Death Valley National Park

The mountains in Death Valley

Death Valley National Park got its name because of its extreme conditions and history. Settlers moving west during the end of the 19th century crossed this area and many of them died while crossing.



Deathy Valley National Park is located in California, just east or the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This park is known for its unique and differing elevation levels. Death Valley is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere going down about -84 meters (-252 feet) below sea level. This area is called Badwater. The highest elevation in Death Valley is around 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) above sea level. There are many narrow, winding gorges and streams flowing through the park. The tempuratures are so diverse in this park that in the valley area it can be around 130 degrees F on a summer day and have snow capped mountains for most of the year. This park holds the second highest tempurature in the world with 134 degres F in 1913.

Mountains in Death Valley

Death Valley holds alot of high ranking for just one park. Not only does it have the deepest depression in the western hemisphere, or the second highest tempurature, it also is the largest park in the Continetal United States.

The crater

There are plenty of fun and time occupying activites to do in Death valley National Park, such as:

• Auto Touring
• 4x4 trails
• Hiking
• Walking
• Self Guided Trails (Golden Canyon Trail, Harmony Borax Works, and Salt Creek Nature Trail)
• Cross country/ Backpacking trips
• Short/ Day Hikes

Off road trails

There are 56 mamals, 36 reptiles, 5 amphibians, 6 fish, and nearly 400 different types of birds living in this park. Some of these animals are:

1. Birds: roadrunner, raven, great-tailed grackle... LOTS more.
2. Mammals: bighorn sheep, kit fox, coyote, antelope ground squierrel, kangaroo rat, black-tailed jack rabbit...
3. Reptiles: chuckwalla, horned lizard, zebra-tailed lizard, sidewinder..
   4. Fish: pupfish...

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