One of the most famous national parks in the world is Death Valley National Park in California. The park, which deserves its name, attracts over 850,000 visitors annually. On an impressive area of ​​13,451 km² they can get an idea of ​​why the park is called Death Valley and learn a lot of interesting facts about the area and the history of the park, which was founded on October 31, 1994, on the nature trail. See a2zdirectory for tourist attractions in California.

The history of Death Valley National Park

Not much can be said about Death Valley National Park in terms of human history. After all, it’s not called the Valley of Death for nothing. Here human life is impossible for a long time. And it always has been. Apart from the fact that nomads roamed the valley here thousands of years ago, it is only known that the first whites came to this area in the 19th century. The large deposits of silver, gold, copper, lead and borax attracted many to Death Valley in the middle of the 19th century. They wanted to try their hand at mining. Many were killed in their attempts to cross the Valley of Death. The valley allegedly got its name when a tour group with several oxen drove through the valley. They had to slaughter and eat several of their animals. The wood of their wagons served as firewood. When leaving the valley
So around 1920 this boom was replaced by tourism. At that time, the first accommodations were just being built in Furnance Creek, so Death Valley could be linked directly to tourism. Although Death Valley is now a national park, borax is still mined here for soap production. A cleaning agent known in the USA has its origin here and is advertised as the “20 mules team”.

Geology

Geologically, Death Valley National Park is extremely interesting. Its origin in particular is always the subject of scientific research. There is a heat pole in Death Valley National Park. At its lowest point, it is 85.95 meters below sea level. In addition, several mountains enclose the Death Valley.
Today there are two main valleys in the park. In addition to Death Valley, there is also the Panamint Valley.
Scientists have found that both valleys must be about the same age, a few million years each. Death Valley takes its name from its incredible dryness. Just a few kilometers from the Pacific Ocean, this is one of the driest areas in the world. The problem is that the rain clouds moving from the Pacific are already raining on the mountain ranges on the way to the valley. This means that no more water drops in the valley. There are also extreme temperatures here. On July 10, 1913, an unbelievable 65 degrees Celsius was measured.

Few people therefore dared to inhabit the valley. A small colony, the Timbisha Shoshone, live near Furnace Creek. They are as good as the only ones who can stand it here.

Animals in Death Valley National Park

There are bighorn sheep in the vicinity. They are very adaptable and have learned to deal with the temperatures and living conditions of Death Valley. You can find food in the few shrubs and grasses in the area and the surrounding area.

Volcanoes and glaciers in Death Valley

According to scientists, there should have been at least four geological periods with active volcanoes. There must also have been plate tectonic shifts in Death Valley. Experts are now assuming at least two periods of validity. But it could also have been more.