Tag: Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park, located in eastern California and stretching into Nevada, is a land of extremes. It is the hottest, driest, and lowest national park in the United States, featuring the famously scorching Badwater Basin, which lies 282 feet below sea level. The park’s vast and varied landscape includes towering sand dunes, rugged mountains, and colorful badlands. Despite its harsh conditions, Death Valley is home to a surprising diversity of life, with unique plant and animal species adapted to the extreme environment. The park also boasts stunning geological features such as the salt flats, volcanic craters, and canyons, offering visitors a breathtaking glimpse into the power of nature. Starry night skies and striking sunrises and sunsets add to the park’s otherworldly beauty, making it a unique destination for adventure seekers and nature enthusiasts alike.

Desert Five-Spot (Eremalche rotundifolia)

Posted on by


The Desert Five-Spot (Eremalche rotundifolia) is a striking annual wildflower commonly observed in Death Valley National Park, particularly during favorable bloom years following sufficient winter rainfall.

Desert Five-Spot (Eremalche rotundifolia) - Photo by James L Rathbun
Desert Five-Spot (Eremalche rotundifolia) – Photo by James L Rathbun

Scientific Taxonomy

  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Phylum: Tracheophyta (vascular plants)
  • Class: Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons)
  • Order: Malvales
  • Family: Malvaceae (mallow family, which includes hibiscus and cotton)
  • Genus: Eremalche
  • Species: Eremalche rotundifolia (A. Gray) Greene

This species is a dicotyledonous annual herb native to desert regions.

Description

The desert five-spot is a low-growing annual herb typically reaching 8–60 cm (3–24 inches) in height. It has an erect, sparsely branched stem (often simple or branched only at the base) covered in bristly hairs; stems are frequently reddish-brown. The leaves are distinctive: rounded to kidney-shaped (reniform), 1.5–6 cm broad, with toothed or crenate margins, and borne on long petioles. Leaves are green (sometimes with reddish phases) and covered in short bristly hairs.

The most striking feature is the flower: bisexual, cup- to globe-shaped, with five overlapping petals 15–30 mm long. Petals are rose-pink to lilac or purplish-pink, each featuring a prominent dark red-to-purple spot at the base that serves as a nectar guide for pollinators. When fully open, the petals curve slightly inward, forming a nearly spherical “lantern” shape (hence the occasional nickname “Chinese lantern flower”). The center reveals a ring of light pink stigmas surrounding smaller stamens. The calyx has 5 lobes, and three small bractlets subtend it. After flowering, the plant produces a schizocarp fruit that splits into 25–35 wafer-like segments.

Note on identification: Do not confuse it with the unrelated “five-spot” (Nemophila maculata), a white-flowered plant of the Sierra Nevada and foothills with purple spots at the petal tips.

Blooming Period and Behavior

The beautiful and delicate flower of the Desert Five Spot Flower. - Photo by James L Rathbun
The beautiful and delicate flower of the Desert Five Spot Flower. – Photo by James L Rathbun

Flowering occurs primarily from March to May, with peak displays in the lower desert elevations from mid-February through mid-April, depending on winter rainfall. In Death Valley National Park, it is a signature wildflower during “superbloom” years (such as the notable events following heavy rains).

The flowers exhibit daily nyctinastic movement: they open in the morning (or midday) to reveal the vivid red spots and close at night or late afternoon. Leaves also show diurnal movement to optimize sunlight exposure. The red basal spots on each petal function as “runways” directing bees and other insects to the nectar at the flower base, aiding pollination. The plant thrives in years with adequate winter precipitation and is one of the more sought-after desert wildflowers for its vivid color contrast against the arid landscape.

Range and Distribution

Eremalche rotundifolia is native to the Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert (part of the Sonoran Desert region) in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It occurs in southeastern California (including Death Valley National Park and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park), southern Nevada, western Arizona, and extends slightly into Utah. In California it is found primarily in the Desert bioregion (excluding the high Desert Mountains). Elevation range is approximately -50 to 1,500 m (-164 to 4,921 ft), though it is most common between 50 and 1,200 m.

The closed flower of the Desert Five Spot Flower. Photo by James L Rathbun
The closed flower of the Desert Five Spot Flower. Photo by James L Rathbun

Habitat and Ecology

This species prefers open, sunny sites in dry desert scrub, desert flats, sandy or rocky washes, alluvial fans, and open stony areas. It grows best in fast-draining, gravelly alkaline soils and is frequently associated with creosote bush scrub communities. In Death Valley National Park it appears on lower-elevation alluvial fans, foothills, and along roadsides (e.g., Badwater Road areas) following sufficient winter rains.

As an annual, it completes its life cycle quickly after winter rains, producing abundant seeds that remain dormant in the soil until the next favorable season. It provides nectar for native bees and supports larvae of certain butterflies and skippers (including confirmed hosts for Northern White-Skipper and Common Checkered-Skipper).

The desert five-spot is a beautiful and iconic Mojave Desert wildflower, particularly celebrated in Death Valley for its glowing pink blooms and striking red-spotted “lantern” flowers during spring displays. Its presence is highly dependent on winter precipitation, making it a highlight of rare superbloom events.

Pebble Pincusion (Chaenactis carphoclinia)

Posted on by

Scientific Name: Chaenactis carphoclinia A. Gray (primarily var. carphoclinia in Death Valley and most of its range)

Pebble Pincusion (Chaenactis carphoclinia) Found near Ashford Mill, Death Valley National Park. Photo Heather Rathbun
Pebble Pincusion (Chaenactis carphoclinia) Found near Ashford Mill, Death Valley National Park. Photo Heather Rathbun

Scientific Taxonomy

  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Clade: Tracheophytes (vascular plants)
  • Clade: Angiosperms (flowering plants)
  • Clade: Eudicots
  • Clade: Asterids
  • Order: Asterales
  • Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower or Daisy family)
  • Genus:Chaenactis (pincushions or dustymaidens)
  • Species:Chaenactis carphoclinia A. Gray

Common names include Pebble Pincushion, Pincushion Flower, and Straw-bed Pincushion. Two varieties exist: the widespread var. carphoclinia (smaller plant, common in Death Valley) and the rarer var. peirsonii (larger, limited to southern California’s Santa Rosa Mountains).

Description

Pebble Pincushion is a native annual forb/herb that grows from an erect, branching stem (usually one main stem) reaching 4–16 inches (10–40 cm) tall, occasionally up to 2 feet (60 cm) in favorable conditions. The stems are whitish-pubescent (hairy).

Leaves are green, mostly linear, and pinnately dissected or lobed (basal leaves highly divided and wither early; cauline leaves smaller with slender petioles), up to 4–10 cm long.

The inflorescence consists of 1–several small discoid flower heads (no ray flowers) per stem, each 0.25–1 cm wide. Heads feature white to pinkish-tinted disk florets with enlarged outer corollas and prominently exserted (protruding) anthers. Flat, sharp-pointed phyllaries (bracts) line the heads and often appear reddish. The fruit is a small achene tipped with a scaly pappus.

The plant resembles other desert Chaenactis species (e.g., Esteve’s Pincushion), but is generally smaller with multiple cream-to-white heads per stem.

Blooms

As a desert annual, Pebble Pincushion germinates after winter rains and blooms primarily in spring (January/February/March through May or June, depending on elevation and rainfall). In Death Valley, it is a signature species during “superbloom” years, often peaking in March–April alongside other desert annuals. The flowers are visited by bees, butterflies, and other small insects for nectar and pollen.

Range and Habitat

Pebble Pincushion is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its range spans Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Baja California, and Sonora—primarily in the Mojave Desert, with extensions into the Sonoran Desert, southern Great Basin, and northwestern Chihuahuan Desert. Elevations range from 300–6,200 feet (90–1,900 m).

It thrives in rocky, gravelly, or sandy soils, including washes, open plains, mesas, slopes, and flats within desert shrublands. In Death Valley National Park, it is commonly found in gravelly washes and rocky areas (e.g., near Emigrant Pass, Badwater, and Mosaic Canyon), where it can form dense displays after sufficient winter precipitation. Seeds may be consumed by birds, small mammals, and desert tortoises.

Pebble Pincushion growing in typical Death Valley habitat—gravelly washes with mixed desert annuals under clear desert skies.

This hardy annual plays a key role in desert ecosystems as a quick-response bloomer that stabilizes soil and supports pollinators and wildlife following rainy periods.

Panamint City California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Posted on by

Panamint City is one of the most legendary ghost towns in the Panamint Range of Death Valley National Park, California. Perched high in Surprise Canyon at an elevation of around 6,000–6,500 feet (about 1,800–2,000 m), it was once a notorious silver boomtown known for its lawlessness, rapid rise, and swift decline. Today, the site lies in a remote, rugged wilderness area within the park (though some remnants are on private inholdings or patented claims).

Panamint City California - 1875
Panamint City California – 1875

Historical Background and Founding (1872–1873)

The story of Panamint City begins in late 1872 amid the chaotic aftermath of earlier California gold and silver rushes. Prospectors William L. Kennedy, Robert Polk Stewart, and Richard C. Jacobs (some accounts name them as William Ledlie Kennedy et al.) were searching for the fabled Lost Gunsight Mine (a legendary lost gold deposit tied to early Death Valley lore) when they stumbled upon rich silver outcrops in Surprise Canyon. The canyon’s isolation had long made it a favorite hideout for outlaws evading law enforcement after stagecoach robberies and other crimes.

When the prospectors returned to stake formal claims, a gang of six bandits (who had followed them) forced a partnership to share in the profits—despite the outlaws being wanted for crimes like robbing a Wells Fargo stage of $12,000. This unlikely alliance marked the birth of the Panamint Mining District, officially formed in February 1873. Ore samples sent to Los Angeles attracted attention, and word spread quickly.

Senator John Percival Jones
Senator John Percival Jones

Boom Period (1873–1875)

The real boom ignited when Nevada’s “Silver Senators”—John P. Jones and William M. Stewart (prominent Comstock Lode investors)—learned of the discoveries. They organized the Panamint Mining Company with $2 million in capital stock and bought up major claims, injecting serious investment. By late 1874, Panamint City exploded into a full-fledged town:

  • Population peaked at around 1,500–2,000 residents, including miners, merchants, saloonkeepers, prostitutes, gamblers, and outlaws.
  • The main street stretched nearly one mile up the narrow canyon, lined with wooden buildings: hotels, restaurants, stores, assay offices, two banks, a post office, and the Panamint News newspaper.
  • Saloons and a red-light district thrived, contributing to the town’s reputation as one of the “toughest, rawest, most hard-boiled little hellholes” in the West.
  • Lawlessness was rampant—reports claim over 50 murders in the first few years, with shootouts, claim-jumping, and vigilante justice common. Wells Fargo refused to operate a stage line due to the banditry; instead, bullion was cast into heavy 400-pound cubes to deter theft during transport.
  • Key mines included the Wyoming Mine, Wonder Mine, and others producing high-grade silver ore (some assays showed values in the thousands of dollars per ton), along with copper and lesser gold.

The town even inspired ambitious infrastructure plans, such as Senator Jones’ short-lived railroad project from Santa Monica (which never fully materialized beyond initial segments).

William M. Stewart. Photo by Matthew Brady
William M. Stewart. Photo by Matthew Brady

Decline and Abandonment (1875–1877)

The bust came as quickly as the boom. By late 1875, the richest surface and near-surface ore bodies in the major mines began depleting rapidly. Veins pinched out or became too low-grade to process profitably with 1870s technology. Investors pulled out, and production plummeted.

A catastrophic flash flood in 1876 roared down Surprise Canyon, washing away much of the lower town, destroying buildings, roads, and equipment. This disaster accelerated the exodus. By 1877, major operations shut down entirely, and Panamint City was largely abandoned. Scavengers and a few holdouts lingered briefly, but the population evaporated within months.

Later History and Remnants

The site is protected; visitors must hike and plan trips carefully (flash flood risk remains high). Sporadic small-scale prospecting occurred in the early 20th century, but nothing revived the town. The area saw renewed minor activity during later Panamint Range booms (e.g., gold at nearby Skidoo in 1905–1917), but Panamint City itself remained a ghost town.

In the mid-20th century, some structures were salvaged or burned; flash floods continued to erode the site.

Today, within Death Valley National Park (established 1994, expanded to include the Panamint Range), remnants include:

  • Foundation stones and walls of former buildings.
  • Mine adits, shafts, and tailings piles.
  • The old smelter stack base and scattered artifacts.
Panamint City Stamp Mill
Panamint City Stamp Mill

Panamint City exemplifies the classic Western mining boom-bust cycle: fueled by rich silver discoveries, hyped by big investors, plagued by lawlessness and isolation, and doomed by ore depletion and natural disaster. Its brief, violent heyday left an enduring legend in Death Valley lore—one of outlaws turning prospectors, senators chasing silver, and a canyon that swallowed a town almost as fast as it rose.

Panamint Town Summary

NamePanamint
LocationInyo County
Latitude, Longitude36.1182827, -117.0953327
GNIS1661185
Elevation6,300 Feet
NewspaperPanamint News ( 1874-1875 )

Panamint Map

References

Ubehebe Crater

Posted on by

Ubehebe Crater (pronounced “you-bee-HEE-bee”) is one of the most striking and geologically dramatic features in Death Valley National Park, California. Located in the northern part of the park at the base of the Cottonwood Mountains (near the Racetrack Playa area), it is the largest and most prominent of a cluster of volcanic explosion craters known as the Ubehebe Craters or Ubehebe volcanic field. This maar-type crater stands out amid the park’s predominantly sedimentary and tectonic landscape as evidence of relatively recent volcanic activity in an otherwise arid, non-volcanic region.

Ubehebe Crater, Death Valley National Park, California
Ubehebe Crater, Death Valley National Park, California

Geological Description

Ubehebe Crater is a classic maar—a broad, shallow volcanic crater formed primarily by explosive phreatomagmatic eruptions (interactions between rising magma and groundwater). It measures approximately half a mile (about 0.8–1 km) in diameter and reaches depths of 500–777 feet (152–237 m), with steep, unstable inner walls composed of layered ejecta.

  • Formation Mechanism: The crater resulted from basaltic magma rising toward the surface and encountering groundwater in porous sedimentary rocks (primarily Miocene fanglomerates and sandstones). The intense heat caused the water to flash-boil into superheated steam, building enormous pressure. This triggered violent steam-driven explosions that fragmented and ejected large volumes of country rock (pre-existing sedimentary material) along with juvenile basaltic material. The blasts pulverized rock into ash, lapilli, bombs, and blocks, hurling them outward in pyroclastic surges and fallout deposits. Unlike typical lava-flow volcanoes, maar eruptions produce little to no sustained lava flows; instead, they create wide, low-angle rims of mixed ejecta.
  • Composition and Deposits: The ejecta blanket covers roughly 40 km² (15 mi²) around the craters. Deposits consist of approximately one-third basaltic scoria, bombs, and spatter (dark, fresh-looking volcanic material) and two-thirds comminuted fragments of older sedimentary rock (light-colored sandstone, conglomerate clasts). Layers alternate in color—dark basaltic ash and lighter sedimentary breccia—creating vivid banding visible on the crater walls and rim. Pyroclastic surge deposits (dense, ground-hugging flows of hot gas and debris) extend unusually far (up to 9–15 km in some directions, based on recent studies), preserved better here due to the arid environment with minimal erosion.
  • The Cluster: Ubehebe is the northernmost and youngest crater in a group of about 7–12 overlapping maars aligned roughly north-south over 1.5 km, with additional smaller vents east-west and isolated features. Smaller nearby craters include Little Hebe Crater (a nested or satellite maar) and others with tuff rings.
  • Age: Estimates vary due to challenges in dating young maars, but most recent research places the main eruptive sequence (including Ubehebe Crater) at approximately 2,100 years ago (around 100 BCE), based on radiocarbon dating, paleomagnetism, and stratigraphic studies. Earlier estimates ranged from 800–7,000 years old, with some suggesting the entire cluster formed in a brief period (weeks to months) from a single magmatic pulse rather than over centuries.

The eruptions exposed colorful underlying sedimentary layers, revealing Death Valley’s deeper geologic history of ancient lake beds, alluvial fans, and tectonic basin fill.

A Panorama looking from Ubehebe Crater overlooking the cinder fields, Death Valley National Park
A Panorama looking from Ubehebe Crater overlooking the cinder fields, Death Valley National Park

History of Discovery, Naming, and Study

  • Indigenous Context: The area lies within traditional territories of the Timbisha Shoshone people. “Ubehebe” derives from a Shoshone term possibly meaning “big basket” or “big hole in the ground,” reflecting the crater’s appearance. Indigenous knowledge of the landscape predates European-American exploration.
  • Euro-American Discovery: Prospectors and explorers encountered the crater in the late 19th/early 20th century amid Death Valley’s mining booms. It was noted for its dramatic appearance but not initially recognized as volcanic due to the region’s focus on gold, silver, and borax.
  • Scientific Recognition: Early 20th-century geologists identified its volcanic origin. Detailed studies intensified in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Key research includes:
    • Stratigraphic and paleomagnetic work showing a short eruptive duration.
    • 2016 studies on the cluster’s sequence (phreatomagmatic followed by minor magmatic phases).
    • 2022 research (led by Greg Valentine, University at Buffalo) revealing wider pyroclastic surge runout than typical for maars, implying underestimated hazard zones around similar volcanoes worldwide. Deposits preserved far from the vent highlight risks in arid settings.
  • Modern Status: Ubehebe Crater is a popular, accessible viewpoint in Death Valley National Park. A paved road leads to a parking area and overlook at the rim, with a short trail along the rim offering panoramic views. The interior is extremely hazardous (loose, steep slopes prone to rockfall), and descent is prohibited without permits (rarely granted). It serves as an educational site illustrating explosive volcanism, groundwater-magma interaction, and recent geologic activity in a tectonically active region.

Ubehebe Crater stands as a youthful reminder that Death Valley’s geologic story is ongoing—its formation just a few millennia ago underscores the potential for future volcanic events in this dynamic landscape, even if probabilities remain very low. Visitors experience one of the park’s most otherworldly sights: a stark black-rimmed pit contrasting with multicolored badlands under vast desert skies.

Hiking

The road into Ubehebe serves as the starting points to the Race Track Valley Road, Teakettle Junction and Hunter Mountain Road.

There are a few separate hiking opportunities while exploring the crater.

The crater rim trail, which is about 1.5 miles long, circumnavigates the crater and allows access to Little Hebe crater. The trail has some slight elevation gain, however could be more difficult to hikes with balance issue due to the unstable soil.

There is also a trail down the the bottom of the crater. This is a short trail and very easy going down. The difficulty is hiking back up the 600 feet elevation lost on the way down, in loose volcanic soil.

Ubehebe Crater Trail Map

References

Chloride City California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Posted on by

Chloride City is a remote ghost town and historic mining site located in the Funeral Mountains on the eastern side of Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California. Situated at an elevation of approximately 4,770 feet (1,454 m) in a saddle high above the valley floor, it offers dramatic panoramic views across Death Valley to the Panamint Mountains—over 5,000 feet below—making it one of the more scenic yet challenging historic locations in the park. Access requires a high-clearance vehicle (often 4WD) via rough dirt roads, such as Chloride City Road off Daylight Pass Road or near Hell’s Gate, and the site remains largely untouched, with scattered remnants rather than intact structures.

Crowells Mill under construction in Chloride City, CA about 1915
Crowells Mill under construction in Chloride City, CA about 1915

Early Discovery and Initial Mining (1870s)

The area’s mining history dates back to one of the earliest documented strikes in the Death Valley region. In August 1871, prospector August J. Franklin (a civil engineer involved in U.S. government surveying work on the Nevada-California border) made the initial discovery. According to local legend, Franklin killed a rattlesnake with a rock, noticed rich-looking float (loose ore fragments) beneath it, and traced the material uphill to its source—a vein of silver chloride (a form of silver ore) at what became known as Chloride Cliff.

Franklin staked claims and formed the Chloride Cliff Mining Company, sinking a shaft to about 70 feet by mid-1873 and employing several miners. Ore samples reportedly assayed at high values—between $200 and $1,000 per ton in silver—indicating significant potential. However, the remote location, harsh desert conditions, lack of water, and transportation difficulties limited development. Activity was intermittent; Franklin and later his son George worked claims sporadically to maintain ownership, but the site saw little sustained production through the 1870s and remained largely deserted from around 1873 until the early 1900s.

Boom Period and Establishment of Chloride City (1905–1906)

Interest revived in the early 20th century amid the broader Death Valley mining boom, particularly following the major gold discovery at Bullfrog, Nevada (near Rhyolite) in 1904 and the development of the nearby Keane Wonder Mine (discovered in late 1903). Prospectors from Bullfrog crossed into the Funeral Mountains, reworking older claims and exploring new ones.

By 1905, enough activity centered on the Chloride Cliff area (including renewed work on silver-lead and emerging gold veins) that a small support camp was laid out: Chloride City. It served as a hub for nearby operations, featuring basic facilities such as an assay office, bunkhouse, and possibly other rudimentary structures. The town was positioned in a picturesque but wind-swept saddle, supporting miners extracting ore from adits (horizontal tunnels) and shafts in the vicinity.

Despite initial promise, the boom was short-lived. Most operations proved uneconomical due to low-grade ore, high processing costs, and isolation. Chloride City became a ghost town by late 1906, abandoned as miners moved to more promising strikes elsewhere.

Later Activity and Nearby Mines (1910s–1940s)

Sporadic mining returned in the 1910s and especially the 1930s, when higher gold prices during the Great Depression spurred renewed prospecting. Nearby sites like the Big Bell Mine (and Big Bell Extension) saw more substantial work, including construction of an aerial tramway, ore bins, ball mills, cyanide tanks, and other equipment—much of which remains remarkably preserved due to the site’s inaccessibility. These operations focused on gold and silver, with some claims reportedly changing hands through dramatic means (e.g., gambling, disputes, or even a reported duel). Activity largely ceased by the early 1940s, with the last major shutdown around 1941.

Chloride City itself did not revive as a town; it remained a loose collection of mining features rather than a populated settlement.

Current Status and Remnants

Today, Chloride City is within Death Valley National Park and protected as part of its historic resources. Little of the actual “town” survives—mostly scattered foundations, mine dumps, numerous adits (some explorable with caution), ore remnants, and the remains of three stamp mills. A single grave marks the site: that of James McKay, about whom virtually nothing is known.

The area includes dramatic overlooks at Chloride Cliff, where visitors can stand on old dumps and gaze down into Death Valley. Nearby hikes lead to well-preserved ruins like those of the Big Bell Mine complex, featuring rusting machinery, collapsed shacks, and tramway elements frozen in time.

The site exemplifies the fleeting nature of desert mining booms: early promise, rapid influx, quick bust, and long-term abandonment. Its isolation has helped preserve artifacts, offering a glimpse into the grit of 19th- and early 20th-century prospectors in one of Earth’s harshest environments. Visitors should prepare for rough roads, extreme conditions, and practice Leave No Trace principles, as the area has no facilities or signage in many spots.

Chloride City Trail Map