The Flora, Fauna and Ghosts of Death Valley National Park

Death Valley is not your typical American National Park.  It’s a region of extremes… extreme temperatures… extreme geology… extreme history… extreme scenery. Death Valley could be considered a rebel amongst Americas National Parks and caters to those who are looking for an escape from the ordinary, and a refuge from cold in winter.

Death Valley thrives in autumn and winter months when the rest of the country is shivering under the icy chill of winter and a blanket of snow. Death Valley is a popular choice amongst ‘snow-birds’ throughout north America with her dry desert climate and her persuasively mild temperatures.

Death Valley National Park is a large park, covering more than 3 million acres, roughly 1 1/2 times the size of Delaware.  It is also an area of extreme, albeit unusual scenic beauty and adventure.

Visitors flock to Death Valley throughout the year, but even more so in the winter months, and activities such as hiking, biking and horseback riding are all popular sports within the area. 

Death Valley and the Mojave Dessert is home to more than 56 kinds of mammal, 36 variations of reptile, several types of amphibians and fish species, and more than 400 unique species of birds have been spotted within the park.

Mammals found inside the park include include bighorn sheep, foxes, coyotes, squirrels, rodents, jackrabbits, bats and more.  There are also many interesting types of reptiles in the park  such as the Zebra-tailed lizard, a fast running, insectivorous inhabitant of the desert flats, washes and plains.  Or the desert horned lizard a moderately sized lizard with pointed scales that protrude from it’s head and body in the shape of horns.  Only the ‘horns’ on it’s head are rigid, the rest of the horn-like scales are soft and feel more like normal reptile skin.  One interesting thing about the horned lizard is it’s ability to shoot a stream of blood from the corner of it’s eyes when it is threatened by a predator.  This creates a distraction and allows the lizard an opportunity to escape.

Death Valley is also known for it’s many interesting ghost towns.   These colorful relics from Death Valley’s past were mostly mining towns that sprung up in the late 1800’s to mid 1900 when gold, silver and copper ore was found in the area. One of the most interesting of these ghost towns is the town of Panamint City.  This little town was short lived, but made up for it’s short life through its audacious reputation.  Panamint City was founded by two outlaws who were hiding-out from the law.  During their hiatus in the Panamint Mountains, these two lucky outlaws discovered silver in Surprise Canyon and subsequently decided to give up their life of crime for a more domestic lifestyle.  During it’s time, Panamint City was considered one of the toughest, rawest, most hard-boiled little hell-hole that ever passed for a civilized town.  However the fast life of Panamint City led to an early demise, as the city went from the height of it’s boom in 1874 to utter destruction from a flash flood just two years later in 1876.

To learn more about Death Valley lodging, activities and tourist attractions, visit NationalParkReservations.com/deathvalley.htm  There you will find a complete listing of lodging options both inside the park as well as near the parks perimeter.  You can also learn more about Death Valley’s many ghost towns and other tourist attractions at the National Park Reservations site.

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