A land of extremes, Death Valley is the largest of the national parks in the contiguous United States. Superlative in many ways, it is North America’s driest and hottest location, with the lowest elevation, 282 feet below sea level, on the continent. 

Housed in the southeastern desert region of California, Death Valley’s geology is beautifully diverse: brilliant sand dunes, colorful badlands, sunken salt flats, and hidden canyons can be found amidst the Amargosa and Panamint Mountains. 

Despite its name, Death Valley is home to a wide variety of highly adapted plants and animals. Surviving where it seems none should, you can find animals such as coyotes, bighorn sheep, kit foxes, desert cottontails, and a plethora of reptiles. 

Visiting Death Valley National Park is sure to leave you with an appreciation for this desert’s harsh beauty! 

History

For over 1,000 years, the Death Valley area has been inhabited by ancestors of the Timbisha Shoshone people, a Native American tribe. In 1849, the first white travelers came across this area on their way to the gold fields up north. They struggled immensely, and were stuck in the inhospitable desert valley for weeks. It is said that the park’s name originated from this experience, for as the travelers finally traversed the harsh land, one looked back and said, “Goodbye, Death Valley.”

From the 1880s to the early 1900s, mining ores in the area developed into a profitable business. Salt, borax, talc, silver, and gold were all discovered in the area. With the advent of mining and more facilities for tourism, the natural spaces were becoming overrun.

In 1933, two million acres in and around Death Valley were proclaimed as a National Monument by President Herbert Hoover. The Monument and additional surrounding areas were redesignated into a National Park in 1994. Mining was completely eradicated by 2005, when the last borax mine in the park was closed.

Best Time To Visit

The ideal time to visit Death Valley is October to May due to the extreme heat of the summer. Annual rainfall ranges from 1.5 inches in the valley to over 15 inches in the surrounding mountains. In a good rainfall year, the valley blooms with a colorful display of wildflowers in the spring. 

Featured Tour

Want a taste of what Death Valley has to offer? Try out our Death Valley Tour! This day tour picks up in Las Vegas and ferries you through the most spectacular and mystifying sights that Death Valley has to offer. See features like Furnace Creek, Badwater Basin, and Zabriskie Point, before a comfortable return to Las Vegas in time to see the Strip lit up at night!