Travel blog by web-hotels.com

Walking in Death Valley

I visited this magnificent desert with some friends. This is an experience that I believe should be lived in a group. The Valley of Death is a desert where billions of years ago there was the sea and in some places it is still possible to find salt and small stocks of salt water.

Like all deserts of the world, the temperature is very hot. The second highest temperature of the world was registered in this area.

How to get to Death Valley

Driving in Death Valley

There are roads in Death Valleys so you can get there by car. We entered the valley coming from Las Vegas via the road 95 that goes to Reno, where it turns west to Death Valley Junction and then continues on the road to Furnace Creek 190.

One of the places adjacent to the desert where you can stay is Death Valley Junction. This is a very small town in the middle of nowhere.

A simple hotel you could stay in is Amargosa Hotel. The rooms are quite basic and so is the hotel for that matter. There is no television, telephone and any other form of advanced technology. The style of the hotel is in line with the spirit of the desert a few meters away. I would advise you to stay here to really appreciate your sorroundings. Warning: This hotel is not accessible from any navigation system. I would advise you to get to these areas in daylight hours and with a very detailed map. The streets are dark at night without lights.

The Desert

Death View Panorama

Sand Dune – Death Valley should be visited early in the morning before the sun is too high and it gets too hot.

The entrance to the Valley is not free, like all the parks of America. The cost is $ 15 per car. Bring plenty of water with you. eventhough there are many restaurants in the wilderness.

By car you can reach all the main sites of the desert. We have done the entire tour in one day, but the ideal is to have at least two days time.

Things to See

Zabriskie Point, Dante’s View, Badwater, Devil’s gold course, Sand Dunes, Ubehebe Crater, Scotty’s Castle, Artist’s Palette, Golden Canyon, Salt Creek, Panimint City, Frozen Water Fall, Devil’s Cornfield, Flat Mequite, Twenty Mule Team Canyon, cinder Field and the Trail Canyon. For more info put those into wikipedia and find out more …

Organize the tour in the desert in advance. Calculate about  20 minutes per site to have enough time to enjoy the scenery and pictures. Beware of dangerous animals, especially io snakes, scorpions who hide under rocks and sand-colored lizards. All these animals are poisonous. Animals that you can meet in Death Valley are: Squirrels, mice, kangaroos (rodent), hares, foxes, coyotes, wild donkeys, wild rabbits, desert tortoises, scorpions, many types of rodents, eagles and hundreds of species of birds.

When you visit the sand dunes, do not put your hands in the sand. Scorpions and snakes live in the sand and can bite.