Death Valley, leaving in two weeks
 

My wife and I were reading about the possible "super-bloom" in Death Valley this year. So yesterday, on the spur-of-the moment, we decided to book a trip.

We were able to get 6 nights in Stovepipe Wells at the end of the first week in March, the only time they had a big chuck of availability. (Furnace Creek is also mostly booked and more expensive, so we just grabbed the dates at Stovepipe while they were in front of us.)

The NPS website is pretty decent. I have started some online research but it's always good to check in with Fodorites!. Looking for easy-moderate hikes, maybe a ghost town, the must-see locations and perhaps an interesting but less popular area that is accessible with a basic compact sedan rental car.

We are flying in and out of Vegas and will rent the car there. I guess there are several driving options.

Any website or information you could steer us to would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Ghost towns:

If you take from Las Vegas the northern route to Stovepipe Wells via Beatty, you will easily reach the ghost town Rhyolite. It is fascinating to see how quickly nature claims back, even in the desert. In addition, you will see a lot of ghosts in Rhyolite. Look here:
http://goldwellmuseum.org/

If want to see not a ghost town but a dying town, you may drive to Trona, west of DV (about 1:20 from Stovepipe Wells). It is real saddening. You may read this before you decide to go there:
http://articles.latimes.com/2006/oct/04/local/me-trona4

Must-see locations:

Zabriskie Point
Sand Dunes
Devil's Golf Course
Badwater
Artist's Palette
Salt Creek
Dante's View (perhaps not a "must", we found Zabriskie more impressive)
Devil's Corn Field

The problem with the less popular areas is that they are usually accessible with SUVs only (e.g. Titus Canyon).

You can drive up to Wildrose Peak until the paved road ends, park your car and hike a bit in the area, even up to the peak. (There are old charcoal kilns, however not overly impressive.)

traveller1959, Thanks much, that is perfect. Will plan to stop at Rhyolite, looks quite interesting. I found this as well:
http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/nv/rhyolite.html

The Goldwell ghosts look cool, and like they belong.

The LA Times article did not make Trona sound too appealing. The Trona pinnacles look interesting but probably not worth the haul out there. Thanks though.

I'll check all the places your list. Appreciated.

Great info. I read about the "super-bloom" too and told my husband we should try to get out there in March for a weekend. If we don't make it, I hope you give us a trip report.

Hope you make it there wtm003! Both Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells are getting booked, but Furnace did have several weekend openings that required a 3 or 4 night minimum. Good luck!

The NPS has a page on the flowers here, they seem to be updating it about weekly:
http://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/nature...pdate-2016.htm

Note this:
<i>What is most exciting to me this spring is not necessarily the number of flowers we have blooming early, or the vast number of tiny plants filling in behind them. It is the way some of the plants, that have not yet bloomed or are just beginning to bloom, are super sized. Jack-in-the-Beanstalk stems of Desert Gold (Geraea canescens). Basal rosettes of Gravel Ghost (Atrichoserus platyphylla) that are more than a foot in diameter. Notchleaf Phacelia standing nearly three feet high. Desert Five-Spot (Eremalche rotundifolia) plants with three dozen buds on just one plant. It's mind-boggling. Visions of great things to come! Happy flower hunting! </i>


I also wrote them and received this reply on February 14:

<i>This has been a wet year for Death Valley and we have had flowers blooming in the park for at least a month now. If you are able to visit in the next few weeks there should still be a good bloom in the valley area. As it warms up the should be flowers blooming in the high elevations of the park so when ever you do end coming o the park there should be flowers in bloom somewhere. the best thing to do is to keep checking our website (NPS.gov/DEVA) for updates. Once you are in the park you can come to our visitor center and talk ot a ranger behind the front desk for an update and get current weather and road conditions.

Inside the park you can call Furnace Creek (760-786-2345) or you can call Stovepipe Wells (760-786-2387) for lodging. You may also want to consider looking at Beatty for hotels. It is a town just out side the park in Nevada about an hour from the Furnace Creek Visitor center.
</i>

Trona received some reputation for crystal meth addicts. Also, Ry Cooder made some songs about it. We drove through Trona on our way from California to Death Valley and found it really depressing. I just mentioned it as an example for a town in the dying phase, before it becomes a ghost town.

Rhyolite is funny. It is a real ghost town, with some structures left (the sturdiest one is, you guess it, the bank). And an artist has added his humorous toch. And it is conveniently located on the way from Las Vegas.

Zabriskie Point is best shortly after sunrise.

I understand you have already booked at Stovepipe. Location is excellent, very central and close to the sand dunes. Accomodation is somewhat basic, but don't forget you are not in Palm Springs but in a National Park!

Marble Canyon is my absolute favorite part of Death Valley; the hike begins near where you are staying, and is not at all difficult. If the weather is warm, go early. http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/DEVA...yn/_Marble.htm

Ubehebe Crater is also well worth a visit.

Nelson, saw your thread and smiled!

We booked a few months ago for 1 night at Furnace Creek Inn, now so excited for the "super bloom"

Unfortunately we only have 1 night, but we will be driving from Las Vegas so will have some afternoon hours for Badwater Road wildflowers when we arrive, and Zabriskie Point Sunset (when we are there sunset is at 5:47PM)

And some time early the next morning for sunrise (sunrise is at 6:09 AM when we are there) before we take a 6 hr drive to Paso Robles. However, when we leave for Paso Robles there are also wildflowers out that direction also.

Enjoy, aren't we lucky!

traveller1959, I like Ry Cooder and the top of a Google brought up his "Little Trona Girl", someone compiled photos of Trona put to his song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvbnVQTkL50

I actually find places like that evocative and photogenic, stopped in several in West Texas on a road trip about a year ago, shot a few photos. Memorials to bad choices, bad luck, broken dreams. We have all been there, or could be.

But we might stick to flowers this trip! Will definitely stop at Rhyolite.

sylvia, Marble Canyon and Ubehebe Crater both look way cool, thanks much, they are on the list.

wrenwood, yep we are lucky! Have a great trip and good luck flower viewing. We went through Lompoc once when the hillsides were stunningly covered with flowers.

If your travels are taking you to the coast we were there in January and stopped at the amazing Elephant Seal Rookery near San Simeon. The seals should still be there until March. I have a video of a baby being born and can post the link if you are interested. We also went to the Monarch Butterfly grove in Pismo, another unique site. Have fun in any case.

Nelson, The Elephant Seal Rookery is on our itinerary. Apparently the Moms may have left, but the babies will still be there.

February
The last births occur as some females are weaning pups born in January, mating and leaving the beach. The peak of mating is around Valentine’s Day.

March
Last adults leave. Weaned pups remain onshore and explore nearshore waters. Pups fast for 8-10 weeks.

What a tough way to be weaned!

Definitely a tough way to be weaned! It looked tough to be born there too, surrounded by dozens of seagulls going for the afterbirth. The birth we witnessed seemed to be a difficult one, but an amazing sight for sure. Have a great trip.

Last night I decided to watch Zabriskie Point. We had never seen it before, not necessarily a bad thing. However, it did bring back certain memories. Right on.

Any recommendations for good movies filmed in Death Valley?

I was just there a week ago. It was gorgeous and there were many wildflowers on Badwater road, especially south of Badwater. Badwater Road is closed at the entrance to the Park right now. The ranger told us to go about 30 miles south of Badwater to see the most flowers but we only had to go about 15 miles. The ranger also said that they expect the flowers to peak early this year but I'm sure there will be some for you when you get there. :) This is one of my favorite sites http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/ca_dv.html

I love Zabriskie Point, especially at sunrise and/or sunset. Dante's at sunrise but that is a long drive from Stovepipe Wells. Badwater, the sand dunes, and Rhyolite are all wonderful. Wildrose Peak is another wonderful lookout from lookout point.

My favorite hike is into Golden Canyon and then on to Gower Gulch trail until you get to the base of Manley Beacon. I usually turn back at that point because I"m not great with heights but you can go on to Zabriskie or a big loop.

Have fun!

I'm going to Death Valley the last weekend of March. I hope you guys going earlier will post - even if not a whole trip report - at least some updates and your experiences. And have a great time. Thanks

franny, Thanks much for that update and the desertusa site. That is great! I've been watching the NPS page, and they say the heat this week took a toll on the flowers. Hopefully they'll get another shot of rain before we arrive, but the forecast is looking dry right now.

Appreciate the hike and sights info. Friends of ours are staying only one day in Death Valley in April because they didn't think there was enough to do, but I think we'll be overbooked.

isabel, I'll post an update on our trip on March 15 or so, after we return.

(I tried to get the Fodors folks to change the title of this thread to "Death Valley Super Bloom" since "leaving in two weeks" was a poor choice. But no luck.)

We are in Death Valley now, flowers are spectacular though long timers say 2005 bloom was better.

I can post a report when we return home in a couple of days, but definitely the best site for updates is the desertusa site posted by franny, above.
http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/ca_dv.html

We hiked Titus Canyon today and my wife found the sage they are listing as number 2) uncommon finds. Maybe even the same plant.

We are now stopped in Furnace Creek Inn now for cocktails and an internet connection.

Thanks for the update. I'll be in Death Valley in less than two weeks, very excited. Any other tips or things you're doing and enjoying will be appreciated. Keep having fun.

We had a great time! I posted a quickly pounded out trip report here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...uper-bloom.cfm