It’s been nearly eight years since a storm of historic proportions pounded Death Valley National Park and did extensive damage in Grapevine Canyon in the northeastern corner of the park where Scotty’s Castle stands. The popular tourist attraction still has not reopened as repair work continues.
That storm was described as a once-in-a-thousand years storm.
A year ago, rainstorms again pounded Death Valley. In roughly three hours 1.5 inches of rain fell on the park and did considerable damage to roads and water systems and shut down the park. That storm also was described as a once-in-a-thousand-years storm.
Another powerful storm hit Death Valley National Park two weeks ago. On August 20, 2.2 inches of rain fell at Furnace Creek, according to the National Weather Service, making it the rainiest day on record in the park. For some perspective, during a full year the park usually sees only 2.15 inches of rain.
To discuss these storms and how the National Park Service is responding to them we’re joined today by Abby Wines, the park’s management analyst.
By Jess Repanshek - September 3rd, 2023
0:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
0:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
1:11 Vista Verde - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of Peaks, Plateaus and Canyons
1:24 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
1:46 Yosemite Conservancy
2:08 Friends of Acadia
2:39 Flooded Death Valley
12:00 No’Easter - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
12:16 NPT RVing Guide
13:11 Washington’s National Park Fund
13:45 Interior Federal Credit Union
14:08 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
14:40 Flooded Death Valley Continues
25:07 Escalante - Tim Heintz -The Sounds of Peaks, Plateaus and Canyons
25:21 Great Smoky Mountains Association
25:42 The Everglades Foundation
25:54 Potrero Group
26:24 Flooded Death Valley Continues
41:52 Caribbean Song - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of the Everglades
42:15 Episode Closing
42:35 Orange Tree Productions
43:08 Splitbeard Productions
43:19 National Parks Traveler footer
Did you know that there are some five and a half million acres of our National Parks that are underwater? There are sunken ships and aircraft. There are remnants of industry and mining. There are coral reefs and underwater caverns.
Summer is almost here. The upcoming Memorial Day weekend is the official kickoff to the summer travel season, and I’m happy to say that the National Parks Traveler will be continuing to bring you news about the parks and how you can enjoy them.
As much as Editor-in-Chief Kurt Repanshek was looking forward to retiring, listener and reader support has enabled the news organization to continue on with its editorially independent coverage of National Parks and protected areas.
With the summer vacation season not too far off, no doubt many National Park Service Superintendents are trying to figure out how to manage the crowds and avoid impacts to natural resources in the park system.
Smokies Life, which most of you who closely follow Great Smoky Mountains National Park know was previously known as the Great Smoky Mountains Association, produces educational and informational materials for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This week we’re joined by Laurel Rematore, the chief executive officer of Smokies Life, to discuss the name change as well as how her organization lends a big hand to the Park Service staff at Great Smoky.
Have you ever closely inspected the landscape when you’re touring the National Park System, particularly in the West? You never know what you might find.
Back in 2010 a 7-year-old attending a Junior Ranger program at Badlands National Park spied a partially exposed fossil that turned out to be the skull of a 32-million-year-old saber-toothed cat.
If you’ve ever visited Petrified Forest National Park you’ve no doubt marveled over the colorful fossilized tree trunks. There are also fossilized trees on the northern range of Yellowstone National Park, but nowhere near as colorful.
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The Essential RVing Guide
The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.
This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.
You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.
So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.
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