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Death Valley National Park

California & Nevada · Established October 31, 1994

Salt, stone and silence at the hottest, driest, lowest place in North America

Area: 3,408,396 acres
Established: October 31, 1994
Recreation visits: 1,320,134 / yr
States: California & Nevada
Highest point: Telescope Peak, 11,049 ft (3,368 m)
Lowest point: Badwater Basin, −282 ft (−86 m), lowest in North America

Death Valley Weather Forecast

Loading the National Weather Service forecast for Death Valley…

Seven-day outlook at the park's reference point (36.487, -117.134). Elevation changes everything in the mountains — expect colder, windier and wetter conditions on high ground.

Map of Death Valley National Park

The Park

Death Valley National Park is a land of superlatives written in rock and salt. Straddling the California–Nevada border in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada, it contains the lowest ground in North America, the hottest reliably measured air temperatures on Earth, and a vast wilderness of mountains, playas, dunes and canyons. The largest national park outside Alaska, it covers more than 3.4 million acres, and more than 93 percent of that is designated wilderness.

For all its reputation, the valley is anything but lifeless. Pupfish that are relics of the Ice Age dart through salty springs, bighorn sheep pick their way along crumbling cliffs, and after a rare wet winter the desert floor can erupt in gold and violet wildflowers. First protected as a national monument on February 11, 1933, Death Valley became a national park on October 31, 1994.

Geography

Death Valley is a long, narrow basin trending north to south between the Panamint Range on the west and the Amargosa Range, including the Black and Funeral mountains, on the east. The park also takes in Panamint, Saline and Eureka valleys and portions of the Amargosa Desert, forming a classic Basin and Range landscape of alternating valleys and fault-block mountains.

The vertical contrast is staggering. Badwater Basin lies 282 feet below sea level, while Telescope Peak, just 15 miles west, soars to 11,049 feet. That relief means a visitor can descend from bristlecone pine forest to glittering salt pan within a single day's view.

Water here is rare but decisive. The Amargosa River, dry on the surface most of the year, winds into the valley from the south, and spring-fed oases such as Salt Creek, Saratoga Spring and Furnace Creek sustain islands of life. Flash floods periodically roar out of the canyons, building broad alluvial fans at every mountain front.

Landmarks

Badwater BasinArea · -282 ftA salt flat stretching across the valley floor at the lowest elevation in North America.
Telescope PeakPeak · 11,049 ftThe park's high point, crowned with limber and bristlecone pines and often snowcapped in winter.
Dante's ViewAreaA Black Mountains overlook with a sweeping view straight down onto Badwater.
Zabriskie PointAreaGolden badlands of ancient lakebed sediments sculpted by rare rains.
Furnace CreekAreaSpring-fed oasis and park headquarters where the 1913 temperature record was set.
Salt CreekRiverA briny spring-fed stream and home of the Salt Creek pupfish, found nowhere else.
Ubehebe CraterVolcanoA steam-blast crater formed when rising magma met groundwater, among the youngest volcanic features in the park.
Racetrack PlayaAreaA remote dry lakebed where rocks slide across the mud on thin sheets of wind-driven ice.
Titus CanyonCanyonA narrow, winding canyon cut through the Grapevine Mountains and traversed by a one-way dirt road.
Mesquite Flat Sand DunesDuneThe park's most accessible dune field, rising from mesquite-studded flats near Stovepipe Wells.
Artists PaletteAreaHillsides of altered volcanic ash streaked pink, green and lavender by oxidized minerals.
Devils Golf CourseAreaA jagged field of rock salt pinnacles sculpted by wind and rain on the valley floor.
Eureka DunesDuneTowering, isolated dunes in remote Eureka Valley that support endemic plants and beetles.

Geology

Death Valley exposes one of the most complete rock records in the American West. The oldest rocks, metamorphosed schist and gneiss in the Black Mountains, date back at least 1.7 billion years. Above them lie thick sequences of Late Proterozoic and Paleozoic sedimentary rock, including the Noonday Dolomite, Stirling Quartzite and Bonanza King Formation, deposited when this region was the edge of a shallow sea along the western margin of North America.

During the Mesozoic, collision with oceanic plates to the west folded and thrust these layers and intruded them with granite. Then, beginning roughly 16 million years ago, the crust began to stretch. The land broke into tilted blocks along great faults, and over the last few million years Death Valley itself dropped as a graben, a down-faulted trough, while the Panamint Range and Black Mountains rose. The Black Mountains fault is still active, and the valley floor continues to subside.

As the basin opened, volcanoes erupted and lakes filled low spots, producing the vividly colored Artist Drive Formation and the borax-rich Furnace Creek Formation, later tilted and eroded into badlands. During wetter Ice Age periods, a chain of lakes linked Death Valley to basins farther north, and a lake known as Lake Manly periodically flooded the valley floor. As the climate dried about 10,000 years ago, the lakes evaporated and left the salt pans that glitter at Badwater today.

Volcanism has continued into recent times. Ubehebe Crater was blasted open by explosive steam eruptions as recently as about 2,100 years ago. Meanwhile, sand blowing off dry lakebeds and washes has piled into dune fields, and occasional flash floods continue to carve canyons and spread gravel across the alluvial fans.

Deep time

At least 1.7 billion years agoSediments and volcanic rocks that will become the park's oldest gneiss and schist are formed and metamorphosed.
About 500 million years agoA warm, shallow sea covers the region, depositing thick limestone, dolomite and sandstone.
Mesozoic EraPlate collisions to the west fold and thrust the layered rocks and intrude granite into them.
About 16 million years agoThe crust begins to stretch in Basin and Range extension, breaking the region into tilted fault blocks.
About 3 million years agoDeath Valley takes shape as a sinking graben between the rising Panamint Range and Black Mountains.
Ice Ages to about 10,000 years agoLake Manly and linked lakes repeatedly fill the valley during wet periods, then evaporate.
About 2,100 years agoSteam explosions blast open Ubehebe Crater in the northern park.

The rocks

Black Mountains crystalline basementPaleoproterozoic, at least 1.7 billion years
Gneiss and schist exposed along the valley's eastern wall, the oldest rocks in the park.
Kingston Peak FormationNeoproterozoic
A sequence including glacial deposits laid down during a time of global ice.
Noonday DolomiteNeoproterozoic
Pale, cliff-forming dolomite that marks the recovery from that ancient glaciation.
Stirling QuartziteNeoproterozoic
Hard, resistant quartz sandstone forming prominent ridges in the Funeral and Panamint ranges.
Bonanza King FormationCambrian
Thick, banded limestone and dolomite laid down on a shallow marine shelf.
Eureka QuartziteOrdovician
A distinctive white quartzite band visible in the northern ranges.
Titus Canyon FormationOligocene
Colorful stream and lake deposits that contain fossils of early mammals.
Artist Drive FormationMiocene
Volcanic ash and sediments altered by hot fluids into the pinks, greens and purples of Artists Palette.
Furnace Creek FormationPliocene
Lake sediments rich in borates that form the badlands of Zabriskie Point and Golden Canyon.
Funeral FormationPliocene
Coarse fan gravels and basalt flows shed from rising mountains as the valley deepened.

Trees, Plants & Ecosystems

961vascular plant species recorded

Salt pan and playa−282 to about 0 ft
Nearly barren crusts of halite and borate minerals, fringed by pickleweed and saltgrass where groundwater reaches the surface.
Spring and wetland oasesBelow sea level to about 3,000 ft
Isolated springs and marshes that support pupfish, mesquite thickets and migrating birds.
Creosote bush scrubAbout sea level to 4,000 ft
The dominant Mojave Desert community of widely spaced creosote bush, desert holly and burrobush on alluvial fans.
Joshua tree and blackbrush woodlandAbout 4,000–6,000 ft
A transitional zone of Joshua trees, blackbrush and cacti on higher fans and plateaus.
Pinyon–juniper woodlandAbout 6,000–9,000 ft
Open forests of single-leaf pinyon and Utah juniper with sagebrush and mountain mahogany.
Subalpine forestAbove about 9,000 ft
Ancient bristlecone and limber pines clinging to the highest slopes of the Panamint Range.

Trees

Great Basin bristlecone pinePinus longaevaGnarled, wind-carved pines near Telescope Peak, among the longest-lived trees on Earth.
Single-leaf pinyonPinus monophyllaA nut pine whose seeds were a staple food for the Timbisha Shoshone.
Utah juniperJuniperus osteospermaA shaggy-barked companion of pinyon in the mountain woodlands.
Curl-leaf mountain mahoganyCercocarpus ledifoliusA small evergreen tree of high rocky slopes, browsed by bighorn sheep.
Joshua treeYucca brevifoliaA tree yucca that marks the upper Mojave Desert on high fans such as Lee Flat.
Honey mesquiteProsopis glandulosaSends roots deep to reach groundwater and anchors hummocks among the Mesquite Flat dunes.
Fremont cottonwoodPopulus fremontiiA water-loving tree of the park's few perennial springs and streams.
Desert willowChilopsis linearisNot a true willow, it bears orchid-like pink flowers in desert washes.

Wildflowers, shrubs & other plants

Creosote bushLarrea tridentataThe signature shrub of the Mojave, releasing a pungent scent after rain.
Desert hollyAtriplex hymenelytraA silvery, salt-tolerant saltbush thriving where few other plants survive.
Desert goldGeraea canescensThe sunflower that carpets the valley floor during famous 'super bloom' years.
BrittlebushEncelia farinosaA rounded shrub with silvery leaves and bright yellow spring flowers.
Desert sand verbenaAbronia villosaFragrant pink-purple blossoms that spread across sandy flats in wet springs.
Brown-eyed evening primroseChylismia claviformisWhite blooms with dark centers that open in the evening.
Notch-leaf phaceliaPhacelia calthifoliaA purple wildflower of volcanic and clay soils in the central valley.
Purple matNama demissumA tiny ground-hugging annual that tints gravel flats purple.
Cottontop cactusEchinocactus polycephalusForms clustered mounds of red-spined barrels on rocky slopes.
Beavertail cactusOpuntia basilarisA spineless-looking prickly pear with vivid magenta flowers.
Eureka Valley dune grassSwallenia alexandraeA rare grass found only on the Eureka Dunes, stabilizing the moving sand.
White bursageAmbrosia dumosaA low, gray shrub that pairs with creosote bush across the Mojave.

Wildlife

48mammals
384birds
34reptiles
5amphibians
7fish

Mammals

Desert bighorn sheepOvis canadensisLives in small, isolated bands in the most rugged mountain terrain.
CoyoteCanis latransAn adaptable predator frequently seen along valley roads.
Kit foxVulpes macrotisA small, big-eared fox that hunts rodents at night on the valley floor.
BobcatLynx rufusA secretive cat of canyons and springs.
Mountain lionPuma concolorRarely seen, it roams the higher ranges in pursuit of deer and bighorn.
White-tailed antelope squirrelAmmospermophilus leucurusStays active in extreme heat, using its tail as a sunshade.
Merriam's kangaroo ratDipodomys merriamiCan live without ever drinking, obtaining water from dry seeds.
Desert kangaroo ratDipodomys desertiThe largest kangaroo rat, living in sandy dunes and flats.
Desert woodratNeotoma lepidaBuilds middens of sticks and debris that can persist for thousands of years.
Black-tailed jackrabbitLepus californicusSheds heat through its enormous, blood-vessel-rich ears.
Western pipistrellePipistrellus hesperusA tiny canyon bat often seen flying at dusk near springs.
American badgerTaxidea taxusA powerful digger of open valleys and fans.
Feral burroEquus asinusA non-native descendant of mining-era pack animals that competes with bighorn for water.

Birds

Common ravenCorvus coraxClever and ubiquitous, ravens patrol parking areas and cliffs alike.
Greater roadrunnerGeococcyx californianusA ground cuckoo that runs down lizards and small snakes.
Gambel's quailCallipepla gambeliiCoveys gather near springs and mesquite thickets.
PhainopeplaPhainopepla nitensA glossy black flycatcher that feeds heavily on mistletoe berries in mesquite.
LeConte's thrasherToxostoma leconteiA pale desert thrasher adapted to sparse saltbush flats.
Rock wrenSalpinctes obsoletusBobs and sings among boulders and canyon walls.
Canyon wrenCatherpes mexicanusIts descending, echoing song is a classic sound of desert canyons.
Golden eagleAquila chrysaetosSoars over the high ranges hunting jackrabbits.
Prairie falconFalco mexicanusNests on remote cliffs and hunts with low, fast flight.
Black-throated sparrowAmphispiza bilineataA handsome sparrow of rocky desert slopes that gets most of its water from food.
Costa's hummingbirdCalypte costaeA desert hummingbird whose male sports a flared violet gorget.
Say's phoebeSayornis sayaA flycatcher often perched on buildings and shrubs at oases.

Reptiles & amphibians

Desert iguanaDipsosaurus dorsalisTolerates body temperatures that would kill most reptiles.
Common chuckwallaSauromalus aterWedges itself into rock crevices by inflating its body when threatened.
SidewinderCrotalus cerastesA horned rattlesnake that travels across loose sand in sideways loops.
Mojave desert tortoiseGopherus agassiziiA threatened reptile that spends much of its life in underground burrows.
Zebra-tailed lizardCallisaurus draconoidesOne of the fastest lizards, curling its banded tail as it sprints.
Great Basin collared lizardCrotaphytus bicinctoresA big-headed predator that can run on its hind legs.
Western banded geckoColeonyx variegatusA soft-skinned nocturnal gecko with movable eyelids.
Inyo Mountains salamanderBatrachoseps campiA lungless salamander confined to a handful of isolated springs in desert mountains.

Fish

Salt Creek pupfishCyprinodon salinusSurvives in water saltier than the ocean, found only in Salt Creek.
Devils Hole pupfishCyprinodon diabolisOne of the rarest fish on Earth, living in a single water-filled cavern in a detached unit of the park in Nevada.
Cottonball Marsh pupfishCyprinodon milleriEndures extreme salinity and temperature swings in a remote marsh on the valley floor.
Amargosa pupfishCyprinodon nevadensisInhabits the Amargosa River and Saratoga Spring in the park's southern reaches.

Species totals are the park's certified NPSpecies checklist (occurrence: present).

Climate & When to Visit

Death Valley is extraordinarily hot and dry. Storms from the Pacific must cross four mountain ranges, including the Sierra Nevada, before reaching it, and each wrings out moisture, leaving the valley in a profound rain shadow. Furnace Creek averages only about two inches of rain a year. The deep, narrow basin also traps heat: sunlight warms the rocks and soil, the hot air rises, is cooled only slightly by the surrounding peaks, and sinks back into the valley to be heated again.

The result is summer heat of global renown. The world's highest recorded air temperature, 134 °F (56.7 °C), was measured at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913, and midsummer highs routinely exceed 115 °F while nights may stay above 90 °F. Winters are mild on the valley floor but freezing in the mountains, where snow caps Telescope Peak. Elevation brings a dramatic cooling, so the high ranges can be 30 or more degrees cooler than Badwater.

Spring
The most popular season, with warm, sunny days and, after a wet winter, wildflower blooms on the fans and valley floor from late February into April.
Summer
Starts early and brings extreme heat by May, dangerous temperatures through September, and occasional violent thunderstorms from monsoon moisture.
Autumn
Arrives in late October with warm, pleasant days and generally clear skies, ideal for hiking the lower canyons.
Winter
Cool days and chilly nights in the valley, with snow on the high peaks, low-angled light and only rare rainstorms.

Weather hazards

Extreme heat: Avoid hiking at low elevations after 10 a.m. in summer, drink water constantly and never leave people or pets in a parked vehicle.
Flash floods: Rare storms can send torrents through canyons and over roads with little warning; destructive floods struck in October 2015 and August 2022.
Vehicle breakdowns: Distances are vast and cell coverage is scarce, so carry extra water, fuel and a spare tire on backcountry roads.
Dehydration: Plan on at least a gallon of water per person per day, more if you are active.
Abandoned mines: Old shafts and tunnels are unstable and may contain bad air; stay out and stay alive.

Death Valley Questions

When is the best time to visit Death Valley?

Late October through April offers the most comfortable temperatures, with spring the most popular season thanks to warm days and possible wildflowers. Summer visits are possible but require strict heat precautions and staying near the car.

How hot does Death Valley get?

Summer highs regularly top 115 °F on the valley floor, and the world-record air temperature of 134 °F was recorded at Furnace Creek in 1913. Even overnight lows in July can remain above 90 °F.

Why is Death Valley so hot and dry?

It lies in the rain shadow of several mountain ranges, so little moisture reaches it, and its deep, narrow shape traps and recycles heated air. Its elevation below sea level adds to the effect because air grows warmer as it sinks.

What causes the sliding rocks at Racetrack Playa?

Researchers watching the playa in 2013 and 2014 found that thin panels of ice form after rare rains, then break up on sunny, breezy days and push the rocks slowly across the slick mud, leaving long trails.

What wildlife can you see in Death Valley?

Watch for ravens, roadrunners, coyotes and lizards on the valley floor, pupfish in Salt Creek from late winter into spring, and bighorn sheep in rugged canyons. Many mammals are nocturnal, so dawn and dusk are best.

When do wildflowers bloom in Death Valley?

Blooms depend on well-timed autumn and winter rain. In good years flowers appear on the lower fans from late February through March and move higher into the mountains through spring and early summer.

How was Death Valley formed?

Over the past few million years the Earth's crust here has stretched and broken along faults, letting the valley floor drop while the Panamint Range and Black Mountains rose. Erosion filled the basin with sediment, and Ice Age lakes that later evaporated left behind its salt flats.

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← Cuyahoga Valley National Park Denali National Park & Preserve →

Sources: www.nps.gov · www.nps.gov · irmaservices.nps.gov · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · Official NPS site