I will be in Death Valley in April and was wondering if there is an area that has no vegetation and the ground is made of rocks. I am planning on seeing the dunes and Badwater, but is there land that is made up of rocks?
LandscapeOne of Death Valley%26#39;s intriguing mysteries, or miracles if you believe in miracles, is that there is plant life almost everywhere. Even where the water is saltier than the ocean, winds can hit 100 mpg, or air temperatures approach 130 in summer, SOMEthing grows.
Many mountains look bare from far off, but as you get close, you%26#39;ll see a great variety of plants. Corkscrew Peak in the northeast, and Striped Butte at the south end (4WD often required) are examples.
Look at this--is this cool?
鈥sgs.gov/parks/deva/Striped_Butte02.jpg
Also in the north, near Scotty%26#39;s Castle, is Ubehebe Crater (YOU-be-HE-be), a crater formed by a volcanic implosion. For a large area around, you%26#39;ll see black volcanic rocks--AND green plants, including Joshua Trees.
Salt Creek, north of Badwater, is saltier than the ocean. It is bordered profusely by a plant called pickleweed; if you bite one of the buds, you%26#39;ll find that this plant thrives on salt water. April might be a bit late, but in early spring you may see the pupfish, an Ice Age survivor 3-4 inches long.
Badwater is the lowest point in the park and the Western Hemisphere. It%26#39;s salt flats, with water that accumulates if there has been rain. Two years ago in spring, in that fabulous wildflower season, folks were kayaking on it!
If you want absolutely plantless terrain, I suggest Devil%26#39;s Golf Course. Technically it isn%26#39;t ';rock.'; It is acres and acres of mud, salt, and water that have been deposited for eons in this vast graben (geological term for a valley formed by seismic action instead of a river). From flooding and evaporation, mounds, pinnacles, and crystals are formed. Bedrock is 800-900 feet below the surface. You can walk out here, keeping in mind that the pinnacles are razor-sharp and can slash your hands or knees to pieces. But if you want to see a totally barren, bare-naked expanse of brown, gray, and white, this is the place.
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