Palms & Resorts: An area of Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park where palm trees surround a luxury resort and family friendly motel. These facilities offer visitors a chance to relax and cool off during the mid-day hours when the desert landscape color is more washed out. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Sand Dunes: The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are near the small village of Stovepipe Wells north of the Furnace Creek area. The dunes and hiking in Mosaic Canyon are two of the top features in this area. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
After spending a few days in Death Valley National Park we had to bid this massive park farewell. We were able to see and do most of the features and sites that we hoped to visit but only within the Furnace Creek area of the park.
Our entire visit was in a small area in the southeast part of the park in and around the village of Furnace Creek. Unless one has the opportunity to visit the park for weeks the only way to visit this huge national park is to visit one area at a time.
There are some sites and features about 50 miles from the area where we spent most of our time. We did take a few hours to make a day trip to the area near the area around Stove Pipe Wells.
During our day trip we were able to stop briefly at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and the small Stovepipe Wells Village. Our trip to Scotty’s Castle, another 50 miles north of the Stovepipe Wells Village area, did not happen because the area remained closed due to flood damage years before.
We enjoyed our day trip north. We made short stops and I took a few photos but that is about it. Perhaps another visit to Death Valley National Park may include this area.
Another area for a future trip is on the western side of the park which is reached from U.S. Highway 395. Panamint Springs is the village in the park’s west side entrance. The western side of the park does have several features and sites to explore but we did not come close to visiting the west side of the park during this visit.
Death Valley National Park is unique in many ways. First plan to visit during the cooler months. Do not go in the summer unless you want to be on site when the temperature hits record highs of over 120 degrees. I cannot imagine being at Death Valley when it is so brutally hot.
Second, as stated, the park is huge. Plan ahead and know what parts of the park are most interesting to you. The Furnace Creek area where we visited is probably the most popular area for first time visitors because sites are relatively near each other. By relatively close in this park means within 20-30 miles!
Plan on spending at least a couple of days so you can experience the sites at best viewing time of day. Some site are more favorable in the early morning and others are better in the afternoon or early evening. There are some canyon hikes that are colorful during mid-day for those who wish to hike during the day. However, do not drive through the park during the mid-day hours and expect to see any of the sites at their best color as most sites are best early or late in the day.
By planning your visit you can enjoy this park, see and appreciate the beauty of the Mojave Desert. This was our first visit to Death Valley National Park and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. We hope to visit again and explore a different area of the park in the future.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Stovepipe Wells: Stovepipe Wells is a small village that provides visitors with a motel and camping while in the area. The General Store shown in this photo is one of a few commercial establishments in the area. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Death Valley Basin: This elevation sign can be seen as one is nearing Furnace Creek within Death Valley National Park. The village of Furnace Creek is the location of the Death Valley Visitor Center and some other commercial amenities. Furnace Creek buildings and some of the trees can be seen beyond the ridge in this photo. One must go a little lower in elevation at Furnace Creek, which is 190 feet below sea level. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Miles & Miles: When visiting Death Valley National Park visitors must be ready to drive a while to reach the desired features and viewpoints. Even within the Furnace Creek area some attractions are 20-30 miles from the village. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
