Death Valley

“Would You Enjoy a Trip to Hell?...You Might Enjoy a Trip to Death Valley, Now! It has all the advantages of hell without the inconveniences.”

In view of Death Valley’s reputation as the hottest, driest and lowest place in America, this 1907 April Fool’s Day ad from the “Death Valley Chuck-Walla,” a local mining camp newspaper, was meant to be ironic, yet, only 20 years later, a luxury hotel was built that changed Death Valley from “hell” to a tourist mecca.

Awe-inspiring mountains rise two miles above expansive salt flats, impressive sand dunes and cavernous craters, and below the surface of Death Valley is one of America's largest aquifer systems.

During the summer, temperatures often top 120°F (49°C) in the shade with overnight lows dipping into the 90s (mid 30s°C). Rainfall averages less than 2 inches (5cm) a year, a fraction of what most deserts receive. Occasional thunderstorms, especially in late summer, can cause flashfloods. In contrast, winter and spring are very nice with mild daytime temperatures at low elevations and slightly cooler temperatures at higher elevations.

The hottest air temperature ever recorded in Death Valley (Furnace Creek) was 134°F (57°C) on July 10, 1913. During the heat wave that peaked with that record, five consecutive days reached 129° F (54°C) or above. Death Valley held the record for the hottest place on earth until 1922. Oddly enough, 1913 was also the year that saw Death Valley's coldest temperature. On January 8, the temperature dropped to 15°F (-10°C) at Furnace Creek.

Ultimately, it’s the people that make Death Valley such an interesting place. Their lives, their struggles, their dreams. The Timbisha Shoshone Indians lived here for centuries before the first white man entered the valley. Searching for gold, 49ers trekked across the perilous salt flats in the dangerous heat. As silver and borax discoveries brought people into Death Valley, Chinese workers built Panamint City, while another group of Chinese workers helped with the successful mining operation at Harmony Borax. During WWII, Japanese Internees from Manzanar were relocated to Death Valley. They assisted the National Park Service for 3 months before being relocated to other parts of the country. In the overall time span of Death Valley, their footsteps are as transient as the shifting desert sands.

Death Valley Tour. Local Rates - not just for locals.
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