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Death Valley National Park

Introduction Zabriskie Point Furnace Creek Visitor's Center Badwater Basin Devil's Golf Course
Along CA-178 Golden Canyon Around the park Father Crowley Point

DeathValley Slide Show
Click to go directly to the Slideshow
At 3.3 million acres, Death Valley is the largest national park outside of Alaska, and is also one of the most heavily visited. It became a national park in 1994, but had been a National Monument since 1933. It's a particularly interesting place to visit. Not only is it the driest place in the northern hemisphere, but it's also the lowest point in the western hemisphere.

It's one of the driest places in the world because of the mountain ranges that line up like walls preventing the heavier, moist air from getting to the Valley. As a matter of fact, the tallest mountain in the continental U.S., Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevadas (at 14,500 feet), is due West of the park.

Other than being dry, the places is hot. Temperatures will reach triple digits (in Fahrenheit) in June, and stick around until September. The temperature sensor in my car (which was remarkably accurate) stated it was 105 degrees when I was there. The record high temperature was 134 degrees, set in 1913.

Death Valley Map
Map of Death Valley National Park. Click on the map for a larger view.

Zambriskie Point

We first stopped at Zambriskie Point, an viewpoint that overlooks the Amargosa Range to Death Valley. The panoramics are spectacular.

Zabriskie Point
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Furnace Creek Visitors Center

A quick stop in at the Furnace Creek visitors center, provided us with a map and a free postcard. (Thermometer reads 98 degrees...)

Furnace Creek Visitor's Center
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Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin is probably the most famous spot in Death Valley, at 282 feet below sea level. We walked about a mile into Badwater Basin, far enough from the other tourists to take the panoramic below.

Badwater Basin
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Devil's Golf Course

The Devil's golf course, is the remnants of a lake that dried up over 2000 years ago. The salt and silica form a rough, rock hard surface, almost impossible to walk on.

Devil's Golf Course
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Along CA-178

Along CA-178
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Golden Canyon

Golden canyon is a hike that can take you all the way to Zabriskie point. The colors are representative of the type of minerals found in the soil.

Golden Canyon
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Due to the mountains and cross winds they create, this Dune Field is contained in a 15 square mile area. There are larger and more spectacular dunes in the park, but are in much less accessible areas.

Around the park
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Father Crowley Point

The drive out of Death Valley, had views a spectacular view of the valleys and mountains that cause death valley to be the hot and arid place that it is.

Father Crowley Point
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Trip Report: Sep 2005.

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