Death Valley National Park

The moon over Death Valley National Park (Grant Faint/Photographer's Choice/Getty) (John Clet Jones Greater West Images)

Death Valley National Park

Established: 1994
Acreage: 3,340,410
Average Yearly Visitors: 898,000
Location: In Death Valley, 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas

Contact Details
Death Valley National Park
P.O. Box 579
Death Valley, CA 92328
Phone: 760-786-3200

Death Valley National Park gives new meaning to the word extreme. From 282 feet below sea level, the nation's lowest point, the park tops out nearby at an astonishing 11,049 feet. The highest temperatures in the United States are regularly recorded here, as are winter snows and near-zero nighttime temperatures. See a map of Death Valley National Park.
Since extreme summer temperatures make hiking difficult at lower elevations, smart hikers take to the hills. Try the high-elevation hike to Telescope Peak, which begins at 8,133 feet and crests at 11,049 feet. You'll navigate pinyon and limber pine forests, and ancient bristlecone pines near the summit.
Centrally located in the park, Stovepipe Wells is the home to the most photographed sand dunes in the world, and is within hiking distance of Keane Wonder Mine and Mill. You'll also be a quick drive from two must-see ghost towns, Leadfield, California, and Rhyolite, Nevada. The nearby campground has 200 sites and is open from October to April.
Two miles east of the Furnace Creek Inn is the start of the off-road driving route through Echo Canyon. Highlights along the ten-mile route include a colorful section of narrows, a natural arch called the Needle's Eye, and the still-standing structures of the Inyo Mine.

By Travel Expert: Ann Marie Brown

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