Fun things to do in Death Valley National Park

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This is a very dramatic point in Death Valley. Driving to it along the highway, one can not see the unusual landscape, but once you stop at the view point and make it up the incline to the post, it is the most exciting landscape you will see. The color of the landscape is a variation of peach, red, green and coral.

It is surrounded by eroded, colorful badlands, giving it a spectacular form. It is one of the park's most famous view. There were a few visitors when we arrived, but for the 10 minutes we were there, 5 other cars arrived. We only stayed a little while because the heat had picked up to deadly temperatures by 10:00 am. 10 minutes felt like we had been there more than half an hour. We literally run back to the car which was a few feet away in the parking area.

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We made a stop at the tawny sand dunes, which were a surprise to us. The sand dunes rise almost 100 ft high and create such a beautiful scenery as one approaches them. The mid morning sunlight accented the ripples in the sand and reminded me of the sand dunes in Dubai.

We walked a little further than we wanted too because our little boy got so excited about playing in the sand. Meanwhile, I was concerned about snakes and any other dangerous sand animals that might have come out to get some sand. Luckily nothing was in view. There were quite a few other visitors that joined us while we ere there. Definitely something to see.

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After a visit of Scotty’s castle, we walked to his grave. He died in 1954 and was buried on a hill close to the castle. Take out a few minutes to get there. In commemoration, there is a copper (or is it bronze?) plaque with his portrait. His nose was polished and shining. I guess it brings good luck to rub it.

In his comment a VT member asked to add some activities here.
Now that I definitely had not in mind traveling through this hot desert. But OK, for the young and intrepid tourists here is a website about e.g. hiking in Death Valley.
And biking!

http://www.americanparks.net/death_valley_hiking.htm
http://www.americanparks.net/death_valley_activities.htm

And on another website I see, that there is so much to do in Death Valley!

This is what they suggest: Auto Touring, Backpacking, Biking, Bird Watching, Camping, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Interpretive Programs, Nature Walks, Stargazing, Swimming, Wilderness Area, Wildlife Viewing.


hot hot hot.
except the stargazing perhaps :)

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One of my favorite things to do is meet the locals and/or my fellow travelers. I enjoyed talking to these two girls from Belgium, and Ranger Abby. Ranger Debbie, dressed for the period for the "living history museum" Scotty's Castle gave an informative tour and was a lot of fun.

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In 1849, several wagon trains full of eager prospectors heading to the gold mines of California cut a path through death valley seeking a shortcut. Very few wagons make it back out. Reportedly, after the death of a member of one wagon train, another member turned to look back at the valley after they made it through and said “Goodbye Death Valley”. The name stuck. This is where the 49ers passed through the valley.

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Just 3 miles south of the orginal site is the village that has California Historical Marker No.441 site of Burned Wagons Point. In 1849 some Jayhawkers miners while trying to establish a shorter route, stopped here and burned what wagons they could spare to dry out some oxen meat to survive. They contiued on with what surviving animals they had. Stovepipe Wells Village has many amenities.

Historical Marker#441

Stovepipe Wells Village
Hwy. 190
Death Valley, California 92328

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Death Valley National Park is huge ... REALLY huge! Approximately 5,219 square miles, or 3.4 million acres, define this western swath of primal countryside, located in southwest America's Mojave Desert. Mining history from the 1800s and early 1900s makes it a location of extreme interest for the history buff. So, what to do here?

DVNP is pretty much a self-directed destination rather one where you will be entertained. This is a rugged primordial locale, with a few paved roads, hundreds of dirt roads, many scattered ghost towns, and incredible geologic formations. You come here to explore all these things. Visitors here are first and foremost adventurous explorers. Don't come here to be pampered.

You can get a pretty good idea of what DVNP is all about by visiting the standard tourist attractions that are located in a few key areas (Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Scotty's Castle), but getting off the beaten track in a high clearance 4x4 vehicle is the real key to learning what makes this place tick. There are many awesome hikes, both marked and cross country. A lifetime can be spent learning all there is to know here. For substantially more background info, visit www.WildDeathValley.com