Death Valley -Jan, Feb, or March?

[ray_locke]

I am considering a week long trip to Death Valley early next year. Would

there be any month "better" than another of Jan, Feb, or Mar?

 

I know the wildflowers are always fickle and we need to see what the fall

rains are like. So, really when would the best chances for clouds, or snow,

or other sky features besides clear blue?

 

Ideally I would like to see the racetrack, badwater, the dunes, and the other

areas while camping.

 

My first thought was Jan 15-20 since I now get the Dr. King Holiday at work

and would only need four days of vacation to get a full week. Would January

be too early for any flowers (if they happen at all)?

 

Or would waiting until late Feb be better and just use that fifth day?

 

Most of the features you think of in DV are all about rocks so are flowers

just a rare bonus or a worthy goal in themselves? I know in Big Bend the

flowers are spectacular when they happen (they didn't this year), but the

landscape is worthy on it's own.

 

So when to got DV?

 

Thanks.

[savagesax]

If you are interested in winter, probably February. Around the 20th of March is when the wild flowers tend to pop up. California weather is pretty different, sometimes in Feb. there will be lots of storms, like this past year, so the wild flowers were just amazing.

 

No flowers in January at all, or February. The dunes are a blast to photograph at sunrise. I think they are located across from Stovepipe and there is a campground there as well. But it's cold in February! There is a motel across the street. So you might run into some great stormy weather or there might not be a cloud in the sky. Either way it is still a great place to photograph.<div></div>

[rconey]

We were there the first week of April a couple of years ago. Great weather, and flowers were out at the higher elevations. The campground up near Telescope Peak was empty, and there was a lot of snow above 9000 ft. It was 100 F in the bottom. Take your pick of climates.

[sergey_oboguev]

> The dunes are a blast to photograph at sunrise.

 

There are two dunes area in Death Valley. One (smaller) is across the Stovepipe Wells, and the other (much larger and majestic) are Eureka Dunes. It is much harder to get to the latter and very easy to get to the former and about every visitor goes and walks in the dunes by Stovepipe Wells.

 

As a result, unless you are very lucky to come there right after a windstorm, every single foot (literally) will be covered by the footprints. Most of the year these dunes are completely unphotographable for this reason. You can photograph them from distance, of course, but not the sand patterns -- as those will be all covered in tracks of foot prints.

 

If you want to photograph dune patterns, your best bet would be to go to Eureka Dunes, but it is a long drive. Road that goes through the park (starting some miles past Scotty's Castle) is a hard one. Your best bet may be to drive on the highway around the park and enter from the north.