Death Valley what state. Death Valley National Park. Wet bottom of the former reservoir

Walking stones in Death Valley leave mysterious footprints at the bottom of the former lake of petrified silt. Knife-sharp salt crystals that form amazing structures and labyrinths, and make such amazing sounds that you get the impression that you are on another planet. Numerous ravines, the crater of a dormant volcano, as well as a canyon, visiting which you can see colorful volcanic deposits, deep winding passages, Indian hieroglyphs and a ghost town.

And crazy heat everywhere. The temperature, which an ordinary person is far from always able to withstand - in summer it warms up here to almost 50 ° C, and only after sunset it drops to thirty. An amazing place - Death Valley in the USA, California - from the mere name of which one shudders and even the question arises - is it worth going there?

Once upon a time, back in ancient times (according to some sources - more than 10 thousand years ago) Indians lived in North America. The climate then was much milder, rivers flowed, lakes and even shallow inland seas met, and the region was teeming with game. The area became a hot and absolutely waterless desert about 3 thousand years ago, when the last lake dried up - such changes were the result of long geological transformations, as a result of which mountains and volcanoes formed, completely blocking access to the Pacific Ocean.

Nowadays, the Death Valley National Park in the USA, California is located on more than 14.5 thousand km², and is not only the largest, but also the driest park in North America. That is why more than 95% of the park is a wild and completely undeveloped territory.

The world-famous Badwater Basin is located here, which is not connected by any river systems with the waters of the oceans. Here is one of the lowest places (the second deepest) in the Western Hemisphere and it is located 86 meters below sea level.

Despite the extremely high temperature, according to some reports, more than 1 thousand species of a wide variety of plants grow here and many animals live that have been able to successfully adapt to the harsh climate. It is especially good here right after the rain - the plants bloom in a lush color and it is difficult to take your eyes off the extremely beautiful carpet, which nature “wove” from gold, red, purple and other colors.

Death Valley (USA, California) European prospectors named the desert in 1849, when they found themselves here during the famous Californian gold rush.

And they ended up here for one simple reason - they tried to shorten the path to California to the mines. In search of a way out of the valley, they had to wander here for several weeks. To survive, they even had to eat a few oxen, besides, it is worth noting that they were incredibly lucky - they found springs with fresh water and several streams.

Despite various stories that almost all the miners died, in fact, only one person died on the way, who fell ill before the trip began.

In the end, people managed to get out of the valley, and finally one of the women turned around and exclaimed: “Goodbye! Death Valley! – giving it a name. This area gained popularity some time later thanks to the book of one of the miners - Williams Lewis Manley "Death Valley at 49".

Salt marshes

Death Valley National Park (California) is extremely rich in minerals - there are deposits of borax, talc, borates, silver. In different years, they tried to mine copper, gold and lead. Also a lot of salt. In the only body of water in Death Valley, the water is four times saltier than in the ocean, and around you can observe amazingly beautiful salt deposits.

Salt marshes here divide the area into two zones that are completely different in appearance:

1. Devil's Golf Course. Salt crystals in one of them grow with a tip up and form amazing-looking pointed structures and labyrinths almost a meter high. It is very difficult to move around here, and even impossible without special shoes. During the day, during the heat, the crystals give out a rather ominous, unlike anything sound.
2. Bad Water. It is this territory that is located 86 meters below the level of the World Ocean. Here the salt marshes look different. On a completely smooth plain, a grid is formed that looks like hexagonal figures, and from the height of the mountains, a magnificent, unreal, fabulous view opens up before tourists.

Amazing place

A marvelous place for tourists is not only an opportunity to see a bright, original, pristine nature with a magnificent landscape, but also a chance to encounter unknown, mysterious, mystical and inexplicable phenomena and try to solve their riddle.

One of the most amazing and mysterious phenomena on the planet are moving stones in Death Valley in the USA, California. Tourists immediately have a question, where is Death Valley and this wonderful phenomenon? This phenomenon is located in the south of Death Valley in the USA, California on the territory of the former reservoir Racetrack Playa and attracts the attention of travelers and scientists from all over the world.

They are not attracted by the dry clay bottom of the former lake, which is almost devoid of vegetation. And not the opportunity to look at the pattern formed by cracks in the earth's crust, similar to irregular hexagonal cells. They are attracted by the geological phenomenon of the United States - absolutely independently, without the help of any other creatures, moving stones in different directions.

It is worth noting that not only no one saw their movement itself, but even no one managed to capture it on film. The fact that they move (and even sometimes turn over) can only be judged by the traces they left - by shallow, but rather long strips from 8 to 30 cm wide (depending on the size of the stone) and no more than 2.5 cm deep.

Stones fall here from a hill, which is located in the south of the former lake, while some of them are rather difficult to call stones - real boulders weighing several hundred kilograms.

It is quite difficult for a person to notice exactly how the stones move - they move quite rarely - once every two, or even three years (while the traces do not disappear for several years). And at the same time, no one can predict which stone, when exactly it will move.

Boulders that have a ribbed bottom surface move more or less in a straight line, flat ones move along a curve. Sometimes when moving, they turn over (again, judging by the trail).

How exactly the stones move, different scientists put forward different theories. Some claimed that mystical forces were to blame here, others - magnetic fields, wind, a sliding surface under stones.

The first scientific works about this phenomenon appeared in the middle of the 20th century. There were many hypotheses, in addition to everything, scientists were able to find out the reasons that unambiguously affect the movement of stones.

Wet bottom of the former reservoir

Due to the moist surface, a suitable base, mud or a thin clay layer is formed under the stone, which ensures the mobility of the stones.

To confirm this hypothesis, in the 70s. an experiment was conducted that showed that after the rainy season, water collects in the south of the lake, after which it is distributed by the wind throughout the territory of the former reservoir and thereby wetting it. As a result, the friction force is significantly reduced, due to which a boulder weighing 30 kg may well move. This theory does not explain exactly how the stone begins to move.

Wind

Air masses push the stones and set them in motion. Not all researchers agreed with this theory. Some scientists have pointed out that many boulders are heavy enough to be moved by ordinary wind. And they put forward the following theory that the wind pushes not only blocks, but also pieces of ice that grow on stones at night, and in this case play the role of sails, and at the same time make it easier for ice to slide over mud or clay.

A theory was put forward that after flooding, which periodically occurs here, an ice crust forms on the surface of the former lake, which contributes to the movement of boulders. The experiments carried out showed that if the ice surface somehow affects the movement of stones, it is very small and insignificant.

earthquakes

This theory did not last very long, since the stones move much more often than seismic activity occurs. Here it is so weak that it is hardly capable of displacing stones.

Location

In the 90s. Paula Messina, having studied the coordinates of one and a half hundred stones, realized that the movement of boulders absolutely does not depend on either size or shape. Their movement is greatly influenced by the location - the fact is that the wind here after the storm is divided into two separate air currents, which move the stones in different directions.

In the middle of the lake, the streams converge and form a small tornado, which “twirls” the stones, which is why the boulders move. This theory does not explain why stones can be found throughout Racetrack Playa, since such winds would have to collect them in one place. In this case, not all stones move, but only some of them.

In a word, the mystery of the Valley of Moving Stones is still unsolved and not only scientists from the United States have yet to solve it. And it doesn't seem like it will be soon.

(Death Valley) is a legendary, in the most sparsely populated area in the western United States, known for its unusual landscape and extraordinary landscapes. And today I will tell you about our journey to this unique natural attraction in the United States, which is not very well known among us, but quite often visited by tourists from all over the world. My article is not only about how we went to Death Valley. It contains a lot of practical information: how to get there, what to see there, where to settle and what to do so that a trip to Death Valley does not become fatal. The name is not just given!

The romantic name and unusual scenery have been attracting tourists since Christian Zabriskie decided in the 1930s to transform himself from a mine owner into a successful tourist boss. Thus, an oasis was born in the heart of the Death Valley, which has not lost its significance even now. The Furnace Creek Inn, which he opened, is still in operation today. Over time, campsites, ranches, and even a gas station appeared in the oasis. And in Death Valley there are dunes, unusual moving stones on the Racetrack beach, volcano craters, a whole castle, colorful mountains, a salt marsh, which is generally the lowest place in North America! And what a unique atmosphere and endless starry sky above your head!

To begin with, this is one of the most famous, which is located in the Mojave Desert in California, near the border with Nevada, and whose name suggests that it can be quite insidious, partly due to the particularly extreme climate. It is the largest national park in California (13,518 sq km) and the driest (the highest recorded temperature is 56.7°C).

national park

Death Valley National Park consists of two valleys: the Panamint Valley and the Death Valley, between which are the Panamint Mountains with the Telescope Peak 3367 meters high. Death Valley itself is located between the Panamint Range and the Black Mountains. The park contains the lowest depression in North America, the Badwater Salt Flats. It is located 86 meters below sea level. Where did salt marsh come from? Formerly, the ancient Lake Manly lapped here.

In addition, Death Valley is famous for the fact that Michelangelo Antonioni filmed his film here, and since then Zabriskie Point has become an even more popular place than it was before. And Star Wars added stardom even more.

How to get there

The flattest surface on Earth: the southern and northern edges of the lake floor differ by only 4 cm

Stones are moving in the northern part of Racetrack

Sunset on the Racetrack in Death Valley

I think that we are great that we got to the Racetrack!

Waiting for the full moon!

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

Mesquite Dunes (Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes) are 30-meter dunes in Death Valley. The dunes are the most easily accessible, as they are located right along Route 190, 37 km from Furnace Creek and 3 km from Stonepipe Well, another oasis of civilization in Death Valley, where there is a Stovepipe Wells hotel with a pool, a shop and a gas station.

The Mesquite Dunes are not the highest (the highest being the Eurika Dunes) and not the only ones in Death Valley.

From the convenient parking area, you can walk to these very beautifully shaped dunes, which look very impressive against the backdrop of the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada.

• Helpful advice: Don't forget to bring drinking water with you and also on time. It's very hot on the dunes! It is best to avoid them during the daytime and visit only in the morning or in the evening at sunset.

We drove to see them early in the morning before it got too hot, and then drove out of Death Valley on Highway 190 west across the Panamint Mountains. Further, our path lay along Highway 395 towards the national park.

The Mesquite Dunes with the Grapevine Mountains in the background

Coming from Death Valley on Route 190. Ahead is the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountains

What to see in Death Valley in 1, 2 or 3 days

Death Valley is the largest national park in the United States (not counting the national parks of Alaska) and the distances between attractions are impressive. It’s just as big, probably, only where you also need to correctly draw up a route so as not to waste time.

• From Furnace Creek to Baduter - 24 km
• From Furnace Creek to Zabriskie Point - 8 km
• Furnace Creek to Mesquite Dunes - 44 km
• From Furnace Creek to Ubehebe Crater – 100 km

What should you pay attention to and how to make a route to see the most interesting?

If you have 1 day in Death Valley :

• a must see to look at the Valley from Vida Dante;
• admire Zabriskie Point:
• marvel at the Badwater Salt Flats;
• drive along Artist Drive;
• and visit the Mesquite Dunes.

Then you will be sure that you have seen all the most interesting things in Death Valley. If you come and go back, then it is worth putting the dunes in third place so as not to go back and forth in vain and leave the Valley across road 178 from the Baduter salt marsh. And if you are going further to Yosemite, then do as I wrote above.

If 2 days in Death Valley :

• Start your first day at Dante View;
• Zabriskie Point (return visit at sunset or sunrise);
• road 20 mules (ride more carefully, especially in a sedan);
• oasis of Furnace Creek and check into hotels or camping in the center of the Valley;
• the Badwater Salt Flats and the Devil's Golf Course;
• in the evening go on a trail along the Golden Canyon
• take a ride on Artist Drive and this day will already be full of impressions.
• The second day can be started at dawn at Zabriskie Point;
• then a long throw to Ubehebe Crater;
• a trip to the moving stones at Racetrack Playa (do not forget to take a four-wheel drive car!);
• walk along the Mesquite dunes in the evening.

Again, depending on the plans, then go to the side or onto the 395 highway. Please note that the Scotty Exit at 95 Nevada Road is closed until 2020 for renovations.

For those who want to spend in Death Valley 3 days , you can add different dirt roads and trails to not the top, but no less interesting sights both inside the Valley and outside the main tourist area:

• Falls Darwin
• Rainbow Canyon
• Dunes of Eureka
• Hot Springs of the Saline Valley
• Mosaic Canyon
• Nachural Bridge
• Hole-in-the-Wall

It is important to know. Scotty Castle is one of the main attractions of the Smrti Valley, closed until 2020.

Death Valley Park Map

Campsites in Death Valley, services and prices for them

In general, Death Valley is a very large park, and to see it, you need to spend many days. And it is better to spend the night there, as we did. For an overnight stay, you can stay in an expensive hotel in an oasis, or choose a campsite to your liking.

• Read more about hotels in Death Valley.

Recommendation:
It is better to book a car for traveling around the USA in advance on rentalcars.com →

Death Valley on the map

Legend:

• Burgundy markers- visitor centers in Death Valley and gas stations;
• Orange - campsites and lodges in Death Valley;
• Blue - sights of the Death Valley;
• Purple - cities with hotels near Death Valley.

1848 Golden fever. In the California city of Sutter's Mill found gold. A group of pioneers, The Lost'49ers, as they were later called, made their way to Salt Lake City in search of a better life. From the expected dream they were separated only by the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which became impassable for the next six months due to snow. However, there was a man who knew the "shortcut" to California through the previously unknown desert.

After long attempts to get through the salt marshes, the group realized that they had fallen into a trap: impassable canyons on all sides. People were exhausted, several people died, one of the horses was driven to death, and the other two could no longer go further. It was decided to stop in the valley and send young messengers in search of help. The guys returned a month later, having traveled over 300 miles. Some of those waiting during this time could not stand it and left the camp in search of a way out. This became their fatal mistake. Along the already known path, the messengers led their families through the mountains and at the last moment said: "Farewell, Death Valley", giving this area its future name. It then took them another 23 days to reach their final destination.

This was such a “short cut” to California, which took four months of testing, cost the life of more than one person, became an example of heroism, and the name of the valley, which has now become a US national park, remains in his memory.

« death valley» located at the crossroads of states Nevada And California, on the territory of the Mojave desert (the lowest and driest lands in all of North America) and covers an area of ​​7.8 thousand sq. km. Like all other national parks in the United States, this one is designed and adapted for visitors on wheels: the area is huge, the main trails are paved. The entrance ticket costs $20 per car, regardless of the number of passengers, and allows you to stay in the territory for seven days. You can buy it in one of the Visitor Center, or in vending machines. In practice, at the entrance, tickets are most often not checked: apparently they are counting on the decency of tourists ...

In Death Valley, the opposite is true: it is best to visit it in the winter, and in the summer you won’t even want to get out of the car here. For example, here are the average monthly air temperatures:

- January 4°С - 19°С;

- April 17°C - 32°C (wild flower season);

- July 31°С - 47°С;

- October 16°С - 34°С.

Therefore, it is better to visit this park in January, in very good weather.

Landmarks of "Death Valley", USA

Badwater Basin- the lowest point in North America, this is a pool of bad water and incredibly large salt marshes. During the rainy season, a lake forms here. In summer, in hot weather, it is dangerous to walk on the salt surface. They walk here from the parking lot right along the white road for 500 meters to the salt hexagons that stretch on both sides of it. This pool is one of those places where the sunset is simply unrealistically beautiful, when everything around takes on a purple hue and it seems that you are transported somewhere into space.

Harmony Borax Works- this easy 400-meter trail for learning about part of the history that took place on these lands. At the end of the nineteenth century, work was carried out in the valley for the extraction of borax (borax - sodium salt of boric acid). And Operation Harmony became famous for the use of large numbers of mules and twin chariots that towed the bura overland into Mojave. The "romantic" image of the "20-Mulle Team" continues to this day and has become a symbol of the US borax mining area.

Artist's Drive— a picturesque circular route along colorful hills of volcanic and sedimentary rocks. It is especially beautiful here before sunset. It is a 15 km one-way paved road where only short vehicles (less than 25feet=7.6m) are allowed to drive. There are viewpoints on it, where you should stop and take pictures of the colorful mountains. The loop itself is small and takes an average of 30-50 minutes to pass with stops.

Dante's View- the point at which the most breathtaking in this park. It is located on the top of a mountain, at an altitude of 150 meters from the bottom of the Death Valley. View down - not for those who are afraid of heights. You can get here on foot: 4.2 km round trip from the parking lot.

Devil's Golf Course- a vast area littered with salt stones, which are constantly changing due to water and wind erosion and take the form of jagged spiers. The name of this part came about because only "The Devil can play golf on such a course." The dirt road that leads here is often closed after rain. In order to take beautiful photos of salt scallops, it is better to walk a hundred meters deep into the field.

Zabriskie Point- polished with amazing and multi-colored badlands, it looks, from this particular point, just incredible and a MUST SEEs place for everyone who visits Death Valley. To get into it, you need to go up a little from the parking lot. The best colors here appear in the east, or at sunset: then the “banding” of the mountains stands out especially, which is caused by the difference in the rocks.

Twenty Mule Team Canyon This short, one-way route meanders between barren hills. How interesting it is, not interesting: unfortunately, there is no data.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes- reddish sand dunes gradually rose 30 m above the Mesquite Plateau. The late afternoon sun accentuates the ruggedness and shape of this natural wonder, and the morning is a good time to see traces of nocturnal wildlife. It is said that magic happens here at midnight, but night visitors should beware of rattlesnakes, which often visit during the warm season. From the parking lot to the highest dune is not as close as it seems - about a couple of kilometers, and only on foot.

Salt Creek This salty water stream is home to rare short-toothed fish. Spring is the best time for their contemplation, in summer the stream dries up, and in winter the fish are not active. The route around it runs on wooden planks and is 800 meters long.

Titus Canyon- the most diverse canyon in the park. There are always many visitors here who visit volcanic deposits, a ghost village, Indian petroglyphs and paths. Its length is 40 kilometers along a one-way road that starts outside the park. The journey from asphalt to asphalt takes three hours. From the beginning of the canyon, from the side of the park, there is a parking lot, from which a 2.5-kilometer trail between the rocks starts.

Scotty's Castle has an interesting history. Once upon a time, a guy named Scotty lived in this area. By profession, he was an actor, but later he found a better occupation for himself: he collected money for his own, previously unknown gold mine. Once one of the shareholders wanted to see where his investments went and came to the valley. Of course, there was no gold there, but instead he got several unforgettable days full of adventures: the struggle for survival in the desert, spending the night in a tent, contemplating the wild. This area so sunk into the heart of a wealthy shareholder that he began to come here often and subsequently built a house in the Spanish style. However, the enterprising Scotty very quickly began to claim this property and told everyone that the gold mine was now in the basement of his own castle. So, a country cottage, which is located in one of the few oases of Death Valley, began to be called Scotty's Castle. Currently, there is a museum in which guided tours are held.

Ubehebe Crater. Just a few years ago, a large-scale volcanic explosion caused lava to flood down the bottom of Death Valley, and silence fell in its northern part. Subsequently, the ashes and ashes settled, and the crater two hundred meters deep remained. You can see it directly from the asphalt road, and if you have more time, you should go down and make a circle around it.

They rise to 200 meters and are considered the highest dunes in California. They are isolated from the rest. To protect the dunes from destruction, it is forbidden to ride here. From the end of the asphalt road to the beginning of the dunes, about two and a half hours drive.

At the bottom of the dried salt lake Racetrack, things are happening for which no explanation has yet been found: stones appear here that mysteriously slide along the dry surface, leaving long trails behind them. Why they move along such a trajectory, and how, is unknown. For a better contemplation of this miracle of nature, it is worth driving to the northeastern edge of the lake. In addition to mysterious stones, mirages await visitors here: do not forget that we are still in the desert. The only disadvantage of this point is that it takes a long time to get here: from the end of the asphalt, 44 kilometers one way along a road that requires a car with high ground clearance. During rain this road is closed.

Father Crowley Vista. The sight of dark lava flows and volcanic ash leads to Rainbow Canyon. And if you take a walk along the country road to the east of the parking lot, you will have a magnificent view of the northern Panamint valley.

These ten charcoal stoves have best preserved their authenticity. Built in 1876 to fuel the silver/lead mining process, they still smell of smoke. The last three kilometers to the kilns are on a gravel road and easily passable by any vehicle.

Aguereberry Point. This point is 300 meters above dante's View and opens the western part of Death Valley to visitors. The gravel road passes one of the campsites and Eureca Mine. The final climb to the point is only possible for cars with high ground clearance.

Rules for visiting the National Park: "Death Valley"

Here are some more interesting rules that are asked to be followed in the National Park. Some of them seem obvious or absurd, but they are definitely worth reading in order to fully understand what visitors may encounter. I would like the meaning of the name "Death Valley" to be confirmed less often.

- It is forbidden to take natural things with you as a keepsake: stones, plants, animals.

- It is forbidden to drive the car off the roads, as this can damage nature.

- You are asked to send your observations of nature, photos, by e-mail for posting these data on the site.

- Be sure to check the condition of the car and fill up so that there is no unpleasant surprise, since it can take up to three hours for the rangers to get to the scene after receiving a request for help.

- It is worth considering that GSM-connection does not work in most of the park, it will be possible to call 911 from telephone booths, which are not so densely located ...

- Very often, GPS-navigators advise you to move off the beaten track, and shorten the path straight. If you are traveling with a navigator, then first of all use common sense and ordinary discretion.

- Watch out for reports of flooding and avoid traveling during the rainy season, which is actually very short here.

— Hiking is prohibited in the summer, as the conditions are not at all suitable and heat stroke is guaranteed.

- It is worth considering that this is wild nature, that is, there are snakes, scorpions, black widows: “do not put your hands in” there until you are convinced of their safety. Also, stay away from rodents - they carry the deadly Hantavirus.

- Do not climb into the mines - they can collapse, and are often filled with poisonous gas: stay out of the way and you will be alive.

- With water supplies: count on at least four liters per person per day.

We can confidently say that even after visiting this place it is difficult to say that you really examined the entire Death Valley. The more you learn about her, the better you understand that there is still a lot left behind the scenes last time.

It is worth coming here for a few days and staying at one of the campsites. Choose and experience several interesting trail routes. The meeting of sunrise and sunset should be carefully planned, because many places at this time are simply incredibly beautiful. Dedicate one of the night walks to the contemplation of the night sky over Racetrack Playa, where the Milky Way can be seen in all its glory.

One of the most mystical and controversial places on the surface of the globe is Death Valley in the USA with an area of ​​over 3000 km². Several centuries ago, thousands of people came here to become rich or die without finding gold.

Today, the main visitors to the desert area are tourists who want to look at the unique wandering stones and ghost towns, test their endurance in conditions of phenomenal heat and simply enjoy magnificent landscapes that are too unlike the bustling world of modern megacities.

Question: “Why is this area called that,” asks every person who first heard about the amazing national park. Much can be explained by the features of the landscape and climatic conditions, which are truly unique.

• The very intermountain depression Death Valley, which gave the name to the reserve, is located 86 meters below sea level and is considered the lowest point on the earth's surface on the entire continent.
• In North America, this area is also the hottest. More than 100 years ago, a temperature record was recorded here - the air warmed up to +56.7 °C. However, in winter it is not so hot here - even frosts occur in December and January, although the average temperature is + 3-4 ° C.
• Another feature of the local climate is the minimum amount of precipitation. It happened that in the territory of the mysterious valley there were no rains and snowfalls for years. The average amount of precipitation falling per year is from 40 to 380 mm.
• America's highest mountain is also located within the national park. The height of Mount Whitney is about 4420 m, and the distance from the lowest point of the intermountain depression to the top of the majestic mountain is 136 km.

However, the name of the area was given not at all by the peculiarities of natural conditions, but by tragic events in the fate of people.

The mystical name of the valley

A few centuries ago, the only inhabitants of the desert territory were Indian tribes, who called the area "tumpisa", "red rock". The name is more than justified, because the earth's surface, cracked from drought, covered with a red crust of salt, with a long absence of precipitation, is more like a stone than sandy soil.

In the middle of the 19th century, the American continent became a place of pilgrimage for numerous adventurers looking for an opportunity to get rich quick. On the territory of modern California, deposits of gold and silver were found, and in the hope of happiness, numerous gold prospectors went here.

In 1849, a group of desperate people, seeking to quickly reach the gold mines, decided to shorten the road and go straight through the Red Rock Valley. It cost one of the daredevils their lives, the rest miraculously managed to get to human habitation, exhausted from monstrous thirst and hunger.

Alas, the death toll in the Valley was not limited to a single victim. Just a few years later, the world-famous national park in the state of California was the site of an even larger tragedy.

An epidemic broke out at one of the mines, and the fever claimed the lives of hundreds of workers. They learned about the trouble only a few months later, when a new group of workers arrived at the place of gold mining. To avoid infection, the corpses of the dead were buried extremely quickly and without observance of funeral ceremonies.

According to legend, it is the souls of the dead who have not found peace that still live in the gloomy empty ones, reminding of their existence with inexplicable natural disasters.

The Mystery of the Wandering Stones

Looking through the amazingly beautiful photos taken in the Valley of Death, you will definitely pay attention to the images of huge boulders. Behind some of them, a long, noticeable trail stretches on a rocky surface.

What makes the stones move up to 250 m every year - scientists have been trying to figure out for decades.

However, to no avail - the only possible explanation for the phenomenon remains the influence of mystical forces. However, boulders wandering through the desert are far from the only phenomenon in which the influence of supernatural forces is manifested.

There are several ghost towns in the national park, the legends about which are far from groundless. So, in Riolite there is even a sculptural monument depicting a dozen mystical creatures in white cloaks. And at night it is completely forbidden to enter the city.

Huge stone bas-reliefs, the shape of which resembles a human head, are also striking. It seems incredible that the only creators of these masterpieces are wind and rain.

Many legends also concern the history of Scotty Castle, whose exquisite architecture looks mysterious and mysterious against the backdrop of amazing hilly terrain.

What else is worth seeing for visitors to the national park?

The road through Death Valley in California will hardly leave indifferent even the most pragmatic skeptic. Giant sand dunes border amazing mountainous areas that look like a huge tiramisu dessert.

Having visited the Valley, one cannot ignore the most amazing places.

• Badwater Basin is the lowest area in the Western Hemisphere. The water in the reservoir is not suitable for drinking due to the huge concentration of salt.
• Known as the Devil's Golf Course, the area impresses with its unique ground surface. Solid deposits of mineral substances on a huge plateau take the most bizarre forms. And at the same time, they are distinguished by very high hardness - by negligence, a tourist who stumbles on an uneven surface runs the risk of suffering serious injuries.
• Another place that Death Valley National Park is famous for is the amazing beauty of the mountain range, Artist’s Drive (Artist’s Palette). The neighborhood of giant mountains of snow-white sand and a piercing blue sky creates a feeling of unreality of what is happening.
• One of the historical sights is the mountain road 20 Mules Way, along which the first gold miners traveled a couple of centuries ago, transporting precious bars through the inhospitable desert.
• The real "heart" of the area can be considered Salt Creek - a wide stream with very salty water. It is on its banks that the few inhabitants of Death Valley prefer to live. These are small rodents, coyotes, snakes, insects and even one species of fish.

What will surprise Death Valley today?

America is rightfully proud of its huge national park, where amazing beauty borders on incredibly powerful energy. To date, mining in the Valley has practically ceased, but all conditions have been created for visiting tourists.

Although 95% of the territory of the reserve remains wild and undeveloped, in some parts of the Valley you can find a place for camping, a gas station, and well-maintained hotel complexes.

Every year in the United States a unique ultra-marathon is held, in which only athletes with solid experience are at risk to take part.

Marathon runners start on the legendary Badwater Lake at an altitude of 86 meters below sea level and finish the race at the peak of Mount Whitney, which rises 2.5 km. The total length of the route reaches 215 km, and it takes up to two days to overcome it.

However, even if you don’t plan to run a marathon race, it’s worth visiting Death Valley at least to hear the songs of the majestic sand dunes, look into the crater of a long-inactive volcano or touch the stone statues created by nature millions of years ago.

On the map, it is easy to find the inconspicuous town of Furnace Creek, in the neighborhood of which the original American Indians, representatives of the legendary Timbisha tribe, still live.

Death Valley is one of the places, visiting which does not pass without a trace: the greatness of nature involuntarily transforms the inner world of every person.

Address: USA, California
Depth: 86 m
Coordinates: 36°11"23.7"N 116°49"09.2"W

On our planet you can find many amazing places and beautiful sights. However, some travelers go to the west of the USA to see the lowest place in North America (almost 87 meters below (!) Sea level) and visit real hell.

General view of the Badwater Salt Flats

Probably, already from the first two sentences, many understood that this material would be about the Mojave Desert, more precisely, about its intermountain depression under the terrible and frightening name Death Valley.

It was in this place that the highest temperature on Earth was recorded back in 1913: on July 10, not far from the miniature town of Furnace Creek, the thermometer showed +57 degrees Celsius. Naturally, such a temperature in Death Valley is more of a rarity than a rule. Although its average performance makes numerous tourists think several times before going to get acquainted with the US National Park, which has gained notoriety since the time of the gold rush: during the day in the summer months, the air in the Great Basin area warms up to +46 degrees Celsius. Night in Death Valley brings only minor relief: the temperature drops to only 31 degrees after sunset in the Mojave.

Badwater Salt Flats

Despite extreme temperatures and lifeless landscapes, this US National Park is wildly popular among both Americans and visitors to this country. In fairness, it should be noted that most tourists visit the most terrible place on our planet for the most part during the winter months: from late November to early March. In the lowlands, thermometers during the day show a temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius. It would seem that this Valley of Death is not so terrible, but even in winter, travelers are waiting for tests in the form of strong gusts of wind and incessant downpours.

Americans are known throughout the world for their entrepreneurial spirit, they will not miss the opportunity to make good money on literally everything, including the most unfavorable place for life on the planet. Death Valley and the amusement park are ready to receive their guests all year round. The rescue service in the United States is considered one of the best in the world, but before you go to a hellish place, you should soberly assess your strength several times: even the failure of an air conditioner in a car can lead to tragic consequences in this area.

View of Death Valley from Dante View

It is no coincidence that the territory of the intermountain depression in the state of California received such a terrible name. In this place, during the summer months, it is quite rare to find living organisms: only heat, wind, lifeless landscapes and moving stones .... By the way, the valley received a catchy and memorable name back in 1849. In the middle of the 19th century, settlers from Europe decided to take the shortest route to beautiful California: almost all the adventurers died before they even reached the middle of the depression in the Mojave Desert.

Those who miraculously managed to survive in this infernal hell called the hottest territory on our planet Death Valley.

Moving rocks on Racetrack Playa

Death Valley: the scariest attraction

Any person who is not used to testing himself for strength may ask himself questions: “Why go to the most terrible place where life wakes up only for a short period of time? What interesting things can be found in the desert, which is more like a remote lifeless planet from a science fiction movie? What attracts the attention of travelers to the territory, which almost completely corresponds to the description of hell in the Old Testament? Each of these questions implies an answer. People who come to Mojave are trying to prove to themselves and others that they can survive in the most extreme conditions. It was this area that was chosen as the location for the filming of the most popular films: “Star Wars. New Hope”, “Robinson Crusoe on the Planet Mars”, “Greed” and others. Only here you can truly feel what the wrath of nature is, and in this largest National Park in the United States (just over 3 million acres) there is an opportunity to get the most complete picture of the developed tourism infrastructure in one of the most influential countries in the world. Scotty Castle, striking with its unique architectural style and luxurious interior, a real Ghost Town, colored mountains, singing sand dunes and spontaneously moving stones - these are just a small part of what a traveler who dared to go to the Death Valley can see.

View of Scotty Castle

Scotty Castle in Death Valley

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the United States began to feverish: tens of thousands of people rushed to California and Alaska in the hope of finding gold and getting rich quickly. Someone succeeded (including in the Valley of Death), someone went bankrupt, and some stuffed their pockets with dollars, only spreading rumors about the innumerable treasures they “found”. Among the latter belonged to the fraudster Walter Scott, nicknamed Scotty. Deciding not to bother looking for gold, he “secretly” told the wealthy insurance magnate Albert Johnson that he had already found a huge vein. In order to start its development, the insurer allocated Scotty a huge amount for those times.

A year passed, the second ... however, the investor did not see any profit. Deciding to check the work of the mines, Johnson, along with his wife, goes to Walter Scott. Scotty was not at a loss and invited his companion to look at the work of a non-existent mine right in July, the month when the temperature in Death Valley beat all imaginable and unimaginable records. The scammer sent such an invitation to Albert Johnson not by chance: he was well aware of the poor health of the millionaire, who suffered from asthma and rheumatic pains. He was wrong to think that the insurer would abandon the idea of ​​inspecting the mines. The tycoon from Chicago came to the valley of death and even lived with his wife for some time in a tent.

Ubehebe Crater

Naturally, Albert did not find any mines, but due to the harsh climate of the Death Valley, he was cured of chronic diseases. He was insanely happy with this set of circumstances and even forgave Scotty for his lie: the swindler quickly became a friend of the family of a wealthy American. Johnson firmly believed that only life in the desert could guarantee him good health. He quickly begins building the house, which upon completion looks like a medieval castle. The unique architecture of the building, the richest interior - all this attracted the attention of representatives of the press and gold seekers. Scotty could not miss this chance ... He began to tell everyone that his own house was being built in Death Valley, and he takes the funds for the construction of this amazing object from the sale of the purest gold, which he himself mines in a mine located in the basement of the house!

Johnson did not expand on who exactly owns the huge mansion, allowing Scotty to earn money on deception. For this reason, the only huge house in the Mojave Desert became known as "Scotty's Castle." It is worth noting that it is under this name that an architectural masterpiece, which, of course, deserves the attention of tourists who have come to the hottest place on the planet, is mentioned in all tourist brochures and guides to Death Valley without exception. Scotty Castle has been perfectly preserved to this day: you can get a certain idea of ​​\u200b\u200bhow rich people lived in the early 20th century.

Little Hebe Crater

Of interest is the fact that, despite the remoteness, Scotty's castle had electricity, refrigerators, running water, sewerage and even air conditioning! Naturally, all this cost Albert Johnson a gigantic sum. Now the house, which, as mentioned above, looks like a medieval castle, is constantly visited by numerous tourists. Tours of Scotty Castle are led by rangers dressed in gold rush costumes. They introduce guests to the most interesting history of the house, as well as tell about the secrets, mysteries and amazing natural phenomena of the Death Valley.

Death Valley: an exciting journey

Scotty's Castle, which was mentioned in the previous subsection, is far from the only attraction of the Death Valley. All travelers, without exception, will certainly be interested in the City of Ghosts, which is an abandoned settlement in which, at the end of the 19th century, prospectors lived who tried to find precious metal in this territory. As soon as the air temperature drops at the end of October, theatrical performances begin in the National Park. They are conducted by rangers, who in a fascinating way acquaint tourists with the history of the Death Valley, geology and astronomy.

Titus Canyon

In addition to tours lasting from 9 am to 5 pm, all travelers are invited to take a walk through the Valley of Death in heavy-duty jeeps that can overcome almost any impassability. In fairness, it should be noted that all cars with the guests of the National Park move only along paved and safe routes. If a tourist decides to independently explore the territory of the hottest place on the planet on his vehicle, he will have to rely solely on his own strength.

Another a place in the Valley of Death, which is constantly visited by travelers, is called Ubehebe Crater. The first eruption of this young volcano, according to the results of research by speleologists, occurred "only" 2,000 years ago. Many tourists in this place think that the lava has not had time to cool down yet. Naturally, this impression is deceptive, it is created due to the lack of vegetation in this area and, of course, the high air temperature. The crater of the Ubehebe volcano is truly huge: its diameter is more than half a kilometer and a depth of almost 200 meters. 2,000 years ago, it exploded due to water vapor, which boiled from proximity to the surface of red-hot magma. The slope of the crater after the explosion became multi-colored (bright red, pink and dazzling white) due to the huge amount of sedimentary rocks in the lava.

Devil's Golf Course

In addition to the above sights of the Death Valley, sand dunes deserve special attention, which, according to eyewitnesses, quite often ... sing. They are located near a mountain called Tuki: it is here that the wind subsides, and the sand in the air forms dunes. Their singing can only be heard on a windy and cloudy day, when the sun at its zenith "singing dunes of the Valley of Death" is silent. The area where the sand dunes are located cannot be called uninhabited: outlandish trees grow on their slopes, the root system of which goes to groundwater to a depth of more than 20 meters! Naturally, these trees are home to numerous rodents, which are waiting in ambush for poisonous snakes.

The most mysterious place in the Valley of Death is the oldest dried-up lake. The place where a reservoir used to be in prehistoric times is now a clay surface cracked from the heat. It is in this mysterious place that you can admire the stones moving for some unknown reason. Small pebbles and even giant boulders freely travel along the bottom of a dried-up lake. Behind them are long tracks that constantly become objects for photographing. It is interesting that despite the huge amount of research, even in our age of technological progress, scientists have not been able to explain, as a result of which in this area the weighty cobblestones move on clay.

golden canyon

By the way, this natural phenomenon is found not only in the Valley of Death. It can be observed in South America and even in Europe. Some experts argue that the stones travel long distances on the thinnest crust of ice that forms in this area at night, and the strongest wind sets them in motion. This version does not stand up to criticism: a crust of ice does not always appear here, and no wind is able to even move a stone weighing more than 500 kilograms over the ice!

Death Valley in the USA: tourist information

In addition to the above attractions in the Death Valley, located in the North American Mojave Desert, you can find a lot of interesting objects and natural phenomena to explore. In winter and at the very beginning of spring, hell on Earth suddenly changes dramatically: more than 1,000 plant species wake up and within a short period of time paint a terrible intermountain depression in all sorts of colors and shades. You can see this miracle only from the end of November to the end of March. Already in April, the ambient temperature becomes unsuitable for life: the plants are hiding in order to explode again next winter in a riot of colors.

Artist's Palette

“How to get to the Valley of Death?” - every traveler who decides to visit the most extreme place on our planet asks himself this question. The easiest way is to take a ticket for a sightseeing bus in the gambling capital of Las Vegas. In addition, in this city you can also rent a car, while traveling on the US-95 and Hwy 190 routes, there is a unique opportunity to enjoy the stunning scenery and take beautiful pictures of the Death Valley. If a tourist travels through the Mojave Desert in the middle of summer, he should remember that not all cars can withstand the high air temperature, and in the event of a car engine failure, it will take a long time to wait for help. Most of all, independent excursions deep into the valley, to those places where it will not be easy to reach even rescuers with special equipment, are dangerous. The Valley of Death justifies its terrible name almost every year: the press often publish notes about the death of travelers lost in the vast National Park.

To get used to the high temperatures and winds, it is best to start your acquaintance with Death Valley from a small tourist town called Furnace Creek. In this settlement there is a huge number of campsites, hotels, bars and restaurants, where the weary traveler, of course, not for free, will be offered water, food and shelter. At the same time, it should be noted that in some campsites it is impossible to settle without a prior reservation of a room.

Mesquite Dunes

By the way, the cost of living in Furness Creek is low: room prices range from 10 to 20 dollars per day. But it would be better to take care of gasoline in the car tank and food even in Las Vegas. In Death Valley, fuel and food prices are several times higher than in the country. This state of affairs does not at all mean that local entrepreneurs want to cash in on tourists (although not without it). The thing is that it is quite expensive for the owners of hotels, bars and restaurants to bring food and store it in extreme heat.