NatParks-Erin+T.

** Come Visit Death Valley National Park! **
Park Profile: Death Valley National Park is located in southeastern California and southwestern Nevada. The park stretches across 3,373,042 acres of southwestern America. The climate of Death Valley can be described as a desert of streaming sand dunes and an abundance of snow-capped mountains. The amount of visitors per year is close to 984,775 (in 2010). The most popular sites of Death Valley include Dante’s View and Wild Rose – these sites provide access to major scenic viewpoints and highlight the park’s history. Another attraction in the park is a custom living history tour of the Death Valley Scotty’s Castle.

__History:__ Death Valley National Park became a National Park on October 31, 1994. The most influential person who helped in the process was President Herbert Hover. He proclaimed a National Monument in and around Death Valley on February 11, 1933. The setbacks in the process of Death Valley becoming a National park were the fact that in the early 70s, open pit and strip mines scarred the landscape in highly visible areas. Death Valley became a park because throughout the Great Depression, many jobs were needed. Unemployed workers were assigned to help in the process of making Death Valley a preserved park. Death Valley is a historical site because of the events that took place in order to savor it. Herbert Hover protected the land which cause congress to pass a mining in parks act in 1976. In 1994, the monument was expanded by 1.3 million acres making it a National Park. Death Valley is a national site because it is formed and bounded by north-south mountain ranges. There are four major native American groups associated with Death Valley: over the past 10,000 years Death valley has been inhabited by the Nevares Spring people, the Mesquite Flat people, the Saratoga Spring people, and the Tishimba people.

__Environment Issues:__ Death Valley happens to be the hottest and driest place in North America. This is due to its lack of surface water. The record temperature ever recorded in Death Valley was an astounding 134 degrees Fahrenheit on July 10, 1913. The coldest month of the year is December in which the temperature drops to a low of 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The large Death Valley springs derive their water from a regional aquifer. This aquifer extends as far east as south Nevada and Utah. The water has been in this aquifer for many thousands of years. The highest range in the park ist he Panamint Range with an accessible peak at 11,049 feet. The dry climate of Death Valley makes it hard for soil to form, making mass wasting a large issue in this region. Vegetation zones include Creosote Bush, Desert Holly, and mesquite at the lower elevations. Sage, blackbrush, Joshua tree, pinyon-juniper, and Bristlecone Pine in the woodlands. There are 51 species of native mammals, 307 species of birds, 36 species of reptiles, 3 species of amphibians, and 2 species of native fish.

__Recreational Activities:__ Activities include sightseeing, four-wheeling, bicycle rides, mountain biking, and hiking. Riding on any of these forms of transportation is a popular pastine in Death Valley. There are various hiking trails throughout Death valley at various difficulties. The normal season for visiting the park is from October 15 to May 15 because of the intense summer temperatures. There are 9 designated campgrounds within the park. Visiting the park is a unique experience because there is no place in North America like it!

media type="custom" key="12681688" media type="custom" key="12681758" media type="custom" key="12681792" media type="custom" key="12681804" media type="custom" key="12681814" media type="custom" key="12682010" media type="custom" key="12682018" media type="custom" key="12682060"

Plan your trip to Death Valley National Park! http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/hours.htm http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/seasons.htm http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm http://www.nps.gov/deva/parkmgmt/businesswithpark.htm http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/things2know.htm http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/yoursafety.htm http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/lodging.htm http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/weather.htm http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/camping.htm http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/where-to-eat.htm http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/airports.htm http://www.nps.gov/deva/forkids/index.htm http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/furnace-creek-inn-1222.html http://www.escapetodeathvalley.com/ http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/furnace-creek-ranch-1223.html http://www.deathvalley.com/psr/ http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/upload/Lodging-2.pdf http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/directions.htm http://wikitravel.org/en/Death_Valley_National_Park#b http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g143021-Activities-Death_Valley_National_Park_California.html http://www.deathvalley.com/dv/index.php http://www.desertusa.com/dv/du_dvptodo.html http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/activities-1199.html http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/plan-your-trip-1197.html http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/bike-rentals-8124.html http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/weather-2046.html http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/health-recreation-1198.html http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/death-valley-national-park-1201.html http://www.recreation.gov/ http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=129791

= More Photos of the Beautiful Death Valley National Park =

Works Cited
 * Kiver, Eugene P.; David V. Harris (1999). //Geology of U.S. Parklands// (Fifth Edition ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
 * NPS contributors (2001–2003). [|//The National Parks Index//] . Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Archived from [|the original] on 2007-07-13.
 * NPS contributors (April 2002). [|//Death Valley General Management Plan//] . Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
 * NPS contributors (2008 / 2009). [|//Death Valley National Park Visitor Guid] . National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
 * NPS contributors. [|"Death Valley National Park website"] . National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2008-09-17.
 * Sharp, Robert P.; Allen F. Glazner (1997). //Geology Underfoot in Death Valley and Owens Valley//. Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company.
 * USGS contributors (2004-01-13). [|"Death Valley National Park Virtual Geology Field Trip"] . U.S. Geological Survey . Retrieved 2008-09-16.
 * USGS contributors (2004-01-13). [|"Death Valley's Incredible Weather"] . U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from [|the original] on 2008-06-01.
 * Wallace, William James; Edith Wallace (1978). //Ancient Peoples and Cultures of Death Valley National Monument//. Ramona, CA: Acoma Books.
 * Wright, Laureen A.; Miller, Martin G. (1997). "Chapter 46: Death Valley National Park, Eastern California and southwestern Nevada". In Ann G. Harris (editor). //Geology of National Parks// (Fifth edition ed.). Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing. pp. 610–637.
 * Photos courtesy of nps.gov/deathvalley/photogallery and google images

Erin Traeger Ms. Cunningham Environmental Science - G period 26 February 2012