Forty-niners, so named because they flocked to California during the 1849 gold rush, gave the valley its name because so many prospectors lost their lives in this brutal desert while seeking a shorter route to the gold fields.

Death Valley was finally established as a national monument in 1933 and designated a national park in 1994. Deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and borax have been mined in the area since the mid-nineteenth century.

Covering 5,262 square miles and enclosed by the Panamint and Amargosa Ranges, much of the valley is below sea level. Badwater Basin, at 282 feet below sea level, is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. It is even more dramatic because towering over it is Panamint’s highest point, Telescope Peak (11,049 feet).

The Rhyolite Ghost Town contains the ruins of a prosperous town that once was home to 10,000 people. Among the few complete buildings is the restored Bottle House, built by a resident in 1906 from 50,000 beer and liquor bottles. The village of Stovepipe Wells offers great views of the colorful Mosaic Canyon. The canyon’s banded marble-like walls with their mosaic patches of waterpolished rock fragments can be seen up close from a short, easy walking trail.

Another park attraction is Scotty’s Castle—a Mediterranean hacienda built in the 1920s as a winter retreat by an eccentric Chicago millionaire. Hiking and camping are popular activities in the valley.

Average summer temperatures are some of the hottest known—they frequently go over 120\260F—and dust- and sandstorms are common. Precautions against the sun, wind, heat, snakes, and tarantulas are necessary. Good maps, a compass, binoculars, and plenty of food, water (extra for the car’s radiator), gas, and oil are essential. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended.

The park is on the Nevada border 290 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Crossing steep mountain passes to get into the valley adds travel time. The visitor center is in Furnace Creek but conveniences are as rare as signs. Lodging is limited but Barstow, 1 hour away, has motels and restaurants. Las Vegas, Nevada, is the closest center with a major airport, and bus and train service.