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Let's get it out of the way right from the start: Death Valley National Park is hot in the summer. True, it is a "dry" heat, but just the same, this place broils in July and August. Death Valley boasts the highest mean temperature readings on Earth. Average highs in the summer top 110 degrees. (On July 10, 1913, the temperature boiled to a record 134 degrees.) What else would you expect from the lowest spot in the Western Hemisphere?
Badwater, a roadside stop in the valley, is a mind-boggling 282 feet below sea level. Framed by the Panamint Range to the west and the Amargosa Range to the east, Death Valley in the summer is a frying pan that challenges the existence of anyone or anything that crawls into it.
This park is hot even in the shade — and visitors definitely need some shade, not to mention a gallon or two of water. Automakers actually seek out this heat during the dead of summer to see whether their latest models can function when the road tar flows like maple syrup. And because park officials know that not everyone's car, truck, or RV can handle the park's intense baking, they kindly locate tanks of radiator water near the top of the park's few hills so you can cool off your rig when you arrive.
You can avoid this ovenlike experience by traveling to Death Valley in December and January, when the daily highs struggle to reach 65 degrees and wildflowers color the landscape. But if you skip the park during the summer months, you miss the essence of Death Valley. Ask any Europeans you meet in the park (and you meet plenty of them in June, July, and August) why they come during the summer. They'll probably tell you they came for the challenge of surviving Death Valley at its worst. Think of a summer trek into the valley as a badge of courage.
But don't go solely for the dry heat (which supposedly has some therapeutic effects for people with asthma). Although Death Valley looks inhospitable, the park is rich in geology, human history, and — believe it or not — wildlife.
Stand in the middle of this 3.4-million-acre park, and you're surrounded by a surreal landscape painted in varying shades of gray, buff, yellow, and red. You find towering sand dunes constantly rearranged by the winds, fractured plates of salt pan baked a blinding white by the bright sun, and mile after mile of gently rolling sagebrush flats. Beyond the valley's sunken floor, mostly barren and angular mountain ranges riddled by erosion tower over the valley on all sides like the walls of a convection oven. Near the park's northern border, a 500-foot-deep crater, Ubehebe, serves as a bowl-shaped calling card of Death Valley's volcanic past.
Death Valley's name is certainly intimidating, but it tells a great story. While you travel the park, take time to soak up the intriguing human sagas that left their marks on the landscape. The most dramatic story is the tale of the '49ers — groups of pioneers who struggled to cross the valley floor on their way to California's gold fields in the mid-1800s. One of these groups gave the valley its harsh name, even though only one of its members died during the trek. These pioneers actually crossed the valley in the winter, when the temperatures are relatively mild.
Over the years, other miners drifted in and out of the valley searching futilely for gold and silver. In the crumbling ghost towns that dot the park, you hear sordid tales of hardscrabble miners who hoped to redeem their lives by finding the mother lode. A man named Death Valley Scotty struck it rich, but not with pick and shovel. A slick-talking eccentric, he mined the pockets of Easterners blinded by tales of the golden mother lode that he promised to share with them.
Must-see attractions
All of Death Valley seems to lie before your eyes when you top the Panamint or Amargosa Ranges on your way to the park. Of course, that's only a mirage. In its 3.4 million acres, the park hides more than a few surprises for visitors. While you're poking into its nooks and crannies, be sure to visit these highlights:
- Badwater: This stop is a can't-miss photo op, thanks to the "Badwater, Elevation -282 FT" sign, the brackish spring waters, and the crusty and fractured salt beds in the background.
- Dantes View: Telescope Peak, the highest point in Death Valley, may offer a more stunning view, but Dantes View is the best vantage point you can reach by car. At 5,475 feet above sea level, the air makes this spot cooler than the valley floor, too.
- Furnace Creek Inn: This historic inn, which dates to 1927 when it opened as a private corporate retreat, is planted on a hillside and nurtured by a spring that also sustains the groves of 1,800 imported date palm trees. Don't overlook the swimming pool.
- Sand Dunes: The park features several dune fields. The most accessible field is near Stovepipe Wells Village in the center of Death Valley. A moonlight stroll across these dunes is something to talk about.
- Scotty's Castle: Located near the park's northeastern corner, this elaborate "castle" was built by a Chicago millionaire who came to Death Valley to invest in a gold mine and wound up building an opulent "winter" home in his friend's name.
- Zabriskie Point: This outlook, 4-1/2 miles southeast of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, offers not only a view of present-day Death Valley but also a glimpse into its past. The erosion-riddled mounds were laid down millions of years ago as volcanic deposits.
Remembering safety
In summer, protect yourself and your car from Death Valley's intense heat. For yourself, pack a case of bottled water so you can easily grab a drink when you need one. For your car, tote a gallon or two of water so you can top off your rig's radiator when you need to if you're not in the general vicinity of one of the park service's water tanks.
Also, invest in some good sunscreen or sunblock. Death Valley is a hot place, and the brilliant salt pan on the valley floor reflects a lot of sunshine.
 | Besides the drive to Dantes View, you really won't encounter any steep grades. But when the temperature is above 100 degrees, you don't need much of a hill to overwork your engine's radiator. If you do notice your temperature gauge heading for the red zone, shut off your air conditioner. True, you'll miss the blasts of cool air, but living with the windows open for 10 to 15 minutes while your radiator simmers down is a lot better than sitting on the side of the road trying to fix a busted radiator hose. If turning off the air-conditioner doesn't do the trick, try pulling over and turning the heater on full blast. If that doesn't work, turn off your rig for a while and admire the landscape. |
Death Valley's abandoned mines are mysterious and intriguing, but stay out of them. Their roof supports could collapse at any time, and their shafts may be filled with poisonous air.
Before you head out on that four-wheel-drive adventure into the backcountry, make sure you have a map of the park and check at the visitor center or a ranger station for the park's Morning Report. These reports provide the day's weather forecast and alert you to impassable roads. Even though Death Valley's scenery is certainly captivating, your eyes shouldn't wander too far from the road while you're driving. The number one cause of death in the park is single-vehicle accidents that occur because motorists drift off the road onto soft, sandy shoulders. (When drivers whip the wheel around to steer their rigs back onto the road, the vehicles can roll.)
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