November and December are great months to visit Death Valley National Park/Patrick Cone

Editor's note: The following is an unedited release from the National Park Service.

November is a particularly good time to visit Death Valley National Park due to a free entrance fee day on Veterans Day, special events, and cooling temperatures.

All National Park Service areas, including Death Valley, will waive park entrance fees on Friday, November 11, in honor of Veterans Day. A seven-day entrance pass normally costs $25/vehicle.

The Death Valley ‘49ers Encampment will be November 9-13. Activities include western music, cowboy poetry, art show, a historic wagon train, covered wagon rides, and presentations by park rangers, authors, historians, and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe. More information about the events can be found at www.deathvalley49ers.org, but a detailed schedule is only available upon arrival.

The nonprofit Death Valley ‘49ers plans the Encampment in partnership with the National Park Service. Many events are free, but some events require membership in the Death Valley ‘49ers. New members can sign up at a booth during the event ($25/person or $40/family/year).

Interested in getting involved in the park in a hands-on way? The park is hosting volunteer events on November’s holiday weekends: Saturday, November 12; Friday, November 25; and Saturday, November 26. Families are welcome! More details will be available online about a week in advance.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will hold a special naturalization ceremony in Death Valley National Park to welcome 20 new citizens. The ceremony will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, November 15 at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes parking area, with a backup indoor location at Stovepipe Wells.

Come experience Death Valley’s exceptional night sky viewing. Park rangers will host a Full Moon Fest on Wednesday, November 23, and a Night Sky Party on Friday, December 2.

With cooler temperatures and increasing visitation, park rangers are offering regularly scheduled hikes and ranger talks. Daily programs include a Golden Canyon Hike at 9 a.m. and a Harmony Borax Works Talk at 2:30 p.m. Flint knapping demonstrations are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Information on additional programs is available each week at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center or www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/tours.htm.

Unfortunately, Scotty’s Castle remains closed due to damage from a flash flood a year ago. Repair work is in progress, and Scotty’s Castle should reopen in 2019.

Road construction later in the season will affect visitors. Artists Drive, a one-way scenic drive, will be closed from November 27 through March 16. Harmony Borax Works, a popular historic site, will be closed for about a week sometime during those dates.