Picking wildflowers, taking home stones or arrowheads as keepsakes, and defacing canyon walls with graffiti are all actions that degrade the parks for other visitors. In addition, it's against the law.
A permit is required to enter this area.
The park doesn't require a reservation for entry, just an entrance fee or park pass. In-person payment of the park entrance fee and purchase of annual or lifetime passes may be done at these locations during business hours: Furnace Creek Visitor Center. Stovepipe Wells Ranger Station.
To see the moving rocks, drive two miles south of the Grandstand parking area. Walk at least a half mile toward the southeast corner of the playa for the best views of rocks and their tracks on the playa. Erosional forces cause rocks from the surrounding mountains to tumble to the surface of the Racetrack.
Remember that within Death Valley National Park, campfires are allowed only in provided fire pits within developed campsites. Backcountry campfires are not allowed at any time of the year, with or without a campfire permit.
Just how hot is it in Death Valley, California? Real effing hot. Like, hot enough to literally fry an egg outside on a rock. Last month, a Death Valley National Park staff member posted a Youtube video (see above) documenting the Cali desert's insane heat by frying an egg out in the sun.
Camping. Death Valley has a variety of campgrounds from primitive to full hook-up.
During winter, average temperatures range from the mid-60s to the low 70s with overnight lows frequently dropping into the upper 30s. Those cooler conditions combine with clear, sunny days to make winter the perfect season to get explore Death Valley National Park.
What causes these rocks to move? Researchers just recently found out. Remote observations from 2011 to 2013 showed it's a rare combination of water, ice, and wind. Discover the details about the moving rocks of Death Valley, including a first-hand account from the researchers who may have solved this mystery.
The explanation for the phenomenon at Racetrack Playa — named for the long trails that the rocks, some of which weigh hundreds of pounds, leave in the mud — is that the stones are pushed by wind-driven ice that forms and then breaks up under certain conditions.
GPS Navigation to remote locations like Death Valley National Park are notoriously unreliable. Numerous travelers have been directed to the wrong location and dead-end or closed roads by following incorrect GPS information. Travelers should always carry up-to-date road maps to check the accuracy of GPS directions.
Why is it called Death Valley? Death Valley was given its forbidding name by a group of pioneers lost here in the winter of 1849-1850. Even though, as far as we know, only one of the group died here, they all assumed that this valley would be their grave.
The Oasis at Death Valley – Your Dream Wedding Destination
And at 66 rooms, The Inn is the perfect place to take over for a wedding to remember!
The main cause of death in Death Valley: More people die in single-car accidents than by any other means. To avoid an accident, follow the speed limits, shift to a lower gear on steep downhill grades, and wear your seatbelt.
Lost Lakes
During North America's last major Ice Age the valley was part of a system of large lakes. The lakes disappeared approximately 10,000 years ago, evaporating as the climate warmed. As the lakes evaporated, vast fields of salt deposits were left behind.
You can get drinking water easily and for free in Death Valley. Nobody tells you how surprisingly easy it is to get drinking water in America's hottest place.
Life in Death Valley
Coyotes, ravens, roadrunners, ground squirrels and lizards are the most commonly seen wildlife of the region, but there are many species who thrive here, hidden or unnoticed by visitors.
If your car breaks down, the National Park Service recommends that you stay with your vehicle and wait for help. They advise against walking to find help in the desert sun. If you get stranded, try to get out of the sun and drink plenty of water.
Death Valley's Last Mine
In 2005 when the Billie Mine closed, the last of Death Valley's mines had ceased operations.
But the unprecedented day in 1922 was the only time a measurable amount has ever fallen. According to data from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Death Valley snow was observed at a weather station situated at Greenland Ranch on Jan. 29, 1922, when a half-inch was recorded.
A wet-bulb temperature of 35 °C, or around 95 °F, is pretty much the absolute limit of human tolerance, says Zach Schlader, a physiologist at Indiana University Bloomington. Above that, your body won't be able to lose heat to the environment efficiently enough to maintain its core temperature.
Snow in Death Valley is a rare and fascinating event. In winter you can see the highest peaks of the park covered by a blanket of snow. It is just as rare that it will rain. In Death Valley, it never rains more than 10 days a year, and the highest concentration of rainfall is in March and December (2-3 days a month).
The biggest factor behind Death Valley's extreme heat is its elevation. Parts of it are below sea level, even though the area is 250 miles (400 kilometers) inland from any major body of water. Also, a major set of mountains (the Sierra Nevada) block moisture from the Pacific from reaching the basin.
The Oasis at Death Valley Fiddlers' Campground
Shower facilities are located at The Ranch's pool. Quiet hours are 11 p.m. – 7 a.m., but generators may be run at night. No more than one tent is allowed in each site. There is a limit of 8 guests and one vehicle per site.
Amenities include drinking water and flush toilets. Best of all, they have hot showers (free with a site, fee for non-guests), a rarity in Death Valley campgrounds (Furnace Creek, the crowded hub on the other side of the park, is the only other campground with showers).