When should you not go to Death Valley?

Don't Hike at Low Elevations: Summer temperatures make hiking in the desert dangerous. We do not recommend hiking in the lower elevations in the summer. Many visitors underestimate the intensity of the Death Valley sun; even when temperatures are in the 80s (27°C) and 90s F (32°C), it can be deadly.



People Also Ask

SPRING. It is the most popular time to visit Death Valley. Besides warm and sunny days, the possibility of spring wildflowers is a big attraction. If the previous winter brought rain, the desert can put on an impressive floral display, usually peaking in late March to early April.

MORE DETAILS

9 things I wish I'd known before visiting Death Valley
  1. Death Valley is big. ...
  2. Death Valley is really, really hot. ...
  3. Stay in, or near Death Valley Park. ...
  4. Take a real, old-fashioned paper map. ...
  5. Take a hat or your brain will cook. ...
  6. Take A LOT of water and your own food. ...
  7. Allow time for Rhyolite ghost town. ...
  8. Get someone else to drive.


MORE DETAILS

That hot, dry air in Death Valley National can have a pretty big impact on your vehicle's performance. You'll even see signs in a few areas of the park advising drivers to turn off the car's air conditioner so that it doesn't overheat.

MORE DETAILS

Pahrump. If you're looking for places to stay in Death Valley for more amenities, Pahrump, Nevada, is your best bet. The small town is about midway between Las Vegas and Death Valley, right on the California border.

MORE DETAILS

Panamint City is a ghost town deep in the Panamint Mountains of Death Valley. It's historic, well preserved and hard to reach. More than 130 years after Panamint City's peak as a silver boomtown, it looks a lot like a post-modern apocalyptic summer camp.

MORE DETAILS

Southern California hiker, 71, dies after trek in blistering Death Valley heat. DEATH VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California outdoor enthusiast died Tuesday after collapsing following an hours-long hike in Death Valley National Park, the world's hottest place.

MORE DETAILS

Avoiding the Crowds Visitors tend to avoid the summer and crowd Death Valley on weekends and school holidays the rest of the year, especially in the spring. December and January are the quietest months (with the exception of Christmas week and Martin Luther King, Jr., Day weekend).

MORE DETAILS

List of Facts About Death Valley National Park
  • Death Valley Was Inhabited By Native Americans.
  • A Famous Explorer Visited Death Valley.
  • Death Valley got its name from a group of lost goldminers.
  • Death Valley Has Its Own Castle.
  • A Woman Suffragist Helped To Promote Death Valley.
  • Death Valley featured its own television series.


MORE DETAILS

Death Valley National Park's geology includes erosion, crustal sinking, volcanic eruptions and fault activity. It is unique because it includes igneous rock, metamorphic and sedimentary rock. Ancient seas covered the area and deposited layers of marine sediment, including fossil evidence of marine animals.

MORE DETAILS

The Kingdom of Shin-au-av: For centuries, legends of an underground city and an ancient race in Death Valley have been told in the Paiute Legend of the Kingdom of Shin-au-av. This place, meaning “God's Land” or “Ghost Land,” is sacred to the Paiute.

MORE DETAILS

Zabriskie Point is the most famous viewpoint in Death Valley National Park. Overlooking the colorful badlands of the Furnace Creek formation and beyond to the Panamint Mountains in the distance, Zabriskie Point is especially popular at sunrise and sunset.

MORE DETAILS

The best time to explore Death Valley during much of the year is during the early morning and late afternoon hours. We have found that getting to popular attractions early in the morning can provide a more personal experience. Most tourists enjoy a little morning sleep when on vacation, even in national parks.

MORE DETAILS

Nighttime traffic is almost always light, and you can see vehicles from a long way. The main driving hazard is excessive speed. Some roads have curves that sneak up on you, and in the daytime, the awesome scenery can be very distracting. Single-vehicle accidents are the #1 cause of visitor deaths in Death Valley.

MORE DETAILS