21 Mar 2011 02.30.06 PM
Death Valley National Park is gearing up for another wildflower bloom this spring. The flowers have already started showing their faces in some of the lowest elevation areas, but the best of the season is yet to come. Every year, Death Valley National Park welcomes visitors who come for the wildflower displays and the tolerable weather. The south region of Death Valley National Park often puts out more of a show, but the northern part of Death Valley National Park has great action, too. A couple great places to stay during your Death Valley National Park vacation are the Amargosa Hotel and/or the Stovepipe Wells Village. These areas offer comfortable accommodations, entertainment and food, which are hot commodities in Death Valley. Both locations are close to the wildflower hot spots in Death Valley National Park.
Death Valley National Park wildflowers are best between the end of March to the beginning of April. Often blooms start popping up in February in the lower elevations and continue throughout April. In the more elevated areas, wildflowers are common into the month of June. Under the right conditions of consistent rains and not too much evaporative winds, wildflowers can blanket up to 100,000 acres of Death Valley National Park. Wildflowers can be found in Death Valley National Park from the depths of 282 feet below sea level almost to the highest mount, Telescope Peak at over 11,000 feet. These waxy seeds can lie dormant for 10-20 years just waiting for the ideal conditions to ensure the propagation of their species.
Many of the opportunities to see these hardy yet delicate creations do not include from the inside of your vehicle. Get out and walk around, bring water, your field manuals and perhaps a close-up lens to discover the miracle of Death Valley National Park's delicate wildflower culture. Contact National Park Reservations to secure the best possible Death Valley National Park lodging for your desert adventure.
The southern area of Death Valley National Park is often the focal point for the wildflower display. A great choice for Death Valley National Park lodging in this area is the Amargosa Hotel. The Amargosa Hotel is listed as an historic destination, with origins as the Pacific Coast Borax Company and then it became the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel which is a sight to see. The Amargosa Hotel includes an opera house, a cafe and a gift shop and is incorporated into the entire little town of Death Valley Junction. The Amargosa Hotel is conveniently located near the main thoroughfares for wildflower blooms in Death Valley National Park. The ideal lower loop for optimal wildflower viewing is to head south from the Amargosa Hotel and turn west at Shoshone, CA. Jubliee Pass and Salsberry Pass have a lot to offer the wildflower hunter. When the road turns north at Ashford Junction and up Badwater Road, this is also a great place to check out wildflowers. Take a side trip up Greenwater Valley Road also known as Furnace Creek Wash Road. Although you may see a good amount of color from the road, it is suggested to park your car and walk around to really see the diversity and appreciate the diverse blooms.
The northern region of Death Valley National Park has several unique wildflower hunting opportunities. If you are looking for Death Valley National Park lodging in this area, Stovepipe Wells is a great choice. Stovepipe Wells is within walking distance to the services offered in the immediate area such as saloon, restaurant, gift shop, swimming pool , general store and a historic gas station. Stovepipe Wells is also ideally located right amidst the various small canyons that hold the most moisture. These canyons are popular wildflower locations as well as being a little cooler than the surrounding areas. Several short hikes originate from this area such as Mud Canyon, Titus Canyon, Fall Canyon and others. Scotty's Castle is an attraction near Stovepipe Wells which offers historic tours of a mission-style castle with innovative technologies used for electricity, cooling and other features of the castle construction. The roads to Scotty's Castle are often riddled with wildflower blooms as well as Beatty Road, Badwater Road and Furnace Creek Wash Road which connects to the southern part of Death Valley National Park by way of a small road.
The wildflower display in Death Valley National Park varies from year to year, but the volcanic hillside north of Ashford Junction consistently has the best showing. The two suggested Death Valley National Park lodging choices are the Amargosa Hotel and Stovepipe Wells. Each property has it's own unique appeal and are conveniently located to the wildflower destinations in the park. There are wildflower opportunities from February in the lower elevations throughout the middle of July in the higher regions. Visitors will have a much better experience if they get out of their vehicles and walk around or hike a bit. A rough species list for Death Valley National Park wildflowers are as follows: Bigelow Monkeyflower (Mimulus bigelovii), Bigelow's Coreopsis (Coreopsis bigelovii), Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa), Caltha-leaf Phacelia (Phacelia calthifolia), Desert Dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata), Desert Five-spot (Eremalche rotundifolia), Desert Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua), Desert Gold (Geraea canescens), Desert Mariposa (Calochortus kennedyi), Desert Paintbrush (Castilleja chromosa), Fremont Phacelia (Phacelia fremontii), Golden Evening Primrose (Camissonia brevipes), Gravel Ghost (Atrichoseris platyphylla), Indigo Bush (Psorothamnus arborescens), Inyo Lupine (Lupinus excubitus), Magnificent Lupine (Lupinus magnificus), Mojave Aster (Xyloriza tortifolia), Notch-leaf Phacelia (Phacelia crenulata), Panamint Penstemon (Penstemon floridus austinii), Princesplume (Stanleya pinnata), Purple Sage (Salvia dorrii), Rose Sage (Salvia pachyphylla).