Survival

roadrunner with prey

▼ Flash Floods: Avoid canyons dur-ing rain storms and be prepared to moveto higher ground. While driving, be alertfor water running in washes and acrossroad dips.▼ Mine Hazards: Do not enter minetunnels or shafts. Mines may be unstable,have hidden shafts, pockets of bad airand poisonous gas.▼ Dangerous Animals: Never placeyour hands or feet where you cannotsee first. Rattlesnakes, scorpions orblack widow spiders may be shelteredthere.▼ In Case of Emergency: Dial 911from any telephone or cell phone. Cellphones may not work in many parts ofthe park, do not depend on them.

3DESERT SURVIVAL

Rooted to the Land: Timbisha Shoshone & Mesquite Trees

mortar & pestle withmesquite pods

The Timbisha Shoshone Indians weredevastated to learn that pioneers mis-understood their homeland enough toname it “Death Valley.” To the peoplewho lived in the area for more than amillennium, the valley’s resources of-fered everything necessary for comfortand contentment. Traditional brushhomes made perfect desert dwellings,allowing breezes to filter in through thearrowweed walls. Men hunted jackrab-bits and bighorn sheep, using arrowstipped with stone points. Women wovewillow baskets so intricately coiled thatthey could hold water. These weresometimes decorated with patterns ofinterlocking shapes or a delicate geom-etry of lizards and butterflies.

The Timbisha’s oralhistory relates thatthey have lived in the

area since time imme-morial—and, many visitors

are surprised to learn, still livein the heart of Death Val-

ley today. To fully under-stand the valley in all itsvast dimensions, it is es-sential to be aware of this

deep connection between the naturallandscape and Timbisha Shoshone cul-ture.

Mesquite trees were always a focalpoint of Timbisha culture. Tribal mem-bers would help to care for the treesthrough the spring, monitoring the newgrowth of leaves. When ripe pods wereready to be gathered during the latespring, the harvesters would also taketime to clear away dead branches fromeach tree. The Timbisha then collectedthe fallen mesquite pods, grinding theminto a sweet flour and shaping it intocakes to take with them into the moun-tains when the valley floor grew too hot.These cakes provided food throughoutthe fall and winter, supplementing a dietof game and roasted pine nuts. In thisway, the mesquites were not just a foodsource, but part of the tribe’s reciprocalrelationship with the land—the peoplecared for the trees just as the trees pro-vided for them.

When the long string of gold seekers,borax miners, and other desert explor-ers began to cross Death Valley after1849, their Westward journeys foreveraltered the Timbisha Shoshone’s tradi-tional way of life. The ensuing story ofdisease, struggles for land, and harshcompetition for resources is tragicallyfamiliar in early American history. Whenmining companies began digging in thevalley, they obtained legal rights to manyimportant water sources that theTimbisha had used for centuries. Soonthe Pacific Coast Borax Company be-gan extracting minerals from the Fur-nace Creek area, forcing the tribe tomove from their traditional campingarea, and relocating them several timesto less desirable sites.

Death Valley became a nationalmonument in 1933, presenting additional

challenges for the Timbisha. Alreadyexploited by the mining company, manytribal members viewed the NationalPark Service as simply the newest waveof intruders. Tensions between the parkand tribe surged as federal policiesshifted from decade to decade. Afterthe tribe was uprooted for the last timein 1936, settling into the current TimbishaIndian Village at Furnace Creek, anearly superintendent arranged for theCCC to build adobe homes for nativefamilies. A less progressive administra-tion in the 1960s ordered these samehomes washed away with high-powerfire hoses as part of a policy to evicttribal members from the park. Through-out these difficult years, the tribe ar-dently remained in their village despitethe legally ambiguous situation. AsPauline Esteves, Timbisha elder andformer Tribal Council Chairperson, elo-quently wrote: “The Timbisha peoplehave lived in our homeland forever andwe will live here forever. We weretaught that we don’t end. We are partof our homeland and it is part of us. Weare people of the land. We don’t breakaway from what is part of us.”

Esteves wrote those words as thepreface to the Timbisha Homeland Act,which Congress finally passed in 2000to establish a 7000-acre land base forthe tribe within its ancestral homelands.Three hundred acres of this homelandlie within Death Valley National Park,including the Timbisha Indian Village.Today, the tribe and park service areworking cooperatively on severalprojects, but threads of frustration andpain still connect many tribal membersto memories of harsh treatment in thepast. Even after accomplishing the vitalstep of securing a land base, the Tim-bisha continue to struggle with the factthat there are few prospects of economicdevelopment in such a remote area.Despite this challenge, the tribe is nowconstructing a community center andworking on several projects to help re-invigorate their cultural traditions.

One of the most important of these isthe Mesquite Traditional Use PilotProject. The local mesquite populationhas been struggling ever since settlersdiverted much of the water for domes-tic use and irrigation of foreign datepalms and tamarisk trees, leaving lessbehind for the native trees. As the areadeveloped, even more water was usedto support the growing number of val-

ley inhabitants and tourists. In this fiercecompetition for water, the tamarisktree—commonly called the salt cedar—has invaded the mesquite groves, causedmany of the mesquites to become un-healthy, unable to produce pods or spawnnew trees.

This deterioration profoundly con-cerns the modern Timbisha, who takegreat pride in continuing the mesquiteharvesting traditions of their ancestors.Tribal members express deep distressthat “there are no new mesquite treesgrowing, only old trees dying.” To ad-dress—and ideally help reverse—themesquites’ declining health, the triberecently launched the Mesquite Tradi-tional Use Pilot Project. The study willfocus on two half-acre plots of mesquitein the Furnace Creek area, a grove his-torically harvested by the tribe that issaid to produce the sweetest pods in thearea. Situated on land that is co-man-aged by the Timbisha and the NationalPark Service, the grove’s water levelsand evaporation rates are now beingcarefully monitored. The Timbisha hopethat by practicing traditional care for themesquites, the maintained section oftrees will be restored to a healthy state.The tribe and park service have alsocollaborated to remove the invasivetamarisk trees in the area, leaving onlythe native mesquites in most sections ofthe Furnace Creek grove. It is hopedthat in the absence of the foreign tama-risk trees, the mesquites will not haveto compete so fiercely for land and wa-ter, healing their root systems and en-couraging new growth.

In many ways, the mesquite treesand the Timbisha Shoshone tribe sharea similar story. Both have lived in thevalley for centuries, their balancedlifestyles disrupted by the coming of for-eign inhabitants who crowded their landand took the water that had always beentheirs. Both the native trees and nativepeople endured pressure from newcom-ers that tried to dominate the area, butboth survived the difficult conditions untila time when their importance was againunderstood. And now, with restored landof their own to grow and the revival oftraditional ways, both the TimbishaShoshone and their mesquite trees willfind a way to thrive again in this changedworld.

“The Timbisha people have

lived in our homeland forever

and we will live here forever.

We were taught that we don’t

end. We are part of our home-

land and it is part of us. We

are people of the land. We

don’t break away from what

is part of us.”

Pauline EstevesTimbisha elder

Shoshone basket

mesquite branchin bloom

NATIVE PEOPLE4

Educators! We want to help you bringyour students to the park. We know thatbudgets are tight and transportationcosts are high. Our staff is researchinggrants and other private funding to as-sist classroom visits.

And, we are developing curriculumsfor you to use. Thanks to the efforts oflocal teachers, we have a 3rd / 4th grade

curriculum on pupfish and their environ-ment in English and in Spanish. Othercurriculums are being created focusingon some of Death Valley’s natural andcultural wonders. Your input is welcomeand extremely important.

Your classroom can also visit DeathValley National Park virtually. Log onto www.nps.gov/deva to access the

“Cool Animals in a Hot Place”eFieldTrip, suitable for ages 8-12.

If you are interested in bringing agroup of students to Death Valley Na-tional Park or assisting with our curricu-lum development, please contact ParkRanger Nancy Hadlock at (760)786-3226.

New Park Education Program

Fertile Ground for Research

Rock Stars, Test Cars, & CowsWhat do these things have in common?

They represent some of the diverse us-ers of Death Valley National Park.

People from around the world appre-ciate Death Valley’s magnificent scen-ery and wilderness resources. In 1984,the United Nations designated DeathValley as an International BiospherePreserve, recognizing it as an ecosys-tem of unique biological importance,where harmonious relationships are pro-moted between humans and the envi-ronment. Although managed by theUnited States, Death Valley is a show-case where park officials from as faraway as Hungary and Chile come toshare ideas about park management.

Death Valley’s protected environmentis very attractive to scientists for longterm study. Geologists travel here tostudy alluvial fans, fault movements,groundwater systems, and its ancientlake systems. Biologists seek knowledgeabout subterranean mollusks, rare plantgenetics, isolated lizard subspecies,pupfish ecology and population dynam-ics, specialized insects, and hot springand salt crust algae. Other scientists usethe park to investigate global issues likeworld climate change. Extraterrestrialconnections include local ground test-ing of the Mars Rover and satellite re-mote sensing techniques that can beapplied to other planets.

The wildly diverse scenery draws filmcrews and photographers. Death Val-

ley has a long cinematic history, fromearly silent films to more recent block-busters like Star Wars. Rock bands likeOasis and U2 have filmed music videosamidst the otherworldly scenery. Care-fully inspect television and magazine adsand you will regularly see shots fromthis and other national park areas.

Summer temperatures in Death Val-ley regularly exceed 115° F (46°C), mak-ing it one of the hottest places in theworld. The high temperatures drawthose who want to challenge themselvesor their machines. Over thirty differentcar makers test their new products inDeath Valley. Computers are used tomonitor cooling systems, brakes, trans-missions, fuel systems, and, of course,air conditioners.

If heat stresses machines, considerthe runners that come here. Every July,dozens of ultramarathoners run fromBadwater to Mount Whitney. This gru-eling 130-mile (210-kilometer) conteststarts at 282 feet (86 km) below sealevel and ends at the Mt. Whitneytrailhead at 8,360 feet (2,548 m). Thewinner of the year 2000 race finished injust 25 hours, 9 minutes, 5 seconds.

Cows in a national park? It happensin Death Valley National Park undervery special circumstances. A familyhas grazed livestock here since the late1800s. When part of that area wasadded to the park in 1994, they wereallowed to continue the historic use, en-

suring that park resources were pro-tected.

The Timbisha Shoshone HomelandAct, signed into law in 2000, providesfor the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe to en-gage in specific traditional activitieswithin the park. Managing springs andmesquite groves, and collecting plantsfor basket making, food, and medicineare just a few of the ways the tribe haslived here with this land for generations.

A modern phenomenon over the land-scape is the sight and sound of low levelmilitary aircraft. The park is within amilitary aircraft training area establishedby Congress where military pilots prac-tice techniques needed to avoid detec-tion by enemy radar. While the militaryhas agreed not to fly below 3000 feetabove ground level over the old DeathValley National Monument lands, theirplanes may be seen flying as low as 200feet in other parts of the park.

Yes, Death Valley National Park isunique; it contains diverse resourcesthat attract this diversity of park users.Many of the unusual park uses requirespecial permits; this is to help ensurethat all that visit parklands will not dam-age them in any way. The park was cre-ated to protect the treasures it containsso that they will be around for futuregenerations to experience and to enjoy.

Geologists have always loved DeathValley. G.K. Gilbert, a notable geolo-gist who worked in the area in the1870s, remarked that the rock forma-tions were “beautifully delineated on theslopes of the distant mountains, reveal-ing at a glance relations that in a fertilecountry would appear only as the re-sults of extended and laborious investi-gations.” In the modern day, scores ofearth scientists continue to scour thelandscape, searching for clues to refineour understanding of the geologic story.

Death Valley contains a smorgasbordof different rock types, offering heartydishes to suit the palate of a variety ofgeologists. For example, sedimentolo-gists are currently trying to understandthe formation of alluvial fans, while ig-neous petrologists attempt to determinethe crystallization history of granitic

batholiths, and metamorphic specialistsstrive to reconstruct the tectonic settingin which many of Death Valley’s rockshave been deformed. Continuing re-search also involves hydrological moni-toring to ensure the safety of publicdrinking water, to study groundwaterlevels and discharge rates, and to im-prove hydrologic models of the area.Other inquiries seek to solve mysteriessuch as the movement of the restlessstones of Racetrack playa or the dy-namics of crustal movement along theenigmatic turtleback faults.

A great deal of current research fo-cuses on the recent (Late Cenozoic)extensional deformation that has oc-curred in Death Valley. Such work in-cludes monitoring of contemporaryearthquake activity and determination ofslip rates on the numerous faults in the

area. Studies of the Death Valley FaultZone show that no major rupture hasoccurred in the last 2,000 years, indi-cating that a significant earthquake isnow likely. Recent results have alsoshown that spreading rates at YuccaMountain are much higher than previ-ously estimated, raising further concernsabout designating this site as a reposi-tory for high-level nuclear waste.

Questions remain that will challengepresent and future generations of ge-ologists. Because Death Valley NationalPark has been preserved in a relativelyundisturbed state, it provides rare op-portunities for researchers to study natu-ral systems. The region is geologicallyalive—as is the science that strives tocomprehend this dynamic landscape.

from top:bristlecone pine; charcoal kilns; Little Bridge; rock mimulus;salt detail

5BEYOND TOURISM

Golden Canyon TrailLength: 1 mile, one-way.

Difficulty: easy

Start: Golden Canyon parking area, 2miles south of Hwy 190 on Badwater Rd.

Description: Easy trail through colorfulcanyon. Red Cathedral located ¼ mileup canyon from last numbered marker.Interpretive trail guides are available.

Gower Gulch LoopLength: 4 miles round-trip.

Difficulty: moderate

Start: Golden Canyon parking area, 2miles south of Hwy 190 on Badwater Rd.

Description: Colorful badlands, canyonnarrows, old borax mines. Hike up GoldenCanyon to marker #10, then follow trailover badlands and down Gower Gulch tofinish loop. Two easy dryfalls must bescrambled down. Ask for Gower Gulchhandout at Visitor Center.

Natural Bridge CanyonLength: ½ mile to natural bridge,1 mile to end of canyon.

Difficulty: easy

Start: Natural Bridge parking area, 1.5miles off Badwater Road on gravel road,13.2 miles south of Hwy 190.

Description: Uphill walk through narrowcanyon. Large natural bridge at ½ mile.Trail ends at dry waterfall.

Salt Creek TrailLength: ½ mile round-trip.

Difficulty: easy

Start: Salt Creek parking area, 1 mile offHwy 190 on graded gravel road, 13.5 milesnorth of Furnace Ck.

Description: Boardwalk along smallstream. Good for viewing rare pupfishand other wildlife. Best in late winter/earlyspring.

Sand DunesLength: 2 miles to highest dune.

Difficulty: easy to moderate

Start: 2.2 miles east of Stovepipe Wellson Hwy 190.

Description: Graceful desert dunes, nu-merous animal tracks. Walk cross-coun-try to 100 ft. high dunes. Best in morningor afternoon for dramatic light. Also goodfor full moon hikes. No trail.

Mosaic CanyonLength: ½ to 2 miles, one-way.

Difficulty: moderate

Start: Mosaic Canyon parking area, 2miles from Stovepipe Wells Village ongraded gravel road.

Description: Popular walk up a narrow,polished marble-walled canyon. First ½mile is narrowest section. Some slickrockscrambling necessary. “Mosaics” of frag-ments of rocks cemented together canbe seen in canyon walls. Bighorn sheepsighted occasionally.

Titus Canyon NarrowsLength: 1.5 miles, one-way.

Difficulty: easy

Start: Titus Canyon Mouth parking area,3 miles off Scotty’s Castle Road on gradedgravel road.

Description: Easy access to lower TitusCanyon. Follow gravel road up wash 1.5miles through narrows or continue to KlareSprings and petroglyphs at 6.5 miles.

Keane Wonder Mine TrailLength: 1 mile, one-way.

Difficulty: strenuous

Start: Keane Wonder Mill parking area,3 miles off Beatty Cutoff Road on gradedgravel road.

Description: Steep, narrow trail from millruins to mine 1500' above. Sweepingviews of Death Valley. Do not enter anymines - they are unstable and hazardous.An alternative hike in the same area is toKeane Wonder Spring at the base of themountians 1 mile north of the milltrailhead.

Little Hebe Crater TrailLength: ½ mile, one-way.

Difficulty: moderate

Start: Ubehebe Crater parking area, 8 mileswest of Scotty’s Castle.

Description: Volcanic craters and elabo-rate erosion. Hike along west rim of Ube-hebe Crater to Little Hebe and severalother craters. Continue around Ubehebe’srim for 1.5 mile loop hike.

Death Valley ButtesLength: 1.2 mile to top of first butte

Difficulty: strenuous

Start: Hell’s Gate parking area on Day-light Pass Road.

Description: Climb prominent buttes atfoot of the Grapevine Mountains. FromHell’s Gate, walk SW ½ mile to buttes.Scramble up ridge to summit of first butte.

The second butte is more difficult and 0.7mile further. Descend 300' to saddle,then climb 500' to next summit. The ridgesare narrow and exposed with steep drop-offs. No trail.

Fall CanyonLength: 3 miles, one-way.

Difficulty: moderately strenuous

Start: Titus Canyon Mouth parking area,3 miles off Scotty’s Castle Road on gradedgravel road.

Description: Spectacular wilderness can-yon near Titus Canyon. Follow informalpath ½ mile north along base of moun-tains, drop into large wash atcanyon's mouth, then hike 2½miles up canyon to 35' dryfall.You can climb around thedryfall 300' back down canyonon south side for access to bestnarrows. Canyon continues another 3miles before second dryfall blocks pas-sage. No trail.

Before starting a hike, learn the currentconditions, water availability, and weatherforecasts. Backpackers should obtain a freepermit.

Always carry water. Two liters for a shortwinter dayhike; 4 liters or more in the sum-mer or for long hikes.

Constructed trails are rare in this park.Trails are provided in places that are heavilyused and sensitive to damage. If a trail isthere, please use it. Most hiking routes inthe park are cross-country, up canyons, oralong ridges. Footing can be rough & rocky.

Hiking in low elevations can be dan-

gerous when it is hot. The high peaks canbe covered with snow in winter andspring. The best time to hike in the parkis October to April.

Dogs and bicycles are not allowed ontrails or in the wilderness.

Things to Know Before You Go

Trails & Routes

Dante's RidgeLength: ½ miles to first summit, 4 milesone-way to Mt. Perry

Difficulty: moderate

Start: Dantes View parking area

Description: Follow ridge north of DantesView for spectacular vistas and a coolplace to escape summer heat. No trailfor last 3.5 miles

Wildrose Peak TrailLength: 4.2 miles, one-way.

Difficulty: moderately strenuous

Start: Charcoal Kilns parking area on up-per Wildrose Canyon Road.

Description: A good high peak to climb(9,064 ft.). Trail begins at north end ofkilns with an elevation gain of 2,200 ft.Spectacular views beyond 2 mile point.Steep grade for last mile.

Telescope Peak TrailLength: 7 miles, one-way.

Difficulty: strenuous

Start: Mahogany Flat Campground at endof upper Wildrose Canyon Road. Rough,steep road after the Charcoal Kilns.

Description: Trail to highest peak in thepark (11,049 ft.) with a 3,000 ft. eleva-tion gain. Climbing this peak in the win-ter requires ice axe and crampons, andonly advised for experienced winter climb-ers. Trail is usually snow-free by June.

Salt flats at Badwater Basin

Summer Hikes

DAY HIKES6

Scotty’s Castle Area

Death Valley National Park has 3.3million acres of desert and mountains,making it the largest national park in thecontiguous United States. The possibili-ties for discovery are endless!

These are just a few of the mostpopular points of interest in the park.Most are easily accessible, but somerequire hiking or a vehicle with highground clearance.

Before venturing out into the park,stop at the visitor center or a ranger sta-tions to obtain your park permit, get amap and to inquire about current roadconditions. Enjoy your park.

▼ Scotty’s Castle: Prospector “DeathValley Scotty” claimed this elaborateSpanish-style mansion was built by goldfrom his fictitious mine. In reality, it wasthe 1920s vacation home of his wealthyfriends. Today, living history tours of thecastle’s richly furnished interior are givenby costumed park rangers.▼ Ubehebe Crater: More than 3000years ago the desert silence was shat-tered by a massive volcanic explosioncaused by the violent release of under-ground steam pressure. When the cin-

▼ The Racetrack: Rocks mysteri-ously slide across the dry lakebed of theRacetrack, leaving behind long tracksfor visitors to ponder. A high-clearancevehicle is needed to traverse the 27miles of rough dirt road, but ask at aranger station for current road condi-tions.

Stovepipe Wells Area▼ Sand Dunes: Tawny dunes smoothlyrising nearly 100 feet from MesquiteFlat. Late afternoon light accentuatesthe ripples and patterns while morningis a good time to view tracks of noctur-nal wildlife. Moonlight on the dunes canbe magical, yet night explorers shouldbe alert for sidewinder rattlesnakes dur-ing the warm season.▼ Mosaic Canyon: Polished marblewalls and odd mosaic patterns of brec-cia make this small canyon a favorite.The twisting lower canyon is so narrowhikers must walk through it single-file.Some rock scrambling is required. Thecanyon opens up after ½ mile to revealthe heights of Tucki Mountain, but hik-ers can continue another 1½ miles.

▼ Salt Creek: This stream of saltywater is the only home to a rare pupfish,Cyprinodon salinus. Springtime is bestfor viewing pupfish; in summer the lowerstream dries up and in winter the fishare dormant. The wooden boardwalkloops ½ mile through stands ofpickleweed and past pools reflectingbadland hills. Wheelchair accessible.▼ Titus Canyon: One of the largestand most scenically diverse canyons inthe park. Within its lofty walls visitorscan find multi-colored volcanic depos-its, a ghost town, Indian petroglyphs, big-horn sheep, and deep, winding narrows.Titus Canyon is accessible to high-clear-ance vehicles via a 26-mile, one-waydirt road beginning outside the park.Those with standard vehicles may reachthe canyon’s mouth from the west via atwo-way section of road.

▼ Lee Flat Joshua Trees: The fineststands of tree-sized yuccas in the parkgrow in this mountain-rimmed valley.Take the paved but rough Saline ValleyRoad to a junction in Lee Flat. Thegravel roads in either direction will pro-vide good views of Joshua trees.

▼ Father Crowley Vista: A landscapeof dark lava flows and volcanic cindersabruptly gives way to the gash of Rain-bow Canyon below this viewpoint. Walkthe dirt track east of the parking lot fora grand overlook of northern PanamintValley.

Panamint Springs Area▼ Wildrose Charcoal Kilns: Theseten beehive-shaped structures are amongthe best preserved in the west. Built in1876 to provide fuel to process silver/lead ore, they still smell of smoke today.The last 2 miles of gravel road to thekilns are passable to most vehicles.

▼ Golden Canyon: Hikers enteringthe narrows of this canyon are greetedby golden badlands within. An interpre-tive pamphlet is available. Two-mileround-trip walk.▼ Artist’s Drive: Scenic loop drivethrough multi-hued volcanic and sedi-mentary hills. Artist’s Palette is espe-cially photogenic in late afternoon light.The 9-mile paved road is one-way andis only drivable with vehicles less than25 feet in length.▼ Devil’s Golf Course: Immense areaof rock salt eroded by wind and rain into

Furnace Creek Areajagged spires. So incredibly serrated that“only the devil could play golf on suchrough links.” The unpaved road leadingto it is often closed after rain.▼ Natural Bridge: Massive rock spanacross interesting desert canyon. Thespur road is gravel and often rough.From the trailhead, the natural bridge isa ½ mile walk.▼ Badwater: Lowest point in the West-ern Hemisphere, Badwater Basin is asurreal landscape of vast salt flats. Atemporary lake may form here afterheavy rainstorms. Do not walk on thesalt flats in hot weather.

▼ Zabriskie Point: Surrounded by amaze of wildly eroded and vibrantly col-ored badlands, this spectacular view isone of the park’s most famous. ZabriskiePoint is a popular sunrise and sunsetviewing location. The viewpoint is ashort walk uphill from the parking area.▼ Dante’s View: The most breathtak-ing viewpoint in the park, this mountain-top overlook is more than 5000 feetabove the inferno of Death Valley. Thepaved access road is open to all vehiclesless than 25 feet in length.

from top: Zabriskie Point; screwbean mesquite;Natural Bridge; saltgrass; The Racetrack

ders and dust settled, this 600 feet deepcrater remained. Although easily visiblefrom the paved road, hikers may wantto circle the crater rim to see smallercraters.▼ Eureka Dunes: Rising majesticallynearly 700 feet, these are the highestdunes in California. Isolated from otherdunes, they are an evolutionary island,home to rare and endangered speciesof plants and animals. To give them ex-tra protection, the dunes are off limitsto sandboarding and horseback riding.

Titus Canyon Narrows

POINTS OF INTEREST7

Driving through Grapevine Canyon inthe northern half of Death Valley Na-tional Park you happen upon a Spanish-style castle that is definitely out of placein this desolate landscape. You rub youreyes wondering if you have just seen adesert mirage. Well, your eyes aren’ttricking you; this opulent enclave isDeath Valley Ranch, though most peopleknow it as Scotty’s Castle. Though itmay look like just a mansion, there isevidence of an amazing friendship scat-tered throughout the ranch complex.

Death Valley Scotty was born WalterScott in Cynthiana, Kentucky in 1872.When he was 11 years old, he left homeand headed to Nevada where he foundwork as a horse wrangler with his olderbrothers. He lived the life of a cowboyuntil he was 17 years old when he wasrecruited for the Buffalo Bill travelingWild West show. He performed as aroughrider and sharp shooter with theshow for 12 seasons, but when heshowed up late to the opening day pa-rade in New York City, Buffalo Bill wasnot pleased. The resulting disagreementled Scotty to quit the show. Scotty thenturned to mining speculation as a newsource of income. He claimed he had agold mine in Death Valley and convincedseveral wealthy businessmen to investin it. Albert Johnson, the president ofthe National Life Insurance Companyin Chicago invested thousands of dol-

lars in Scotty’s mine without receivinga single gold nugget. Johnson becamesuspicious of Scotty and asked if hecould come to Death Valley to see thegold mine for himself.

Scotty was only planning on havingJohnson around for a couple of weeks ,but he stayed in Death Valley for anentire month. The desert climate andvigorous activity improved many ofJohnson’s health problems. But perhapsthe most captivating aspect of DeathValley was Scotty himself. Exploring thedesert together, Scotty and Johnson be-gan a friendship that would last the re-mainder of their lives. Albert and his wifeBessie enjoyed their repeated visits toDeath Valley so much that they decidedto build a vacation home in GrapevineCanyon. They named it Death ValleyRanch but Scotty, ever the publicity

hound, called it his Castle.Albert Johnson and Death Valley

Scotty came from two very differentplaces with very different backgrounds.Under normal circumstances, their pathsmight never have crossed. Yet thesepolar opposites had two things in com-mon: a love of the desert and the joy ofspending time in each other’s company.Mr. Johnson treasured the friendship hehad with Scotty more any money he mayhave lost in their adventures together,claiming, “Scotty repaid me in laughs.”Johnson and Scotty had a unique asso-ciation where friendship and a good storytrumped the importance of money and

the truth. Scotty’sCastle is a monu-ment to thatfriendship.

A Monument To Friendship

Underground Mysteries TourVisitors who tour the interior of

Scotty’s Castle walk away with diverseideas about the Castle’s significance.One of the most surprising is thatScotty’s Castle is a technological mys-tery of self sufficiency and comfort.

Underground Mysteries tours are notjust for engineers or the mechanicallyinclined. Most visitors are in awe ofwhat lies beneath the Castle. Guided bya uniformed ranger, the tour takes visi-tors into the Castle basement, through amaze of tunnels, and into the Power-house.

The intricate one-quarter mile of tun-nels beneath the Castle contain the his-toric utilities, including a battery roomwhere energy was stored for latter use.Prior to 1964, electricity was primarilyproduced by a hydro-electric powerplant, ran by water from a spring locatedin upper Grapevine Canyon. The his-toric utilities provided Castle residentswith contemporary amenities and physi-cal comfort.

Historic tiles are stored in the tunnels,including the swimming pool tiles. Visi-tors standing before the pool viewing

Tours ofScotty’s Castle▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Hours of operation for Scotty’s

Castle and grounds vary season-ally. Contact the castle at760-786-2392 for current hours.

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Tickets are sold first come, firstserved. Large groups are recom-mended to make reservations.

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Living History Tours: 50 minutetour of the interior of the mainhouse and annex by costumedguides conducted as if the year is1939. These tours are given atleast once an hour. ADA acces-sible.

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Underground Mysteries Tour:50 minute tour of the castle’sbasement, tunnels and Peltonwaterwheel. Presented 4 timesdaily. This tour is not ADAaccessible.

Tour fees:

Adults .............................. $11.00

Age 62 or over ................ $9.00

Adults with a disability ..... $6.00

Children (6-15 years) ........ $6.00

Children under 5 .............. free

Save $2 by buying tickets to bothtypes of tours during your visit.

windows can imagine how the swim-ming pool might have appeared had itbeen completed. The ranger will alsoshow visitors how the National ParkService is preserving and protecting theCastle for the enjoyment of future gen-erations.

Underground Mysteries tours are aninteresting alternative for visitors whohave already attended a living historyCastle tour. For the first time visitor,combining both tours makes for a com-plete Castle experience. UndergroundMysteries tours are not ADA accessible.

Scotty’s Castle chimes tower

Living History TourA trip through Scotty’s Castle is a

memorable part of any visit to DeathValley. Living History Tours are led bypark rangers dressed in 1930s attire whotake you back in time to the year 1939.You can see intricate details of the iron-work, hand-carved California redwood,clothes worn by Scotty and theJohnsons as well as original furniture.You will discover some of the amenitiesthat made the Castle a truly uniquehome. You experience nearly all of theopulently furnished rooms inside thehouse including the Upper Music Roomwhere you will be treated to the soundsof a 1,121 pipe theater organ. Every-day, ranger-led tours take visitors inside

the Main House and Annex portions ofthe Castle each hour from May to Oc-tober and more frequently from Novem-ber to April. Buy your tickets at the ticketoffice upon your arrival to ensure yourspot on the next available program.While you wait, the grounds of theCastle are open for exploration. Youmay explore the desert environment ona hike through Tie Canyon or take a strollup to the stables where you will findweather-beaten cars that the Johnsonsand Scotty owned. You can walk overto the power house to find generatorsand a Pelton water wheel used to pro-vide power for the entire Castle com-plex. Another trail leads you up to Windy

Point and Scotty’s grave.The National Park Service needs

your help to protect the buildings andfurnishings. Be sure to bring your flashcameras, but please leave your tripods,backpacks, and water bottles in yourvehicle. Food, liquids, gum and tobaccoproducts are all prohibited in the Castle.Please do not touch anything inside theCastle as skin oils and detergent can ir-reversibly damage the irreplaceablemuseum objects found throughout thehouse. With your help, Scotty’s Castlewill be here for future generations toenjoy.

SCOTTY’S CASTLE8

What is Wilderness?“If future generations are to re-

member us with gratitude rather

than contempt, we must leave

them something more than the

miracles of technology. We must

leave them a glimpse of the world

as it was in the beginning . . .”

President Lyndon B. Johnson,upon signing the

Wilderness Act, 1964

Wilderness is a word of many mean-ings. From a place to be feared to aplace to be revered, wilderness canevoke images of wild animals, cascad-ing streams, jagged mountains, vast prai-ries, or immense deserts. For individu-als, wilderness can mean physical chal-lenge, grand vistas, solitude, community,renewal, or respite from a complex tech-nological society.

On September 3, 1964, PresidentLyndon B. Johnson signed the Wilder-ness Act. This law states: “A wilder-ness, in contrast with those areas whereman and his own works dominate thelandscape, is hereby recognized as anarea where the earth and its commu-nity of life are untrammeled by man....”

The word untrammeled captures theessence of wilderness. Simply put un-trammeled means “free of constraint orunhindered.” Wilderness areas areplaces where a conscious decision hasbeen made by the American people to

let nature prevail. In wilderness, naturalprocesses are the primary force actingupon the land, and the developments ofmodern technological society are sub-stantially unnoticeable.

The Wilderness Act reached beyonddefining wilderness. The goal of the Actwas to preserve wilderness and the wil-derness experience for future genera-tions. But, why did Americans feel theneed to preserve wilderness for futuregenerations?

Citizens realized that even thoughwild lands were protected as a nationalpark or national forest, humans couldstill affect the landscape in ways thatdiminished its natural qualities. The Wil-derness Act was a response to publicconcern that wild areas be protectedpermanently by law, not subject to thediscretion of agencies or administrations.This desire for permanent protection isheard in the opening words of the Wil-derness Act. Congress declared: “Inorder to assure that an increasing popu-lation, accompanied by expanding settle-ment and growing mechanization, doesnot occupy and modify all areas withinthe United States...leaving no lands des-ignated for preservation and protectionin their natural condition, it is herebydeclared to be the policy of the Con-gress to secure for the American peopleof present and future generations thebenefits of an enduring resource of wil-derness.”

The Wilderness Act protects not only

Death Valleywilderness facts:

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Death Valley was protected as anational monument in 1933 and re-designated a national park in 1994.▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Death Valley is the largest Na-tional Park in the lower 48 states.▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ About 95% of Death Valley Na-tional Park is designated wilderness.▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ The National Park Service man-ages more designated wildernessacreage than any other land man-agement agency in the U.S.A.▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ California has the most designatedwilderness acreage in the lower 48states, about 13.7% of the state iswilderness.

the tangible resources of wilderness—habitat for wildlife, free flowing streams,watersheds, biological diversity, culturalartifacts and historic structures—butalso the intangible “benefits of an en-during resource of wilderness.”

The diverse benefits of wildernessvary according to the individual whocontemplates wilderness or seeks a wil-derness experience. Wilderness areasprovide opportunities for physical andmental challenge, self-reliance, and soli-tude. As a haven from the pressures ofmodern society, wilderness can inspirepersonal renewal, artistic expression,and the opportunity to explore Ameri-can heritage. Some people appreciatewilderness from afar, overlooking ex-pansive vistas of wild lands from a road-side or simply by imagining wildernessareas in their minds.

Wilderness was passed on to us byindividuals, known and unknown, whoworked to preserve their dream, anAmerican dream, of public lands pro-tected by law to be forever wild. Theprimary author of the Wilderness Act,Howard Zahniser, stated: “The wilder-ness that has come to us from the eter-nity of the past we have the boldness toproject into the eternity of the future.”

Wilderness areas offer glimpses intothe past and provide places to envisionthe future.reprinted from an National Park ServiceWilderness Site Bulletin

Keep Wildlife WildThe coyote is the icon of wildness in

most desert parks. When we see a coy-ote eating from peoples hands, roamingpicnic areas and waiting roadside forhandouts we lose a lot of that wild ex-perience we originally came to the parkto enjoy.

Coyotes are both scavengers andpredators and—like human beings—would rather take the easy way out.They will eat at any opportunity. Whenvisitors offer food, coyotes will gladlytake it. Death Valley NationalPark is their home; they be-long here, but feeding wildanimals does not. Infact, it is illegal.

The law is in-tended to protectpark resourcesand people.

Feeding wild animals habituates themto humans and our food. Coyotes losetheir natural fear of humans and can be-come aggressive when food is not forth-coming or if they feel cornered orthreatened. This poses a hazard to thevisitor. Coyotes can inflict serious bitewounds and have the potential to carryrabies. Small children and pets couldbecome targets of hungry or angry coy-otes. In addition, when a visitor stops inthe road to feed or photograph a coyotethe visitor and coyote both become traf-fic hazards.

An oft posed questionto rangers is, “Why don’t

you just trap and relocate theanimal?” When you relocate

a coyote you are placing itin the territory of another

coyote. One of thethem will end up in a

marginal habitatand could starve.As long as visi-

tors are feeding coy-otes, the animal’s “pre-

ferred” habitat is wherethe visitors are. If relo-cated, the coyote will at-tempt to return and may

starve or be hit by an automobileduring the journey. For these reasons

National Park Service does not relocateanimals at Death Valley.

However, the problem still exists andmore drastic measures are being taken.Current policy in Death Valley NationalPark is to haze the habituated animal byinflicting mild pain to deter the coyotefrom returning to the site and break it ofits begging behavior. Only a selectednumber of well trained National ParkService employees are allowed to con-duct these activities. Under no circum-stances should you, the visitor, engagein wildlife hazing.

Although unpleasant, hazing is betterthan the final alternative, euthanasia. Inorder to protect the visitors and end thecycle of habituated animals many parkshave euthanized animals. It is not anactivity that any park employee wantsto undertake.

A begging coyote’s behavior is not theanimals’ fault. It is doing what comeseasiest, but that is not always the mosthealthful. Even with the Park Servicetaking the above measures, YOU arethe most important link in solving thisproblem. Please help us keep our wild-life wild and alive by not feeding any ofthe wild animals in Death Valley or anyother National Park.

left: coyote with prey right: blue-eyed grass, dragonfly, & yerba mansa

WILD DEATH VALLEY9

▼ A Traveler's Guide to Death Val-ley National Park (Lawson) Beauti-ful color photographs, informative textand maps organized into chapters de-scribing areas of the park to visit in oneday. 42 pages. $8.95▼ Best Easy Day Hikes: Death Val-ley (Cunningham & Burke) Includesconcise descriptions and simple mapsof 23 short, easy-to-follow routes withinthe park. 120 pages. $6.95▼ Hiking Death Valley: A Guide toits Natural Wonders and Mining Past(Digonnet) A comprehensive guidebookproviding 280 hiking/driving destinationsranging from easy day hikes to multiple-day treks. 542 pages. $19.95

The Death Valley Natural History Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing visitors to Death ValleyNational Park with a quality educational experience. These suggested offerings from our publications were chosen to helpyou plan your visit and make the most of the time you spend in Death Valley. Prices may change without notice.

Useful Books & Maps

P.O. Box 188

Death Valley, CA 92328

1-800-478-8564devahstry@aol.com

▼ Death Valley SUV Trails (Mitchell)This is a four-wheeler’s guide to 46 in-teresting back road excursions in thegreater Death Valley Region. 314 pages.$19.95▼ Death Valley National Park GuideMap (Automobile Club of Southern Cali-fornia) A detailed map including pointsof interest, lodging and restaurants,campgrounds, supplies and services withdescriptions. $4.95▼ Southern Nevada & Death ValleyArea Map (California State Automo-bile Association) A map covering thearea from Las Vegas to the SouthernSierra Nevada. Includes Death Valley,Lake Mead, Sequoia-Kings Canyon andMojave Preserve. $4.95

The Best Time to Visit

California▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Death Valley National Park

760-786-3200nps.gov/deva

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Devils Postpile National Monument760-934-2289nps.gov/depo

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Joshua Tree National Park760-367-5500nps.gov/jotr

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Manzanar National Historic Site760-878-2932nps.gov/manz

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Mojave National Preserve760-733-4040nps.gov/moja

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Sequoia-Kings Canyon Nat’l. Parks559-565-3341nps.gov/seki

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Yosemite National Park209-372-0200nps.gov/yose

Utah▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Bryce Canyon National Park

435-834-5322nps.gov/brca

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Cedar Breaks National Monument435-586-9451nps.gov/cebr

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Zion National Park435-772-3256nps.gov/zion

Nearby National Park Areas

Death Valley National Park is usu-ally considered a winter park, but it ispossible to visit here all year. When isthe best time to visit? It all depends onwhat you’re looking for.▼ Autumn arrives in late October, withwarm but pleasant temperatures andgenerally clear skies. The camping sea-son begins in fall and so do the RangerPrograms, which continue throughspring. Although it is relatively un-crowded at this time of year, the weeksleading up to Death Valley ‘49ers En-campment (second week in November)and the Thanksgiving holiday are busy.▼ Winter has cool days, chilly nightsand rarely, rainstorms. With snow cap-ping the high peaks and low angled win-ter light, this season is especially beauti-ful for exploring the valley. The periodafter Thanksgiving and before Christmasis the most uncrowded time of the entireyear. Peak winter visitation periods in-clude Christmas to New Years, MartinLuther King Day weekend in Januaryand Presidents Day weekend in Febru-ary. Reservations will be helpful.

▼ Springtime is the most popular timeto visit Death Valley. Besides warm andsunny days, the possibility of spring wild-flowers is a big attraction. If the previ-ous winter brought rain, the desert canput on an impressive floral display, usu-ally peaking in late March to early April.Check our website for wildflower up-dates. Spring break for schools through-out the west brings families and studentsto the park from the last week of Marchthrough the week after Easter. Camp-grounds and lodging are usually packedat that time, so reservations are recom-mended.▼ Summer starts early in Death Val-ley. By May the valley is too hot formost visitors, yet throughout the hottestmonths, visitors from around the worldstill flock to the park. Lodging and camp-ing are available, but only the most hardywill want to camp in the low elevationsin the summer. Most summer visitorstour by car to the main points of interestalong the paved roads but do little elsedue to the extreme heat. Those want-ing to hike will find the trails to Tele-

scope and Wildrose Peaks are at theirbest in summer, but it is best to wait untilautumn for most other hikes.

Arizona▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Grand Canyon National Park

928-638-7888nps.gov/grca

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Pipe SpringNational Monument928-643-7105nps.gov/pisp

Nevada▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Lake Mead National Rec. Area

702-293-8990nps.gov/lame

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Great Basin National Park775-234-7331nps.gov/grba

Average Max Average Min

January 65°F / 18°C 39°F / 4°C

February 72°F / 22°C 46°F / 8°C

March 80°F / 27°C 53°F / 12°C

April 90°F / 32°C 62°F / 17°C

May 99°F / 37°C 71°F / 22°C

June 109°F / 43°C 80°F / 27°C

July 115°F / 46°C 88°F / 31°C

August 113°F / 45°C 85°F / 29°C

September 106°F / 41°C 75°F / 24°C

October 92°F / 33°C 62°F / 16°C

November 76°F / 24°C 48°F / 9°C

December 65°F / 19°C 39°F / 4°C

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Record High: 134°F / 57°C July 1913

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Record Low: 15°F / -9°C January 1913

Official weather station at Furnace Creek.

Temperatures

▼ Death Valley National Park Map(Trails Illustrated-National GeographicMaps) Waterproof, tearproof, 100%plastic topographic map. Includedbackcountry road descriptions, trails/routes, and safety tips. $9.95

coyote melon

Death ValleyNaturalHistoryAssociation

PLANNING YOUR TRIP10

Kids!You can become a

JuniorRanger!

Interdenominational Christian Worshipon Sundays at 9:00 AM at the FurnaceCreek Visitor Center Auditorium.

Furnace Creek Visitor Center

Visit our Website at:

nps.gov/deva▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Museum

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Bookstore

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Information

(760) 786-3200The Visitor Center is operated by the National Park Service. Open 8AM-5PM daily.The Death Valley Natural History Association (a non-profit organization) operates the bookstore.

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Orientation Programs

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Ranger Talks

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Evening Programs

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Motel

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Restaurant

Panamint Springs(775) 482-7680Panamint Springs Resort is privately owned and operated.

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Campground

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ RV Hook-ups

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Showers

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Gas Station 24 HOUR W/ CREDIT CARD

RecyclingJoin the National Park Service, XanterraParks & Resorts, U.S. Postal Service andTimbisha Shoshone Tribe by recycling.

Look for recycling bins at thecampgrounds, visitor center, rangerstations, post office and hotels.

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Paper: mixed paper, includingmagazines, books, & newspapers

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Aluminum cans: please crush

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Glass containers: please rinse

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Plastic bottles: remove caps, rinse& crush

Stovepipe Wells

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Motel

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Restaurant & Bar

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ RV Hook-ups

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Gas Station 24 HOUR W/ CREDIT CARD

(760) 786-2387Stovepipe Wells Village is a park concession, operated and managed by Xanterra Parks & Resorts.

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Convenience Store

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Gift Shop

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ATM

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Swimming Pool

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Showers

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Paved Airstrip

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Ranger Station

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Furnace Creek Chevron:AAA Towing Service (24 hour)

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ California: Baker, Bishop, LonePine, Ridgecrest

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Nevada: Beatty, Pahrump, Tonopah

Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Motel

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Restaurants and Bars

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ General Store

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ATM

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Gift Shops

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Swimming Pools

(760) 786-2345Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch is privately owned and managed by Xanterra Parks & Resorts.

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Gas/Diesel 24 HOUR W/ CREDIT CARD

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Tire Repair & Towing

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Propane 8AM - 4PM

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Showers

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Laundromat

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Post Office

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Paved Airstrip

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Borax Museum

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Horse & Carriage Rides

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Golf Course

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Tennis Courts

Auto Repair▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Beatty Clinic

Beatty, NV (775) 553-2208

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Pahrump Urgent Care FacilityPahrump, NV (775) 727-6060

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Death Valley Health CenterShoshone, CA (760) 852-4383

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Southern Inyo Co. Hospital LonePine, CA (760) 876-5501

▼▼▼▼▼ Nye County Medical CenterTonopah, NV (775) 482-6233

Medical Services

Church Services

Scotty’s Castle

Tour fees:

Adults ..................................... $11.00

Age 62 or over ....................... $9.00

Adults with a disability ............ $6.00

Children (6-15 years) ............... $6.00

Children under 5 ..................... free

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Daily Tours of Castle

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Self-guided Walking Trails

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Museum

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Bookstore

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Gift Shop and Snack Bar

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Gas Station 9AM-5PM

(760) 786-2392Scotty’s Castle is operated by the National Park Service. Living History tours are offered by park rangers. Hours vary seasonally.The concession is operated and managed by Xanterra Parks & Resorts.

Furnace Creek Inn

Want to have fun while exploringDeath Valley? You can become aJunior Ranger with the JuniorRanger booklet that can be pickedup at any Death Valley NationalPark Visitor Center. Just completethe right number of activities foryour age and get your booklet signedby a Park Ranger. Upon comple-tion of your booklet and after recit-ing the Junior Ranger pledge, youwill receive your Junior Rangerbadge.

Why not join a Park Ranger fora Junior Ranger Program andreceive a certificate? During thefall, winter or spring, stop by a Visi-tor Center at Furnace Creek orScotty’s Castle to check on avail-ability, times, and locations. Presentyour Junior Ranger certificate orcompleted Junior Ranger booklet atany Visitor Center bookstore andyou can purchase a special JuniorRanger patch for a small fee. Whata great way to explore Death Val-ley!

Living History Tours: Tour of theinterior of the main house and annexby costumed guides conducted as ifthe year is 1939.

Underground Mysteries Tour:Tour of the castle’s basement,tunnels and Pelton waterwheel.

VISITOR SERVICES11

D E AT H

V A L L E Y

N AT I O N A L

P A R K

267

374

190

190

136

190

190

178

127

178

127

373

95

95

395

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★★

★★

★ ★

★

★

★

★

★

★

▲

▲

▲

ScottysCastle

MESQUITESPRING

Ubehebe Crater

Salt Creek

SandDunes

KeaneWonderMine

Rhyolite(ghost town)

EMIGRANT

StovepipeWellsVillage

FALL

CA

NY

ON

Wildrose Peak

Telescope Peak

Aguereberry Point

Father Crowley Point

WILDROSE

TEXAS SPRING

SUNSET

Furnace CreekGolden Canyon

Zabriskie Point

Twenty Mule Team Canyon

ArtistsDrive

BadwaterTHORNDIKE

MAHOGANYFLAT

Charcoal Kilns

The Racetrack

ToLas Vegas

To Tonopahand Reno

DantesView

Death ValleyButtes

NaturalBridge

DevilsGolf Course

Beatty

Panamint Springs

Shoshone

ToTecopa

Death ValleyJunction

To Pahrump &Las Vegas

Lathrop Wells

AmargosaValley

To I-15& Baker

ToBig Pine

Eureka Dunes

NEVADA

CALIFORNIA

Lone Pine

FURNACE CREEK

Olancha

Visitor Center

Mosaic Canyon

Titus Canyon

Lee Flat Joshua Trees

To Ridgecrest& Maturango Museum

Ash MeadowsNational Wildlife

Refuge

Lone PineInteragencyVisitor Center

■

■

High clearancerecommended

Unpaved road

Inquire about unpaved roadconditions before traveling.

Campground

Gas station

North

★ Points of Interest(see page 7)

Paved roads

00 10 Miles

10 Kilometers

Park Entrance Feevehicle (non-commercial): $20

motorcycle/bicycle: $10

All visitors to Death Valley National Parkmust pay an entrance fee or present aNational Parks Pass, Golden Eagle,Golden Age or Golden Access Pass.

To pay the park entrance fee, stop at aVisitor Center, Ranger Station, or auto-mated fee machine.

Recieve the official park map when youpresent your reciept or pass at the VisitorCenter or a ranger station.

P.O. Box 579 Death Valley, CA 92328

(760) 786-3200nps.gov/deva

Death Valley National ParkArticles & Information:

National Park Service StaffIllustrations:Tah Madsen

This guide is a publication of theNational Park Service

in cooperation with theDeath Valley Natural History Association

UserFee

A V I S I T O R ’ S G U I D E T O

It is unsafe &against the law

to feed wild animals.

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK