Death Valley National Park - Devil's Cornfield

Just east of the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes is an area called the Devil's Cornfield. A wide shoulder on both sides of California 190 about 4¾ miles east of Stovepipe Wells Village provides parking for about half a dozen vehicles. The "cornfield" is named for its supposed visual similarity to corn shocks and is located on both sides of the road in what could be considered the bottomland of the intermittently flowing Salt Creek. Instead of corn stalks stacked standing in a field, the Devil's Cornfield is formed by the Arrowweed plant. The plant grows densely enough to create a wind break for the sand blown off the dunes. As the sand accumulates, the plant grows higher on the sand mound creating the look of a harvested corn field. We stopped on our February 2015 visit to Death Valley National Park.

Part of Tucki Mountain

Mesquite Dunes and Cottonwood Mountains

Grapevine Mountains

Daylight Pass Road and Funeral Mountains

Tucki Mountain

Nevares Peak

An entrance fee of $20 admits all the passengers of a single vehicle for seven days. Other options include an annual Death Valley National Park Pass for $40, an Interagency Annual Pass providing access to most national park, national forest and BLM fee areas for $80 and a lifetime Interagency Senior Pass for those age 62 and older for $10.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm.