Death Valley opens up before you when entering the Park from
Beatty Nevada full of promise, with beautiful vistas, sounds and adventures. Diverse
in many ways, Death Valley is a land of contrasts. Not just the arid desert that many picture,
but a land of water and brimming with life.
We of course, took our Adventurer Truck Camper and were able
to live out of it for eight days only buying additional ice and beer. I was a bit concerned when we started
planning this excursion as I just could not see how we could get everything we
need for the week into the camper and still be able to use it comfortably. Boy was I wrong! There was plenty of space when packing
creatively and never felt crowded at all.
Matter of fact, we enjoyed this trip so much we are planning on spending
two weeks soon traveling back to South Dakota and the like. There will be plenty of tales to convey after
that trip I am sure.
A good side trip when using this route is to take the time
to see the ghost town of Rhyolite.
Rustic, with just a few buildings (or remnants thereof) remaining,
Rhyolite was established in 1905 but new discoveries of gold ceased in 1909 and
the town’s fortunes quickly subsided and was truly a “ghost town” by 1920. In its hay-day, the town had concrete
sidewalks, a hospital, fire department and train station among other
things. Telephone and telegraph along
with electricity were available. This
most definitely is a worthwhile stop.
When traveling within Death Valley National Park, this
amazing place has a size that can be daunting.
But many of the attractions are not very far apart from one
another. At 3.4 million acres, this is
one of the largest National Parks.
Surprisingly, this Park has a greater variation in altitude than Grand
Canyon National park as the tallest mountain – Telescope Peak – is 11,049 and
at the lowest point 282 feet below sea level.
Many envision the hottest place in the U.S. (it is!) but few
know that there is a creek that flows in the valley basin and that there is a
year-round waterfall located within the Park boundaries.
For those not quite as adventurous, rooms can be found in
Furnace Creek, Shoshone, Panamint and Stovepipe Wells and there are several
campgrounds located throughout the park.
Reservations can be made by searching the Death Valley National Park
site or sites that reference the above mentioned location names. Food service is available at most of the
locations and all have beverage service that includes draft beer. A warning for those with diesel rigs – there
are not many locations in the Valley that have diesel fuel and the station at
Furnace Creek charges accordingly. Be
sure to fill up before you enter the Park.
Be aware that Scotty’s Castle no longer has fuel available for sale.
The places to explore- note some locations are best to be
seen at certain hours of the day as the late afternoon nearly dusk brings out
the best views. In no particular order,
here are some spots to see.
Artist Palette – this location is best viewed just prior to
sunset as the multicolored hues become more vibrant in the waning light. A one way road for much of the route, there
are a number of pullouts to stop for photos.
Vehicles greater than twenty five feet are not recommended and there are
rock outcroppings to watch out for if you are driving a high profile vehicle.
Badwater – the lowest point in the United States, at 282
feet below sea level, this area is salt encrusted and is quite
interesting. Look up on the side of the
road, for the sea level sign. The salt cakes
onto your shoes, but the walk out to the salt flat are a must.
Devils Golf Course – located just off the main road leading
to Badwater, take this small side trip to see the interesting formation of salt
crystals in the soil. Road is a bit of a
teeth jarring experience, but no special equipment needed to access this
location.
Natural Bridge – this natural bridge was formed by running
water and has many interesting geologic features. A slight hike, but not difficult. A good spot for photographs if not crowded
and the sun is in a good location.
Zabriskie Point – One of the most scenic views in Death
Valley can be seen from Zabriskie Point.
Beautiful sandstone which shows various layers and a surprising amount
of colors.
Golden Canyon – from the parking area it is an easy walk up
this canyon to the Cathedral – rock formations of deep red sandstone. This is the back side of Zabriskie
Point. The trail will allow for hikers
to transit all the way to Zabriskie.
Twenty Mule Team Canyon – This route will accommodate two
wheel drive vehicles but in some spots is a bit twisty and has many turns. Would not recommend anything greater than
twenty five feet in this location as well.
Dante’s Peak – this drive is a scenic route and is about the
longest trip suggested if traveling out of Furnace Creek. The last section of this route has blind
curves so caution should be exercised. Worth
taking the hike out to the end of the trail as there is a good view and photo
opportunity there.
Darwin Falls – A bit of a hike, but so worth it once you get
to it! Located at the far western corner
of the park is Panamint Springs with a small campground and a great bar across
the road. There is a fuel station here
that has diesel fuel. You drive west for
a short distance until you see the turn off for Darwin Falls. Taking this road for about one mile and then
hiking into the Falls which is also about a mile. While not marked, you can easily see where
others have gone before you. You are
going to get wet and muddy so dress accordingly. Great place to stop, relax and listen to the
waterfall…..
Scotty’s Castle – located at the far north end of the Park,
Scotty’s Castle has a great amount of history surrounding it. A guided tour is well worth the cost. Our
guide regaled us with some of the many stories of Scotty and the true owners of
his “Castle”. There is a great amount
of history and legend surrounding this place and is worth making the drive
here.
Stovepipe Wells/Mosaic Canyon – Stovepipe Wells has a nice
campground and provides easy access to Mosaic Canyon which has beautiful marble
walls that have been made smooth by running water. Difficult to climb over and around at spots,
it is worth the effort that you may make. Don’t be shy, slide over those rocks on your derriere!
I hope you have enjoyed this narrative as much as I have
enjoyed writing it,
Until the next trip……….. Stay safe.
Laurie and
JP
The Cruisin’
Campers
No comments:
Post a Comment