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.
There is no date for reopening storm-battered Death Valley National Park, and it might take until December to fully repair all the damage to roads done by the remnants of Hurricane Hilary last month.
Death Valley National Park is still closed due to major flash flood damage. The park had its rainiest day ever on August 20, 2023, receiving more rain than it normally does in an entire year.
Roughly 400 people were marooned inside Death Valley National Park on Monday due to road damage inflicted by storm Hilary, though crews were working to open some routes out of the park.
Death Valley National Park closed Sunday as torrential rains from Tropical Storm Hilary pummeled the park, spurring flash floods that were undercutting roads and prompting park officials to urge anyone still in the park to "turn around, don't drown." Mojave National Preserve, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and Joshua Tree National Park all had closed a day earlier because of the historic storm.
With the prospect of "catastrophic" flooding in the forecast, Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks, along with Mojave National Preseve and Lake Mead National Recreation Area, braced Saturday for the arrival of Tropical Storm Hilary.
Flash flood watches stretched from Utah to California on Friday and parts of Joshua Tree National Park in the Golden State were closed as a precaution against any flooding caused by Tropical Storm Hilary.
As climate change continues to drive higher and higher temperatures across the National Park System, Grand Canyon and other parks are going to become more and more dangerous as visitors in search of recreation, rejuvenation, and inspiration chance being stricken by a heat-related illness, according to a new study.
Many visitors to Death Valley National Park think it's pretty cool to take a selfie in front of the digital thermometer in front of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center. And this summer, with a string of 17 consecutive 120+° Fahrenheit days, there have been plenty of opportunities.