Death Valley 2016

[Lifestyle Overland]

So it looks like our first official excursion will be to Death Valley to meet up with some old family friends before rolling to the west coast.

Anyone have any pointers or "must see" areas of interest?

Also, what map set (hard copy) do you recommend?

Thanks!

 

[Mike G]

This is the best year for a DV trip! With it being an El Nino year, DV is going to be full of wild flowers in spring. I backpacked DV twice and it was awesome. You have to see the Race Track, the crater(forgot the name of it) Scotty's Castle if its open (it was closed due to last years flash floods), the salt flats, Sand Dunes, Old Stovepipe well's. Theirs so much to see at DV and I can go on and on. Check out Death Valley's Facebook page for current conditions and additional information. Also check out your local Library, they might have some DV road/backcountry books. Don't forget to check out the Visitor Center, its pretty cool and you can ask any Ranger what's the best off road spot(s).

My favorite spot (when I went backpacking) is Marble Canyon. You can drive most of the way there until you hit the Narrows and then hike the rest of the way to Marble canyon. ( I think it was about a 15-20 min hike from the Narrows)

Have fun and post up some pics when you can.

 

[Owencavlys]

I don't if it's true for sure, but I heard they were closing Scotty's Castle. If it's open, definitely worth seeing. The sand dunes are also very cool. I made a sandboard with the scouts by hand and we slid down those dunes. It's not as fun as it sounds.

Are you going very far West? If you are, Manzanar is not TOO far. Very historical spot to see. Lone Pine and Independence are cool little towns. And if you're going South West, Fossil Falls is very worth seeing. It's a really cool volcanic rock valley. From the highway you can see the volcanic mountain and how far the volcanic debris flew when it erupted (however many thousand years ago.) I camped there for one very freezing cold, windy night.

 

[Mike G]

@stringtwelve Found this book at my local library and its full of great trips. You should just buy a DV book since im sure you be going back again and again.

 

[Lifestyle Overland]

@Mike G @Owencavlys Thanks for the input! I've got these on the way:




Unfortunately Scotty's Castle is shut down for a while. Here's the statement from the Park Service:

Flooding at Scotty's Castle

The October flood in Grapevine Canyon was much larger than any flood event since the construction of Scotty's Castle in the 1920s. The maximum flow was estimated at 3,000 cubic feet per second and deposited debris over 10 feet high.

Flood water surrounded multiple buildings in the Death Valley Scotty Historic District. The most severely damaged historic building was the Garage/Longshed, which functions as the Scotty's Castle Visitor Center. The flood forced open doors, broke windows, broke interior walls, and smashed one exterior wall. Flood waters four feet deep left several feet of mud and rocks inside the building.

• Hacienda: Damage due mud up to four feet thick deposited inside the building. The mud and furniture has been removed.
• Visitor Center (Garage/Longshed): interior wall damage, exterior wall damage, broken doors, broken windows. Mud, furniture, and exhibits have been removed.
• Scotty's Castle (Main House &Annex): The roof leaked in several places, allowing moisture into the building.
• Museum collection: 139,000 archives, furnishings, and other artifacts are threatened by lack of heating, air conditioning, humidity control and fire suppression. The museum collection is being moved to temporary storage until repairs are completed at Scotty's Castle.
• Water system: The spring house, one of two reservoirs, and the pipeline were destroyed.
• Electricity: Over 20 power poles were washed away. SoCal Edison replaced the power line to Scotty's Castle in mid-January. Work remains to be done to the wiring on site.
• Sewer: The leach field was damaged.
• Historic Pool: Was filled with mud and water. The mud has all been removed by a combination of hand tools and heavy equipment.
• Historic Bridge: Footings were undercut and the bridge moved slightly but it is structurally sound.
• Historic Fence: Over a mile of historic concrete fence posts were washed out.
• Grounds: Mud and rocks up to four feet deep surrounded several buildings and covered the parking lot and picnic area. This has mostly been removed by trail crews and fire crews loaned from other national parks

 

[Lifestyle Overland]

The current wishlist of stops are as follows:

● Saline Hot Springs

● Darwin Falls (short hike)

● Mosaic Canyon (short hike)

● Racetrack

● Lippincott Road

● Eureka Dunes (or any other set of dunes)

● Palm Springs

● Titus Canyon

● Badwater Basin (lowest point, -282 ft)

● Charcoal Kilns

● Dedeckera Canyon rd

● Echo Canyon rd

 

[Mike G]

The current wishlist of stops are as follows:

● Saline Hot Springs

● Darwin Falls (short hike)

● Mosaic Canyon (short hike)

● Racetrack

● Lippincott Road

● Eureka Dunes (or any other set of dunes)

● Palm Springs

● Titus Canyon

● Badwater Basin (lowest point, -282 ft)

● Charcoal Kilns

● Dedeckera Canyon rd

● Echo Canyon rd

That's a great list you got their!

 

[daPitbull]

When are you planning on going? Hoping to do four days in April.

 

[Lifestyle Overland]

@daPitbull Probably going in early March. Hope to get in 4 days as well.