The Explorer's Guide to Death Valley National Park

by T, Scott Bryan

• ISBN13: 9780870819629
• ISBN10: 0870819623
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-12-15
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Colorado

Summary

Originally published in 1995, soon after Death Valley National Park became the fifty-third park in the U.S. park system, The Explorer’s Guide to Death Valley National Park was the first complete guidebook available for this spectacular area. Now in its second edition, this is still the only book that includes all aspects of the park. Much more than just a guidebook, it covers the park’s cultural history, botany and zoology, hiking and biking opportunities, and more. Information is provided for all of Death Valley’s visitors, from first-time travelers just learning about the area to those who are returning for in-depth explorations. Rewritten, reorganized, and revised, the book includes updated point-to-point logs for every road within and around the park, as well as new maps more accurate than those in any other publication. With extensive input from National Park Service resource management, law enforcement, and interpretive personnel, as well as a thorough bibliography for suggested reading, The Explorer’s Guide to Death Valley National Park, Second Edition is the most up-to-date, accurate, and comprehensive guide available for this national treasure.

Author Biography

T. Scott Bryan is a retired professor of geology and astronomy and author of The Geysers of Yellowstone, Fourth Edition (UPC), and Betty Tucker-Bryan is an artist. Since the book's original publication, they have made dozens of trips back to and explorations within Death Valley National Park.

Table of Contents

List of Maps	p. ix
List of Tables	p. xi
Foreword to the First Edition by Superintendent	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xv
Introduction: An Introduction to Death Valley National Park and Vicinity	p. 1
Geological, Human, and Natural History
Geologic History	p. 9
Native American Cultures	p. 21
Explorers, Prospectors, and Miners	p. 27
Tourism and the National Park	p. 39
Plantlife	p. 47
Wildlife	p. 65
The Death Valley Environment
The Desert Environment: Climate, Precautions, and Regulations for Explorers of Death Valley	p. 97
Exploring Death Valley National Park by Foot and Bicycle
Hiking and Backpacking in Death Valley	p. 107
Bicycling in Death Valley	p. 123
Trip Route Road Logs
An Introduction to the "Trip Route" Road Logs	p. 131
Southern Death Valley	p. 143
Trip Route S-1-Jubilee Pass Road, Ashford Junction to Shoshone	p. 143
Trip Route S-2-Harry Wade Road, Ashford Junction to Harry Wade Monument	p. 149
Trip Route S-3-State Highway 127 South, Shoshone to Harry Wade Road	p. 160
Trip Route S-4-Ibex Valley Road, State Highway 127 to Harry Wade Road	p. 164
South-Central Death Valley	p. 169
Trip Route SC-1-Badwater Road, Furnace Creek to Badwater	p. 169
Trip Route SC-2-East Side Road, Badwater to Ashford Junction	p. 178
Trip Route SC-3-West Side Road	p. 181
Eastern Areas and Amargosa Valley	p. 201
Trip Route E-1-State Highway 190 East, Furnace Creek to Death Valley Junction	p. 201
Trip Route E-2-Dante's View Road, State Highway 190 to Dante's View	p. 214
Trip Route E-3-Greenwater Valley Road	p. 217
Trip Route E-4-Death Valley Junction to Devil's Hole	p. 225
Trip Route E-5-State Highway 127, Death Valley Junction to Shoshone	p. 227
Trip Route E-6-Lee Ghost Town	p. 229
Trip Route E-7-Indian Pass Road	p. 231
North-Central Death Valley	p. 235
Trip Route NC-1-State Highway 190 Central, Furnace Creek to Stovepipe Wells Village	p. 235
Trip Route NC-2-Beatty Cutoff Road	p. 245
Trip Route NC-3-Mud Canyon Road and Daylight Pass Road	p. 249
Trip Route NC-4-Monarch Canyon Road and Chloride Cliff Road	p. 254
Trip Route NC-5-Titus Canyon Road	p. 257
Western Areas, including the "Wildrose Country"	p. 263
Trip Route W-1-Cottonwood Canyon Road	p. 263
Trip Route W-2-State Highway 190 West, Stovepipe Wells Village to Darwin Road	p. 266
Trip Route W-3-Emigrant Canyon Road and Wildrose Roads	p. 271
Panamint Valley Areas	p. 287
Trip Route PV-1-Panamint Valley Road and Trona-Wildrose Road	p. 287
Trip Route PV-2-Indian Ranch Road	p. 292
Trip Route PV-3-Wingate Road and Goler Wash Road	p. 295
Northern Death Valley	p. 303
Trip Route N-1-Scotty's Castle Road, Sand Dunes Junction to Scotty's Castle	p. 303
Trip Route N-2-Bonnie Claire Road, Scotty's Castle to U.S. Highway 95	p. 311
Big Pine Road and Eureka Valley	p. 313
Trip Route BP-1-Big Pine Road, Ubehebe Crater Road to Big Pine	p. 313
Trip Route PB-2-South Eureka Road to Eureka Sand Dunes	p. 322
Racetrack Valley and Hunter Mountain	p. 325
Trip Route RH-1-Racetrack Valley Road and Hunter Mountain Road, Ubehebe Crater to State Highway 190	p. 325
Saline Valley Road, including Lee Flat	p. 345
Trip Route SV-1-Saline Valley Road	p. 345
Nevada Triangle	p. 365
Trip Route NT-1-Phinney Canyon Road and Strozzi Ranch Road	p. 365
Trip Route NT-2-McDonald Spring Road	p. 370
Trip Route NT-3-Mud Summit Road	p. 373
Appendixes
Ghost Towns and Mining Camps	p. 377
Railroads of Death Valley	p. 401
Visitor Services and Activities	p. 415
Suggested Reading	p. 433
About the Authors	p. 437
Index	p. 439
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

This is a very complete, useful, and well-organized guidebook for the park visitor. This book is highly recommended.

- American Reference Books Annual