i finally went to death valley. being in socal, it is one of the closest national parks & i was tired of putting it off. i went in mid-april of 2023 which is the end of the peak season & when people start getting scared of the heat. fortunately, it was not miserable. yes, it was hot, but doable. the days got warm, but the nights cooled off.
i knew i wanted to car-camp & there are more opportunities to camp than stay at accommodations. i originally wanted to stay at the furnace creek campground, part of the nps, but it was first come first serve & did not have showers. i really wanted a shower as it was going to be summer weather in april. i decided to go with my back-up plan which i am really glad i stuck with. instead i stayed at the campground at panamint springs resort, near the west entrance of the park. yes, it is farther, but the drive is not bad, my site was beautiful, there were showers, and there was even a general store, gas stations, & restaurant. this area is also normally at least 10 degree cooler than furnace creek.
i left early in the morning. even though i did not need to leave that early as i did not have anything planned during the day. i really love doing a morning drive before the sun is up to see the sunrise. i first stopped at dunkin, of course & also stopped at cracker barrel. the drive was easy & i was familiar with most of the route as in 2022 i drove to ridgecrest several times. i stopped in a rest area at searles valley & then made my way to the campsite before 1. i was lucky and got a spot on the outer edge of the campground which meant open views of the desert with no cars blocking.
i had the loveliest campsite.
i did not have anything planned this day so i decided to take it slow and just enjoy my campsite. i snacked, read a book, & watched some roswell new mexico episodes on my tablet. i also ventured around the campground.
the cheapest gas in the area was at the campground
the campground also had an airplane with a skeleton couple inside.
i decided to eat at the bar on site. i knew the food was going to be expensive as this place is so remote & so it makes sense as it is expensive to bring in resources. the closest food place beyond this is a 45 minute drive away. even though expensive, the food was good. the food during the entire trip was pretty good, despite the seclusion and limited establishments. the menu was just small - lots of burgers.
i had a burger, fries, & apple cobbler.
my campsite during the sunrise & sunset.
even though it was mid april, it was pretty warm. it would reach 80 degrees in the morning, but felt hotter as most hikes had no shade. luckily it cooled off pretty good at night. also randomly, i saw a dirt devil tear off a tent. i had never seen such a thing.
my first night i heard wild burrows which scared the shit out of me as i was sound asleep. my second night i was invited by my campsite neighbor to sit at their campfire. she was a middle aged australian woman traveling with her young adult son. they had come from australia to camp & hike the different national parks in the western region of the us. i had a really nice chat with her as she grilled a steak on a hot rock.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
the next day was the only full day i would have in the park. i woke up early to have some morning coffee & a banana, & was on the road by 7. it was over a 1 hour drive to get to my hike. i mostly passed the landscape, but also drove past the 2 small stations of stovepipe wells & furnace creek. i left early as 1) i like early hikes & 2) where i was hiking had limited parking. the first stop was the golden canyon trailhead.
the golden canyon was indeed golden & beautiful
the further you go, you reach red cathedral & have to start scrambling (my favorite).
the badlands in the background.
the view below. i only scrambled for a bit to higher ground as it was unclear if i was even on an actual trail.
next i drove to badwater basin, which seems to be the most popular area to visit in the park. it is easy to access & flat. badwater basin is the lowest point in north america (282 ft below sea level). this was before the heavy rains that came in the fall so it was submerged under water. i bought a sun umberella specifically for this hike since there is absolutely no shelter (it is a lakebed, duh).
you can barely see, but there is a sign that shows the sea level in the hillside.
you can see the basin from the boardwalk, but you need to walk a good mile to get to the cool sections that look like scales.
next i drove to artists palette. this section is also very accessible & lets you see the soft pink (from the iron oxides) & green (from the chlorite) hues in the hillside. you can also see these colors elsewhere in the park, but here is probably the most picturesque & has the largest amount.
artist's palette
by this time (mid morning), temps were already into the 90s & my hiking for the day was done. i made my way to the visitor center in furnace creek. furance creek is the largest "town" in death valley (there is a population of less than 200). most residents are the timbisha tribe that live on the reservation here. furance creek is where the main death valley visitor center is & also where you can stay in a hotels/resorts or campgrounds. this area was first occupied by westerners in the 1800s to mine borax.
the furnace creek visitors center. it was not even noon & already 91 in april!
a few miles from the visitor's center is a short trail (no shade) where you can learn more about the borax mining in the area.
i decided to make the drive to arizona since i was so close & there were some interesting sites to see. it was a nice drive with the temperature lowering & the changing scenery of more greenery & color. i got to see all types of wildflowers & pulled over to take some photos.
we had a lot of rain in early 2023, so i got see the wildflowers before they turned crispy!
i stopped at the beatty arizona historical society. it was cute & i talked to the historian there.
the most visited (and probably most accessible) ghost town in death valley is rhyolite, though most people probably visit to see the open air museum next door. technically the museum it is on private property, but it is smack-dab in the middle of the ghost town, which is on BLM land. the open air museum is more like a ghost museum since you just walk right up & look at the art. there is no one working there.
the last supper by albert szukalski (1984)
rhyolite was established in 1905 as a mining town & was once the largest town in death valley. by 1907, the town had water, electricity, a hospital, a school, an opera house, & a stock exchange. in 1911, the mine closed, but the town had been in decline for years. today the ghost town is maintained by BLM & has been used as a film site.
the bottle house was restored in 1925 for a movie
the train depot
after, i made my back to the park & drove to stovepipe wells to splurge & have a hot meal. stovepipe wells is a way-station in death valley. i am sure there are a few residences, but it is known as one of 2 places to stay, eat, shop, & get some gas in the valley. like i said before, it is expensive to purchase meals in death valley, since there are very few businesses in such a large region. it was pretty empty, but the restaurant was cute. there were movie posters on the walls of the different movies & shows that were filmed in the park. movies include star wars (return of the jedi & a new hope), spartacus, & a lot of old westerns.
i had a pulled pork sandwich, fries, & a root beer.
stove pipe wells
i did decide to be crazy and do a late day hike that was not part of my original plans. i drove by the mesquite flat sand dunes & decided to stop. the dunes have tons of ridges from the wind (along with all the footprints) & mesquite plants sprinkled throughout, it is not too far out from the parking lot, but it takes a long time to walk up & down the sand mounds; sand really slows you down. i do not know how people got far without hiking poles. i walked out a bit to some taller mounds away from the crowds, maybe a 30 minute walk out. i then returned & was oh so hot & had sand absolutely everywhere. this made me definitely not regret getting a campsite with a shower.
all the sand...
an old ccc building i saw on the drive back (i can spot those a mile away)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
the next morning, i woke up early & made my way back past stovepipe wells & furnace creek to do another long hike. this was a really cool one & ended up being my favorite.
driving back to the furnace creek area
i did the zabriskie point trail with the badlands loop, but instead of doing the actual loop, i walked there & back to skip the gulch. the gulch has less views (as you are walking the lower parts) & really slows you down (as you have to walk on gravel). the fun part is walking the zig-zag trail along the badlands. it is like walking on a giant sphinx cat! i think badlads are my favorite landscape. i had never seen such a thing until this trip (or had never noticed), but it was so cool looking.
the badlands
i noticed on my drive to zabriske point, there was little river running along the highway. i knew on my way back, i wanted to pull over and get a closer look. it made a lot more sense why the town nearby is called furnace creek. i do not know if it runs all year, but i had fun taking my shoes off and walking along the rocks. the water was cold so i knew it came from the mountains. this area does have the sierra nevadas nearby, so maybe that is where the water is coming from. i sat on a rock and enjoyed a fancy juice shot i brought from home.
and then my trip was over. i stopped at the cracker carrel on the way back (i love cracker barrel). i also ended up visiting my friend who lives in the inland empire to wait our traffic.
i think death valley is one of my favorite parks. i am a fan of the desert. i explain this to anyone who will listen, but deserts to me are such a special & pure landscape unlike any other. i am not religious, but it is like god forgot to finish a painting. there is less distraction & it is more sparse. of course there are animals & plants, but it is mostly land. there is a different type of silence. unlike the forest, you hear less of the trees swaying in the wind or the birds chirdping. there is something kind of spooky about that, but also special. i think the heat scares people away (or they would rather see something else) & it is very large, so it is very easy to get off the beaten path & have your time alone with nature. i already. have plans to go back.
