The turnoff to the Salt Creek Interpretive Trail is located on CA 190 13.1 miles north of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center or 11.3 miles east of the Stovepipe Wells General Store. A well-maintained 1.2 mile gravel road heads southwest to a large gravel parking area. Picnic tables, trash and recycling receptacles and a vault toilet are located near the parking area. A boardwalk heads upstream following the meandering path of Salt Creek. After a quarter mile, the boardwalk branches to form a one-third mile loop before returning to the parking area for a total walk of about 5/6 of a mile.
Alluvial fans from the Panamint Mountains to the west and the Funeral Mountains to the west have created a narrow valley of badlands 200 feet below sea level where Salt Creek flows on the surface year-round. The creek flows from brackish springs a mile upstream and evaporates into Cottonball basin to the southeast. The creek is host to a number of rather unique plant and animal species. Among these are pickleweed and the less than inch-long Salt Creek pupfish (Cyprinodon salinus salinus). Pickleweed stores salt in special cells in its stems. When too much salt builds up, it grows a new stem. Pupfish are able to survive temperatures from near freezing to over 100° F and salinity levels much higher than seawater. According to one of the interpretive signs, they were named by Dr. Carl Hubbs:
I like to call these specimens "pupfish" because they play like puppies.There is no shade along the route. Wear protective clothing or sunscreen and drink plenty of water even on this short walk. It is almost unbelievable how quickly people can become dehydrated in this arid environment.
Parking area |
The Funeral Mountains from the end of the parking area |
Salt Creek from the parking area |
The picnic area provide views of the Panamint Mountains |
Badlands line the creek |
The beginning of the interpretive trail boardwalk |
Boardwalk and badlands |
Interpretive signs and a viewing bench |
More of the badlands |
Pupfish line up as if in formation |
Salt Creek nourishes life for over a mile along its course |
Pickleweed lines the banks of the creek |
Looking downstream across the pickleweed at the Funeral Mountains |
Badlands and salt flats |
A short walk leads to two more benches |
A bridge spans the main channel of the creek |
View from the bridge |
Another interpretive sign and viewing bench |
One braid of the creek flows along the base of the badlands |
Salt covers the mudflats |
Cap rocks slow the erosion of the badlands |
The boardwalk tends to meander along and across various braids of the creek |
Salt Creek and the Panamint Mountains |
More pupfish and pickleweek |
Another view of Salt Creek |
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.
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