Death Valley National Park is a great place to visit anytime, but 2015 is definitely a year people won't want to miss.
Death Valley National Park, CA (PRWEB) February 16, 2015
Perhaps it’s the contrast between the harsh environment and the soft pastel beauty, but there’s something very special about Death Valley National Park wildflowers. Despite the severe California drought, well-timed winter rains and above-average temperatures are combining to create what promises to be eye-catching wildflower displays in Death Valley National Park this spring.
“The weather over the next several weeks will be the determining factor, but from what I’m seeing on the ground, this could be the best year we’ve have had since the spectacular displays of 2005,” said David Blacker, Executive Director of the Death Valley Natural History Association. “Death Valley National Park is great to visit anytime, but 2015 is definitely a year people won’t want to miss.”
The appearance of spring wildflowers depends on many factors; as explained on the National Park Service Website http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/wildflowers.htm, “Most of the showy desert wildflowers are annuals, also referred to as ephemerals because they are short-lived. Oddly enough, this limited lifespan ensures survival here. Rather than struggle to stay alive during the desert’s most extreme conditions, annual wildflowers lie dormant as seeds. When enough rain finally does fall, the seeds quickly sprout, grow, bloom and go back to seed again before the dryness and heat returns.”
The first signs of wildflowers are already appearing on the dunes and alluvial fans at the lowest elevations. Peak viewing along the highways and at the most accessible areas of Death Valley generally occur late-February through mid-April, but wildflowers can still be seen at the highest elevations well into June and even July.
Just 50 miles East of Death Valley is Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, another great area for wildflower viewing, the crystal-clear natural springs in Ash Meadows are home to endangered desert pupfish, and attract an abundance of wildlife from birds to big horn sheep.
The Death Valley Natural History Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and interpreting the natural and cultural resources of the Death Valley region in cooperation with our government partners: Death Valley National Park and Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.
For wildflower updates check us out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DVNHA. For more information about Death Valley National Park and trip planning, see http://www.nps.gov/deva or call 760-786-3200.
Contact: Geneil White, Development Coordinator, DVNHA
Phone: 775-537-0787 ext. 208
