Hear about travel to Death Valley National Park in California as the Amateur Traveler talks to former park ranger Jeff Ohlfs about the largest of the national parks in the continental United States.
Jeff has tried to get to Death Valley at least once a year since 1996.
Jeff says, “It is so full of history and nature, at least geology speaking. It’s just incredible, mainly mining history. It’s really gonna be mining and geology are the two biggest things. And I pretty much have toured all around except for about five places are still on my bucket list to go see. It’s the largest in the lower 48, it’s a fifth largest in the country. It’s over 3 million acres, it’s just a little bit less than the size of Connecticut. And it’s about 140 miles north to south long. We’re not going to get to cover everything, but I’ll try to get the main highlights.”
Death Valley is about 140 miles west of Las Vegas, and 310 miles north of Los Angeles on the east side of this year is so a lot of people are going to Yosemite and Sequoia they usually try to hit Death Valley too. It’s really close to Las Vegas.
Since Death Valley is one of if not the hottest place in the world, Jeff recommends visiting in winter. They get barely 2 inches of rain a year, and 351 clear days a year. When the rains do come, the wildflowers come out all over the park and the lowest spot in the park, Bad Water Basin, can sometimes turn back into Lake Manly which this area was tens of thousands of years ago.
The United Nations declared Death Valley part of a biosphere preserve called the Mojave and Colorado Desert Biosphere Reserve in 1975. Also in that designation are Joshua Tree National Park (in the Mojave/Colorado transition zone), the Santa Rosa Mountains Wildlife Management Area (in the Colorado Desert), and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (in the Colorado Desert).
Death Valley got its name from a group of 49ers looking for a shortcut to the Goldfields in California without being on the Old Spanish Trail. They decided to cut across they got lost for 26 days. One person passed away as a result of it. And the story goes that as they were finally climbing out of Death Valley, someone looked back and said, Goodbye Death Valley.
Jeff describes what you will see on the paved roads or just off it in the park. We talk about Bad Water Basin, the Devil’s Golf Course, Devils Hold, and the colorful rocks of Artists Palette. We get views at sites like Dante’s View or Zabriskie Point. We visit Scotty’s Castle (closed until the end of 2022), and the visitor center at Furnace Creek.
We see a Borax Museum and the remains of mining operations in the park as well as a few ghost towns. Jeff guides us to hikes like Desolation Canyon Trail and Zabriskie Point.
To get to some of the well known sites like Racetrack Playa you will have to go off road. When driving in the park, always make sure you fill-up your car when you get a chance. But if you go off-road be doubly careful. Make sure someone knows where you are and make sure your car is provisioned in case you have problems.
If you have a small plane you can fly into the reopened Chicken Strip in the northern part of the park by the Eureka Dunes. Death Valley is the lowest, hottest, driest place in the USA and it is a site like no other.
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Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by Cal-Am. With 12 properties across Arizona, Cal-Am Resorts offer experiences designed just for older audiences. Unlike a time share, you buy a home allowing you to come whenever you want and stay for as long as you want. Call Steve Ryerson at 888-883-4609 or visit discovercal-am.com.
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Show Notes
Death Valley
Devils Hole
Devils Hole pupfish
Badwater Basin
Badwater 135
Devil’s Golf Course
Artists Palette
Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral
Desolation Canyon Trail
Furnace Creek, California
Twenty Mule Team Borax
Harmony
Dante’s View
Ryan
Zabriskie Point
Salt Creek Interpretive Trail
Scotty’s Castle
Ubehebe Crater
Devil’s Corn Field
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Kelso Dunes – Mojave National Preserve
Death Valley Hotels
The Oasis at Death Valley
Panamint Springs Resort
Wildrose Peak
Wildrose Peak Trail
Charcoal Kilns
The Wildrose Charcoal Kilns of Death Valley
Darwin Falls Wilderness
Joshua Tree to Death Valley Road Trip: 19 Key Stops & Routing
Hungry Bill’s Ranch
Death Valley Trail Review: Johnson Canyon
Farabee’s Jeep Rentals and Tours
Keane Wonder Mine
Driving the wild Chloride Cliff Road
Rhyolite Ghost Town
Leadfield, California
Eureka Dunes
Racetrack Playa
Skidoo Mill
Saline Valley
Chicken Strip
Ballarat (Ghost Town)
Surprise Canyon Trail
Barker Ranch
Tecopa Hot Springs Resort and Campground
China Ranch Dates, Inc.
Amargosa River
Amargosa Opera House and Hotel
Lone Pine, California
Alabama Hills
Community
Hi Chris,
I am a fan of Amateur Traveler. I just heard you read the listener’s criticism at the end of the hill country show. Okay, I totally disagree.
Your commentary helps fill in the blanks for listeners. Some of your guests are not as clear as they should be You fill in history, details, and important context.
Thank you for the show!
Do you have an email newsletter? Count me in.
Best,
Amy
Recent Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CaliforniaExpert 04/21/2022
Favorite travel podcast
Always look forward to new episodes of this show. Chris has a great format that works. He lets the guests tell the story, but always asks important questions and contributes to the conversation in thoughtful ways. Great mix of unusual destinations, and familiar ones. Guests are always knowledgeable and informative.
I’ve noticed a certain “luxury” travel podcaster has stolen some of his format…I had to unfollow her because it bugged me so much, lol.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ divebookreader 03/06/2022
Great podcast
Never miss an episode. Travel inspiration in each episode.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sarita7981 04/02/2022
Good show
Could you consider doing an updated episode about Newfoundland, Nova Scotia or PEI? Our family is planning a trip this summer and the last episodes about those places have been several years. Thank you !
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by Chris Christensen
Chris Christensen is the creator of the Amateur Traveler blog and podcast. He has been a travel creator since 2005 and has won awards including being named the "Best Independent Travel Journalist" by Travel+Leisure Magazine.+Chris Christensen | @chris2x | facebook
One Response to “Travel to Death Valley National Park – Episode 803”
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Tags: audio travel podcast, california, death valley national park, podcast
Alex B.
Says:June 18th, 2022 at 10:28 am
Hi, if you read this Amy from above, this is Aosc2, the user who posted the criticism of Chris’ interviewing style. I agree that some guests would be better off w/ explanation from Chris but it is my feeling (and the feeling of others, too, based on a few other Apple Podcasts reviewers) that Chris can be, let’s say, a little heavy-handed w/ his corrections/clarifications. It can sometimes really disrupt the flow of the convo and it makes him seem uninterested in the interviewees who are, after all, the lifeblood of the pod (no interviewees, no show). To say this in the most diplomatic way possible, it makes Chris seem a little rude to add clarifications and such during the convo. I’m not saying take these out altogether. I mean I think it would be better to add the clarifications at the END of the pod (in the “community” section). I’m sure Chris will disagree w/ me–I’ve mentioned this b4 in these website comment sections and he basically said, “That’s the way I’ve been doing it for 15+ years. I’m not going to change it.” Not to sound arrogant or anything, but if I were a pod host and many of my listeners were giving me suggestions, I’d at least consider them.