10/12 Death Valley - Dante's View

Death Valley National Park is about 30 miles southwest of Ash Meadows. Death Valley is the largest national park in the lower 48 states. 

With high temperatures in the 90s now, it is cool enough to start exploring Death Valley. The rock formations are so colorful!

The trail at Dante's View. Do you see the people standing on the top of it?

Looking north at the Death Valley salt flats from 5,000 feet above the valley floor.

Looking south at the salt flats of Death Valley.

Nevada Ephedra growing on the side of the mountain.

Nevada Ephedra up close. See how spikey it is? It grows like a bush about 2 feet tall. A compound is made from it called "Mormon Tea."

Looking west across the valley. The road to Dante's View is rollercoaster-like, so trailers and vehicles longer than 25 feet are not allowed on it. Once you get to the top, there is a parking lot and walking trails that lead up to the top of some of the nearby mountains.

It was 90 degrees in the valley, but up on Dante's Point, it was windy and 60 degrees!

The haze you see in the valley is the smoke from the fires in California.

Now I'm standing on the valley floor.