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October 2024

Book a tour now!
Scotty's Castle Flood Recovery Tours

Join us on these special tours to hear the colorful stories of Death Valley Scotty and his Castle.
Hey! It's
International Archeology Day

Put that thing back where it came from or so help me
LNT #1
Plan Your Visit

Leave No Trace Principle #1: Plan Ahead and Prepare
Happy National Fossil Day!
New Southern Network Paleontologist!

Join us in congratulating Dr. Aubrey Bonde, our new Southern Network Paleontologist!

September 2024

Celebrate
Wilderness Month

Click learn more about wilderness and Leave no Trace!
Volunteer with us!
Campground Host 2024

Join our incoming crew of hosts to staff the Furnace Creek Campground from mid to late October through January 15, 2025.

August 2024

Are you ready?
Dark Sky 2025

Landing in Death Valley February 21-23.
Too hot,
at night too.

Temperatures at the official Furnace Creek weather station did not drop below 100 degrees F for four days in a row.
Hot, hot, hot.
Hottest Month in Death Valley History

Just when we thought the heat couldn't get any hotter, Death Valley National Park has set a new record!
Fee Free Day
GAOA turns 4!

Celebrate the 4-Year Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) with free entry to your National Parks!

July 2024

Out of this world! 🌌
Metero Shower Alert!

It’s summer which means it’s almost time for the annual Perseids and Delta Aquariid meteor showers!
Heads up!
Be aware of runners!

The Badwater 135 Ultramarathon is taking place in the park, and participants will be running along the road.
H-O-T-T-O-G-O
It’s too hot to gooOoOooo

The thermometer display at Furnace Creek Visitor Center stopped working while displaying 667°F.
Update 7/15/24
Furnace Creek is Open!

Furnace Creek Visitor Center is open every day 8:00am to 5:00pm
7/14/24 Update
Power Outage

Power is off in PARTS of Death Valley National Park.
Stay cool,
Heat Safety

With summer temperatures often exceeding 100°F, Death Valley can be a challenging place to beat the heat.
In honor of Juneteenth,
Fee Free Day!

All units of the National Park Service will be waiving entrance fees on June 19.

May 2024

…leopards? Oh my!
Long-nosed leopard lizard

Here in Death Valley National Park, we are home to the much smaller (but no less beautiful!), long-nosed leopard lizard.
Seeking Public Comment
Salt Creek Boardwalk

The public comment period on the Salt Creek Boardwalk Replacement Project Environmental Assessment is open through June 23, 2024.
Update
Visitor turned themselves in

The visitor who pulled down a 113-year-old historic salt tram tower on April 19, 2024 is taking full responsibility for their actions.
PRESS RELEASE
Salt Tram tower pulled down

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking information about recent damage to a historic salt tram tower in Saline Valley.
The right place,
at the right time.

Click to discover Death Valley.
Hold on,
Hunter Mountain Road is CLOSED!

Yes…Hunter Mountain Road is actually CLOSED. Click for road conditions.
Is that Tatooine?
May the 4th be with you.

Did you know Death Valley was a backdrop for Star Wars?

April 2024

So many Fish
Pupdate!

Devils Hole pupfish spring population at 25-year high!
National Park Week, Day 9
Arts in Parks

Explore more paintings and their inspiration here.
National Park Week, Day 8
Junior Ranger Day

Raise your hand if you are a Death Valley Junior Ranger!
National Park Week, Day 5
Workforce Wednesday

Do you love National Parks? WE DO TOO!!!
National Park Week, Day 3
Earth Day

Let’s learn something about Earth, while also looking at a pretty sky.
National Park Week, Day 2
Volunteers

Death Valley has always been lucky to have amazing volunteers, so in honor of today being all about volunteers, we wanted to brag about ours
National Park Week Day 1
Discovery AND A FEE FREE DAY!

Did you know that Death Valley has thousands of miles of paved and unpaved roads to explore?
Drumroll, please!
Winners of the Student Art Contest!

The winners of the 2024 Death Valley Student Art Contest have been selected!
Hiking? Driving?
There's an app for that!

Hiking or driving while a ranger shares fascinating things about Death Valley with you? – there’s an app for that too!
Spotted!
Badwater Bessie

Click the image to learn more about Badwater Basin.

March 2024

Apply now!
Volunteer with us

Click this image for more information.
Now open:
195 more miles of repaired roads!

Emigrant Canyon Road (to Wildrose Campground only), West Side Road (from south Badwater Junction to Trail Canyon only), Ibex, Owlshead
Somehow, 134 degrees
feels good in a place like this.

Our 18-minute park film plays every half hour at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center.
Dark Sky Festival Update
Strong Winds

Telescopes and blowing dust do not mix.

February 2024

Come celebrate!
Dark Sky Festival 2024!

Death Valley. They hated a vast never-ending expanse of stars. And I was an International Dark Sky Park.
Dark Sky Festival, Virtua Program
Rock n’ Rover with NASA’s Dr. Lu Chou

Feb. 29th @ 6PM. Click here to find the link to join!
Happy Anniversary,
to our Dark Skies.

It was 11 years ago on February 20th, that Death Valley was designated as an International Dark Sky Park
Reels
We're Rangers!

Of course we have information about Death Valley!
Happy Valentine's Day
You make my heart race.

The Racetrack Playa is home to the world-famous “sailing stones” that seem to move across the lakebed by themselves.
Water, water
Everywhere

Click to learn more about Death Valley Nature.
Reels
What are you listening to?

You don't listen to planes for fun?
Reels
Badwater ASMR

Take a little break and listen to the salt.

January 2024

NPS wants you to find the difference
They're the same tree.

Can you tell where each photo is from: Joshua Tree, Mojave, or Death Valley?
It's coming...
Dark Sky Festival 2024

Click to check out this year's schedule!
Dark Sky Festival
Accessibility Requests

Due to the remoteness of some locations within the park, please submit a request at least 14 days in advance asking for an ASL interpreter.
PRESS RELEASE
Even water trucks catch on fire

A semi-truck hauling bottled water caught on fire within Death Valley National Park on January 10.
you, you, you
oughta know!

Here are some things you oughta know before visiting Death Valley.
Free Admission
On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

Free entrance to Death Valley National Park on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! (Monday, 1/15)
Road Update
Beatty Cuttoff

Beatty Cutoff and Mesquite Spring Campground opening Friday, January 12.
Public comment
Proposed utility improvements

Public comment sought on proposed utility improvements in Death Valley NP

December 2023

Death valley
1 Star Review

"Not much more than a bunch of rocks and sand.” - 1-star review
Update
Power Restored

After 65 hours, the electricity came back on in Death Valley National Park at 10:00 am on 12/26.
Slow down!
And watch out for critters.

Sadly, in recent weeks we have been noticing many spiders that haven’t made it across the road.
UPDATE
Power Outage

Power and cell phones have been out in Death Valley since 12/23 afternoon.
Roads Update
Roads to open 12/23

On Saturday, Death Valley National Park will reopen 95 miles of flood-damaged roads.
December 21
Winter Solstice

The real question is, are you team shortest day, or team longest night?
Roads update!
Warm Springs & Harry Wade open!

West Side Road remains closed north of the junction with Warm Springs Road.
2023/2024
Flood Recovery Tours

Tour participants will have a chance to hear the colorful stories of Death Valley Scotty and his Castle.
No touchy,
No feedy!

Do not feed any wildlife.

Good News!
Click here for updates on what is open.

Backcountry camping and south Badwater Road open!
Another update,
Pupfish explosion!

Numbers are good― SCUBA divers and surface counters recorded 444 fish, more than what is currently documented in the wild!
2023
Fall Pupdate

The population is holding steady at an estimated 263 fish, the same number observed last fall!
Entrance fee will be
FREE on Veterans Day

All National Park Service (NPS) sites will waive entrance fees on Saturday, November 11 to honor Veterans Day.
Star Party!
November 10-11

Join the Las Vegas Astronomical Society (LVAS) on November 10th and 11th for the Death Valley Fall Star Party!
Now is your chance
Work with us!

Apply online, this position serves as a construction control representative in Death Valley National Park.

October 2023

Happy Halloween
We want tibia honest with you

In a place called Death Valley, it might be tempting to think of the park rangers as a skeleton crew...
Who likes a good story?
International Archeology Month!

This October, Death Valley National Park is joining hundreds of organizations around the world to celebrate International Archeology Month!
PRESS RELEASE
Traffic Collision

Swiss travelers braked suddenly to avoid hitting a tarantula crossing.
PRESS RELEASE
Road News!

The National Park Service (NPS) will reopen Mud Canyon Road and Daylight Pass on November 1.
Get ready,
Dark Sky Festival 2024 is coming!

Exciting news! Get ready to have a STELLAR time at the 2024 Dark Sky Festival taking place March 1st to March 3rd.
THERE WAS WATER!
Lake on the Sand Dunes?

Ephemeral lakes popped up around the park, which is both pretty rare and amazing!
Where are the mud cracks?
Where the water was!

Where the best location is to view mud cracks; the answer is in washes or other places where water has flowed and then evaporated.
Uh oh,
Did we miss National Tortoise Week?

You may be surprised to know that Mojave Desert Tortoises are found in the park.
IT’S HAPPENING!!
“Road work ahead??"

We are partially reopening after closing in August 2023 due to historic flooding.
PRESS RELEASE
Partial reopening on Sunday, October 15

Death Valley National Park will partially reopen on Sunday, October 15. Visitors will be able enter the park via CA-190.
Partial Reopening October 15
Welcome Back Soon!

Death Valley will partially reopen on October 15

September 2023

Death Valley is still closed, but
Let's hear it for the roads crew!

Roads are being cleared in Death Valley.
Seeking Comments:
Backcountry Permit Fee Change

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comments by October 25 on proposed fee changes for backcountry permits and campgrounds.
Seeking Comments:
Campground Fee Change

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comments by October 25 on proposed fee changes for backcountry permits and campgrounds.
Targeted Reopening
October 15th

State Route 190 (CA-190) and Death Valley National Park are tentatively scheduled to reopen on October 15.
2 inches, that's it?
Let's chat about floods.

While this number seems low for some of you, it was QUITE a lot for us -- like our annual rainfall in a day type of a lot.
Death Valley is
Still Closed!

With a monumental amount of cleanup ahead of us, we wanted to take a moment and thank some of our many partners.

August 2023

Pupdate!
Devils Hole Pupfish doing well

Flooding from a recent storm brought nutrient-rich sediment into Devils Hole and pupfish appear to be doing well.
UPDATE 8/24/2023
How many acres have we assessed?

With more than 3.4 million acres to manage, Death Valley is a very large park and this is going to take some time.
UPDATE 8/23/2023
Death Valley remains closed

The park had its rainiest day ever on August 20, receiving more rain than it normally does in an entire year.
Update 8/21/2023
Death Valley is CLOSED

After receiving a year’s worth of rain in one day, Death Valley National Park remains fully closed.
Update 8/20/2023
Hazardous Flood Conditions

Death Valley National Park is now closed due to flooding still in progress caused by Hurricane Hilary.
8/20/2023 Update 9:40 am
Hurricane Hilary Flooding Beginning

With heavy rain in the forecast, conditions will get worse; roads will flood and emergency services will likely be unable to respond.
8/18/2023
Flood Watch!

Death Valley could receive more than its annual average rainfall, 2 inches, in this storm. This is predicted to cause major flooding.
Save the date!
The Perseid Meteor Shower

The Perseid Meteor Shower will be at its peak the night of August 12 to 13.
PRESS RELEASE
Off-road vehicle recovered

Two people got lost driving in Death Valley National Park on July 4, resulting in one of them being transported to a hospital for heat illne
Fee Free Day!
Third anniversary of the Great American

Entrance fees will be waived on Friday, August 4 at ALL National Park Service (NPS) sites, including Death Valley.

July 2023

PRESS RELEASE
A man died at a trailhead

The 71-year-old man from the Los Angeles area collapsed outside the restroom at Golden Canyon.
PRESS RELEASE:
Illegal burro killings discovered

National Park Service officials are investigating the death of five burros that were discovered shot and killed.
PRESS RELEASE:
Tractor-trailer crash

A tractor-trailer with failed brakes crashed along Mud Canyon Road on Monday. Fortunately, the driver was okay.
Work with us!
Apply to be a ranger.

Ever wonder how you can work as a park ranger at Death Valley? Do you like working with people? Do you speak Spanish? Click to apply!

June 2023

Who likes Grape Soda?
Lupine blooming!

Grape soda lupine (Lupinus excubitus), found in the Panamint Mountains, is currently blooming and giving off its distinct sweet smell.
Drumroll, please...
Student Art Contest Winners!

The Student Art Contest is an opportunity for students in the communities surrounding Death Valley to create and share artwork.
In a valley far, far away...
from city lights.

Mark your calendars for the upcoming New Moon (June 17th) for an out-of-this-world experience!
Work with us!
Job Fair

Are you looking for a job supporting public lands in the Eastern Sierra? Learn more at a job fair on Saturday, June 10.

May 2023

Prepare, it's getting hot!
Heat Safety

If visiting Death Valley in the summer, follow these tips to stay safe. The park is over 3 million acres with limited cell service; prepare
**5/21/23**
Roads Update

Around 6:00 pm on Saturday, May 20th, a thunderstorm moved down Death Valley, dumping rain in localized areas.
Open for Public Comments
Replace Water Systems

The National Park Service (NPS) has funding from the Great American Outdoors Act to rehabilitate the water and wastewater systems at Furnace
Apply to be a,
Scientists in Parks Intern!

Join the Death Valley Education team in Oct 2023 to April 2024! Application is open until June 11.
It's May 4,
May the Fourth be with you.

Death Valley has a self-guided tour on the NPS app that you can explore while in the park! Just be sure to download the data in app!
Reminder,
Don't handle wildlife

A woman was bitten by a bat while trying to move it off a garbage can outside the gas station at Stovepipe Wells Village on April 28.
"He a little confused,
but he got the spirit."

Just as Death Valley is not truly a valley of death, these geologically significant sights have some misleading names.

April 2023

Plan ahead!
Power Outage 4/27

With temperatures rising, plan ahead knowing that services will be limited. The power outage will be valley wide.
Plan ahead!
Power Outage 4/27

With temperatures rising, plan ahead knowing that services will be limited. The power outage will be valley wide.
Bloom or Bust!?
Flowers in Death Valley

While it’s not a superbloom year, flowers have been seen throughout the park.
It's National Park Week!
Fee-Free Days

Death Valley National Park will join national park sites around the country in kicking off National Park Week with free entrance to the park
National Volunteer Week continues!
Meet Greg and Lisa

These California natives have just completed their 3rd volunteer season here at Death Valley as Campground Hosts.
Look up,
The Lyrid Meteor Shower is here!

The peak with be the night between April 21 to 22.
Happy National Volunteer Week!
Meet Dave!

Dave is originally from Oregon and has an impressive 11 seasons of volunteer service under his belt with the National Park Service.
With rain, came muddy roads
Please do not drive off road.

Driving off road in Death Valley is both destructive and illegal, and it leaves visible scars on the landscape that can persist for years.
Pupdate!
Spring 2023 Pupfish count

We are pleased to report that the population is holding steady at an estimated 175 observable fish.

March 2023

Wake up, it's National Coyote Day!
If not friend, why friend shaped?

Human-coyote interactions are one of the most common reasons for early death among coyotes in the park.
Summer Internship
Curation Technician Interns

Manzanar National Historic Site and Death Valley National Park are partnering to host two paid summer internships.
Step into a new perspective!

Sidewinder Canyon
Attention Teachers!
Distance Learning

Our classroom offers the best views! Join our education rangers on a virtual field trip through Death Valley for FREE!
Plan ahead!
Ice can hide in shade

Winter and early spring weather can be deceptive in the desert. Shady roads and trails conceal ice at high elevations.

February 2023

Seeking Public Input
Salt Creek Boardwalk

Death Valley National Park seeks public input on the proposed replacement of Salt Creek Boardwalk.
Bring the park to your classroom!
Distance Learning

Sign up for a virtual field trip!
It's starting!
Dark Sky Festival 2023

Starting tomorrow (2/10) visitors will be able to attend a variety of events throughout the park.
Rescues in Death Valley
Park rangers assisted two hikers

National Park Service (NPS) staff assisted hikers in two separate incidents on Sunday, February 5, 2023.
SPEAKER SERIES
Andrea Jones & Paul Mahaffy

Andrea and Paul will both be at the Death Valley Dark Sky Festival Exploration Fair. You can stop by their table on Saturday from 10:00 a.m.
Ice in Death Valley National Park
stranded two hikers on Telescope Peak

The two men slipped off the trail when crossing a steep, icy drainage, less than two miles from the trailhead.
Night Sky Talk!
Alabama Hills in the Eastern Sierra

Death Valley Rangers will be working with our partners from the Bureau of Land Management to present a night sky program.

January 2023

SPEAKER SERIES
Carson Schubert

Carson Schubert is an engineer focused on the exploration of the solar system and beyond.
“Babies” abound!
Larval pupfish hit record numbers!

Monitoring of larval Devils Hole pupfish in December 2022 and January 2023 has yielded 9 and 8 individuals, respectively.
2023 dates posted!
Paleontology Tours

These tickets are limited. For more information click the image above!
Everybody! It's a (star) party!
Join us January 20th!

Our stellar rangers will have telescopes set up for public viewing, meaning the only thing you need to bring to this party is yourself!
Come visit January 16th for
A Fee Free Day!

Entrance fees will be waived for all visitors arriving on Monday, January 16th, 2023
What’s #YourParkStory?
Dark Skies are a protected resource.

Death Valley National Park is known for some of the darkest skies designated by The International Dark-Sky Association.
Attention Teachers
Visit Virtually!

Death Valley offers two FREE ranger-led virtual programs aimed at all students K-12.
DSF Speaker Series
Shannon Berger

Shannon Berger (she/her) is the Mission Operations Manager for SunRISE at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
IT'S HAPPENING
Dark Sky Festival 2023

Follow along on our countdown to the Dark Sky Festival February 10th - 12th.
Mine (Scotty’s Version)
A story of friendship

Nicknamed for his enduring presence there, "Death Valley Scotty" (right) remains one of the most infamous figures in the park’s history.

December 2022

Can confirm,
ewe saw what you think ewe saw.

In November and early December, park visitors might have seen bighorn sheep suspended below a helicopter.
Road work ahead?
I sure hope it does!

Plan ahead when visiting Death Valley, some roads including North Highway are currently closed while crews work to get them open soon!
Eureka,
Borax!

Borax, refined from borate minerals raked off the valley floor, brought more money to Death Valley’s miners than gold and silver combined.
Count me in!
Christmas Bird Count

Want to participate but can’t make it to Death Valley? Find a count location near you by clicking the image above.

November 2022

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Can you hear the silence?

Be sure to allow time in your travels to just be still. Explore more about the sand dunes by clicking the image.
Z is for...
Zebra-tailed Lizard!

While they are most active during summer months, you may still be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one in the fall!
Y is for...
Yucca!

Yucca plants are spiky succulents, commonly confused with cacti, as they have sharp pointed leaves that help protect them from being eaten.
Towne Pass
is now open!

Towne Pass section of CA-190 is now open to all vehicles. This provides access from the west into Death Valley National Park.
X is for...
Xerophyte!

Xerophytes are plants adapted for dry environments which survive with little water.
Join us Veterans Day for a
Fee Free Day!

The National Park Service invites all visitors to remember our veterans by visiting any National Park Service site for free on Veterans Day.
Roads Update,
Daylight Pass and Beatty Cutoff Open!

This provides access from Beatty, Nevada into Death Valley National Park.

October 2022

W is for...
Waterfall!

While most people don’t think of Death Valley as a place with much water, some canyons, have enough water to create waterfalls!
Mushrooms?
In Death Valley?

Even in one of the hottest and driest deserts, fun guys like this one still thrive!
Volunteer with Death Valley!
Be a Campground host

We are looking for campground host volunteers for Sunset and Texas Springs campgrounds from mid-October 2022 to January 15, 2023.
V is for...
Volcanism!

What do popped popcorn and Little Hebe Crater have in common? Steam!
Celebrating one of our favorites,
Happy Desert Tortoise Week!

Fun Fact: It is estimated that desert tortoises have existed for 15 to 20 million years!
Get excited!!
Dark Sky Festival February 10-12

Early evening will make for incredible dark skies while morning hours will allow for exploring under the light of the moon.
2022 Pupdate!
Devils Hole pupfish population at a high

Devils Hole pupfish scientists and Death Valley Volunteers-in-Park (VIP) divers had another very successful time counting fish!
Learn more about,
National Fossil Day!

National Fossil Day is an annual celebration held to highlight the scientific and educational value of paleontology.
Dancing, Walking, Hiking
In the Moonlight

Happy International Observe the Moon Night!

September 2022

National Wilderness Month
Leave No Trace Seven Principles

In preparation for all your fall adventures. Let’s go over the Leave No Trace Seven Principles.
Scotty's Castle history online!
Explore more on NPGallery.

Historic Scotty’s Castle may be closed for repairs, but did you know you can still experience its fascinating history through NPGallery?
Party under the stars!
Check out the full event calendar here.

Join the Las Vegas Astronomical Society October 21st and 22nd to look at the night sky.
U is for...
Ubehebe Peak!

Wilderness ahead! You’ve probably heard of Ubehebe Crater, but did you know that there is also a Ubehebe Peak?
T is for...
Telephone Canyon!

Located on the northwest side of Tucki Mountain, Telephone Canyon is named for the telephone line that used to run through it.
Mark your calendars
National Public Lands Day is 9/24

The NPS celebrates this day every year by offering free entrance into all National Parks!
Making waves!
Earthquake rocks Devils Hole

On September 19th, 2022 a large earthquake that rocked the Pacific Coast of Mexico made waves in Devils Hole—literally.
That's enough slices!! We mean rain.
Storms continue in the park

With so much recent rain, it is important to pay attention to road conditions. Visit our Alerts & Conditions page for up to date info.
More Road Damage!
Another Round of Rains

Another round of storms impacted roads in the Death Valley region on Tuesday, September 13.
More rain...
Remnants of Hurricane Kay

Storms fueled by the remnants of Hurricane Kay caused localized, heavy damage in Death Valley National Park.

Last updated: November 21, 2024

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 579
Death Valley, CA 92328

Phone:

760 786-3200

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