Death Valley Wildflowers 2016

If you have not gone to see the wild flowers in Death Valley, you may want to go soon. The flowers have started to sprout and bloom, and it will only get better.

Over the winter season, Death Valley received a bit of rain. With the early warm temperatures, the flowers have started to bloom. The bloom started around Badwater, and more wildflower fields have started blooming to the north. A variety of colors can be found near Badwater, indicating that more colors could also be expected in other areas. These wild flowers can also be an indicator of what other areas of the Mojave Desert might see in the coming months.

According to the NWS Weather Station located in Furnace Creek:

September 2015: No Rain

October 2015: 1.3"

November 2015: No Rain

December 2015: No Rain

January 2015: 0.46"

February 2016: 0.30"

Winter Season Total: 2.06" of Rain (or 20% more rain from average, mostly in October)

This is a map of observed wildflowers. Another great map can be found here:

Near Beaty Junction, looking towards Furnace Creek	Between Artist Dr and Natural Bridge Rd
Near Mile Marker 15, just North of Badwater	Near Mile Marker 15, just North of Badwater
Overlooking Badwater	Across the street from Badwater

If you are traveling to Death Valley, keep in mind that the storms over the last few years have wrecked havoc for the roads in the area. Highway 178 going through Panamint Valley has a 2 mile section of gravel road, the south end of Death Valley the road is closed between the junction of Harry Wade Road and the Greenwater Valley Road (aka Furnace Creek Wash Road), and Wildrose Canyon is closed.