California’s most overlooked national park

California is home to some of the most popular national parks in the country. From Yosemite and its beautiful waterfalls to Joshua Tree and the hike to Skull Rock, what makes the national parks so popular is the diverse landscapes to explore.

There is no other state that can boast of having parks that are cooler climates thanks to the massive and ancient redwoods that are perfect for hiking, misty and tranquil thanks to the rugged coastline, a history of volcanic activity, or even islands known as America’s Galapagos. But despite all that it has to offer, there is still one park that is underrated and worth visiting despite being California’s most overlooked national park: Death Valley National Park.

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Death Valley is California’s most overlooked national park

Death Valley National Park welcomes 1.1 million visitors annually

Death Valley National Park is not the least visited national park in California. That distinction goes to Channel Islands National Park, with just over 328,000 visitors per year. However, with 1.1 million visitors per year, Death Valley pales in comparison to Yosemite National Park, which receives 3.9 million visitors each year.

The reason for the significantly lower number of visitors to Death Valley is the misconception that the national park is located in the Mojave Desert and that there are only huge amounts of sand and desert animals there that some people would rather not come into contact with.

Although Death Valley has both, there is much more to explore than just sand.

While incredible events occur in Death Valley National Park every few decades, such as Badwater Basin filling with water and creating a lake or a giant bloom near Badwater Basin that will occur in 2023 or 2024, there are always things to see in the park that are much more than just sand.

Some of the incredible areas of Death Valley National Park you can visit include:

These places make it clear that there are so many things that make Death Valley such a special national park, and it’s unbelievable that the park is so underrated.

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The extremes make Death Valley National Park so special

Death Valley National Park may be a desert, but it also experiences snow and rain, which lead to superblooms and the filling of an ancient lake.

Death Valley National Park recorded the highest temperature ever recorded in 1913, reaching 57°C. For this reason, many believe that Death Valley is always hot. However, this is not the case. Due to the varying heights of the mountains and the depth of the basins, Death Valley has extremes that make it special.

From December to February, Death Valley is covered with a layer of snow on the higher peaks of the park, ranging between five and fifteen centimeters per year. While the snow unusualIf conditions are right, the pools in the park will also get some powder snow. This doesn’t happen every year, but rather every ten years when it snows on the floor of Death Valley.

But snow in the mountains results in white snow caps that contrast sharply with the yellow sand of the Black Mountains in the park, making for fantastic winter hikes.

If there is enough rain in the winter (which is only about two inches), wildflowers will bloom in the spring. While it may not be a giant bloom like in spring 2024, the flowers will blanket the area near Badwater Basin, leading those in the know to snap photos of a desert landscape that is anything but for a few weeks in the spring.

There is even a chance that Badwater Basin will fill with water from time to time. This most recently happened in August 2023, when the aftermath of Hurricane Hilary swept through Southern California. The basin filled after receiving more than two inches of rain. Many believed the rain would evaporate quickly, but it was still there when a second storm passed through in February 2024 and filled the basin again.

In April 2024, there were still spots in Badwater Basin that were a foot deep. However, as temperatures rise sharply in the summer, the lifespan of the water in the basin is expected to be short.

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Be careful when visiting Death Valley National Park in summer

In summer, temperatures in Death Valley National Park can reach up to 54.4 degrees Celsius.

Death Valley is known to be extremely hot in the summer. It is no exaggeration to say that temperatures can reach 130°F (54°C) in some parts of the park. For this reason, extreme caution should be exercised when visiting the park from May to September.

If you want to hike in Death Valley National Park in the summer, you should set off shortly after sunrise and leave the park within a few hours. This way you won’t be able to explore much of the park, but you will avoid dehydration, heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

If you choose to hike during the hottest part of the day, there are ways to reduce your risk of heat-related illness. These include:

• Wear light clothing in several layers
• Drink plenty of fluids before entering the park
• Take more water than usual on hikes
• No heavy backpack
• Slow hiking

The recommended time to really explore Death Valley is between October and May. Winter temperatures hover around 65 degrees during the day and only rise as spring approaches. This allows visitors to see all the wonderful things that make Death Valley National Park so special and wonder why it is such an underrated national park in California.

Have you ever been to Death Valley National Park? Tell us about your experiences in the comments!