The Secrets and Mysteries of Death Valley National Park
Wednesday, November 19th, 2008Death Valley is not your typical American National Park. Its a region of extremes extreme temperatures extreme geology extreme history extreme scenery. Death Valley National Park provides a stark contrast to many of Americas other national parks and appeals to those who are seeking a departure from their familiar surroundings, and a refuge from cold in winter.
Death Valley comes alive 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 beckons snow-birds from across the upper latitudes of north America with her dry desert climate and her persuasively mild temperatures.
Death Valley covers 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 especially in the winter months, and recreational sports such as hiking, mountain biking and riding horseback are all popular activities inside the park.
Death Valley provides habitat to more than 56 species of mammal, 36 species 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. Another interesting reptile is the desert horned lizard a moderately sized lizard with pointed scales that protrude from its head and body in the shape of horns. Only the horns on its 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 its ability to shoot a stream of blood from the corner of its 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 its many interesting ghost towns. These colorful relics from Death Valleys past were mostly mining towns that sprung up in the late 1800s to mid 1900 when gold, silver and copper ore was found in the area. The largest of the ghost towns in Death Valley is the town of Rhyolite. During its heyday, this town had a population of 5,000 to 10,000 residents. The town consisted of two churches, fifty saloons, eighteen stores, nineteen lodging houses, a stock exchange, an operahouse and more. Today, several ruins exist in Rhyolite including a Bottle house, the Rhyolite train depot, remains of a 3-story bank building and the jail. Rhyolite is located approximately 4 miles west of the town of Beatty on the eastern edge of Death Valley National Park.
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 Valleys many ghost towns and other tourist attractions at the National Park Reservations site.
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Source: Desert Flats