December 31, 2017 • Ask Andrew • California • Death Valley National Park

Andrew traveled to Death Valley National Park in February 2016. We asked him for his thoughts on the park, and here is what he wrote. You can learn about Andrew here.

1. What was the most memorable part of your visit to Death Valley National Park?

The visit to the saltwater flats (also known as Badwater Basin) was my favorite part of the trip. We walked all around and looked at all the salt that was there. The wind was so strong while we were visiting that the wind held me up when I was leaning way over. At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is the lowest point in the western hemisphere. The temperatures here can be very hot, but it was actually cold when we were there due to the wind. When it is hot, if you have any black leather seats in your car, you would be toast!

2. Did you see any wildlife on your visit to Death Valley?

We saw a good amount of lizards sunning themselves. We also saw a ton of wildflowers, as we visited during a rare “superbloom.” This happens about once every ten years. They were pretty cool, but this type of an event if quite rare.

3. Did you hike at all while you were visiting Death Valley National Park?

We hiked through the Golden Canyon Trail, where the views were pretty amazing. The hike was a slight uphill the entire way through a canyon that was about 12 to 20 feet wide, depending on where you were. Even though the temperatures were not too warm, we almost ran out of water on the hike because it was so dry. During the rest of our trip, we did not do any other hiking because we were pressed for time.

It should be noted that there is a lot of hiking (and other things to do) in Death Valley National Park. My dad wrote up an article on the six reasons why we think you'll fall in love with Death Valley National Park-check it out!

4. What was the level of difficulty of the Golden Canyon Trail (on a scale of 1 to 10)? Why?

I would rate the hike as a 3 because it was a little steep. If it was a different time of year, it would be rated as a 7 because it gets so hot there.

5. What is the one “must have” product that you would recommend when visiting Death Valley National Park? Why?

The Platypus water pack is great. It carries a lot of water, which comes in handy as it is so dry and hot in the park, even in the winter.

6. Do you have any other comments or suggestions for Death Valley National Park?

Bring lots of water to Death Valley. Trust Me you'll need it! Also, when you visit, make sure you check out Devil’s Golf Course. All the nooks and crannies of the salt are really amazing to look at. It is also very large!

7. When you have a family, do you plan on visiting Death Valley National Park again?

Yes! I would plan on bringing my family here, because I was surprised at how colorful and beautiful the desert can be.

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