THE GOVERNMENT NEWS DESKPERMANENT NPS STORY ARCHIVE
Organized by publication date and destination. Each story retains its permanent State & Nation address and official NPS source.
Titus Canyon Road, one of Death Valley National Park’s most popular backcountry drives, will close Oct. 2, 2026, as work begins to repair and strengthen the road following extensive flood damage.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service reopened a portion of Saline Valley Warm Springs Campground on September 17. The burned area at Lower Springs is closed to public entry by order of the Death Valley National Park superintendent.
Official NPS source
Saline Valley Warm Springs Campground is temporarily closed due to a fire that occurred on September 15, 2026.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service urges commercial truck drivers to use caution when traveling State Route 190 through Death Valley National Park, particularly on the steep descent from Towne Pass. A tractor-trailer caught fire on SR-190 at approximately 7:45 p.m. Sept. 9 after its brakes overheated while descending about 5,000 feet from Towne Pass.
Official NPS sourceA 68-year-old French visitor died Monday, Aug. 17, after he and a traveling companion became stranded on a remote road in Death Valley National Park.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service announced today that Death Valley National Park will begin an $69.5 million infrastructure project this fall to modernize two critical water systems and a wastewater system. Funded through President Donald J. Trump’s Great American Outdoors Act’s Legacy Restoration Fund, the three-year project will improve essential infrastructure responsible for providing safe drinking water and reliable wastewater treatment for park visitors, employees, hotels, campgrounds and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe.
Official NPS source
Firefighters responded to a vehicle fire on State Route 190 in Death Valley National Park on June 20, 2026. All six occupants escaped without major injuries, but the van and attached trailer were destroyed.
Official NPS source
On June 2, 2026, the National Park Service reopened Lower Wildrose Road, which was closed for nearly three years due to extensive flood damage. The narrow, unpaved road is restricted to vehicles shorter than 25 feet. Also known as Trona-Wildrose Road, it provides access to high-elevation areas of Death Valley National Park.
Official NPS sourceTitus Canyon Road, one of Death Valley National Park’s most popular backcountry drives, has reopened after an initial phase of flood repairs. The road will close again on October 1, 2026, for additional work, including improvements to reduce damage from future flash floods.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park welcomed more than 1.32 million visitors to the park in 2025. This was the park’s fourth-highest visitation year, despite extended closures of large sections of the park due to flash flood damage.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service is opening public comment on an evaluation of accessibility across Death Valley National Park. The “Accessibility Self‑Evaluation and Transition Plan” includes restrooms, walkways, interpretive exhibits, ranger programs, and other visitor services.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park is pleased to announce the reopening of Salt Creek Boardwalk, three and a half years after it was destroyed by flooding. This wheelchair-accessible trail provides easy access to view Salt Creek Pupfish.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service has reopened South Badwater Road as of Jan. 31 following months of closures due to extensive flash flood damage.
Official NPS sourceDeath Valley National Park, in partnership with the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, will host a special event on Jan. 30 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Timbisha Shoshone Homeland Act.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park is seeking the public’s help to identify the individuals responsible for illegal off-road driving on Eureka Dunes in Death Valley National Park on Dec. 17. More than five miles of unauthorized vehicle tracks caused significant damage to rare and sensitive desert plants.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service reopened several flood-damaged roads in Death Valley National Park in recent days. An upcoming storm may cause new road closures.
Official NPS source
Public tours of Scotty’s Castle grounds will be available on select Sundays from January through March 2026. Scotty’s Castle, a historic district in Death Valley National Park, has been closed for 10 years while the National Park Service repairs extensive damage caused by a flash flood and a later fire.
Official NPS source
Death Valley has experienced record-breaking rainfall, according to the National Weather Service. The wettest fall (Sept-November) measured 2.41 inches, and the wettest November on record measured 1.76 inches of rain. The November rain broke the previous record of 1.70 inches set in 1923.
Official NPS source
A storm on November 15, 2025, produced 0.6 inches of rain at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park. At just over a half of an inch, this is more than a quarter of the annual rainfall for Death Valley.
Official NPS source
A new National Park Service report shows that 1,440,484 visitors to Death Valley National Park in 2024 spent $146 million in communities near the park.
Official NPS source
The remnants of Tropical Storm Mario brought significant rainfall to Death Valley National Park on the night of September 18, 2025. The following roads are closed due to storm damage: Badwater Road, North Highway, West Side Road, Twenty Mule Team Canyon, Cottonwood - Marble Roads, Mustard Canyon, and Keane Wonder Mine Road.
Official NPS source
As the 5th anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act approaches, residents and staff at Death Valley National Park are thrilled about an upcoming major overhaul of the park’s largest water and wastewater systems. To celebrate the Act’s anniversary, all National Park Service sites will offer free park entrance on Monday, August 4.
Official NPS source
Just 21 minutes after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, waves were triggered nearly 4,000 miles away in Death Valley National Park. Biologists are not concerned about impacts on the endangered Devils Hole Pupfish.
Official NPS sourceA 46-year-old man from Death Valley died in a single-vehicle rollover in Death Valley National Park sometime before 5:30am on June 13. The accident occurred on CA-190 just east of North Highway.
Official NPS source
Early morning on June 19, a truck caught fire while descending Towne Pass on California Highway 190 within Death Valley National Park. The tractor trailer was traveling from Battle Mountain, NV, to Long Beach, CA. The tractor was destroyed by the fire. The driver protected the trailer by disconnecting it before the fire could spread. No injuries were reported.
Official NPS source
Entrance to Death Valley National Park will be free on June 19, 2025, in honor of Juneteenth National Independence Day.
Official NPS source
Furnace Creek, a stream in Death Valley National Park, is now flowing further in its natural channel- thanks to a recent California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) project. The agency added three culverts under Highway 190 to increase driver safety by preventing water from ponding on the highway.
Official NPS sourceTwo separate vehicle fires occurred in Death Valley National Park in late May 2025, both of which were extinguished by quick-thinking bystanders using available tools.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park is urging motorcycle riders to think twice before traveling by bike during the hottest months of the year.
Official NPS source
A tractor trailer crash on May 20, 2025 left the driver deceased, damaged a historic structure, and closed CA-190 for 22 hours.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park and Federal Highway Administration have reopened Emigrant Canyon Road, a key high-elevation route that is a popular access point for cooler summer recreation. The road suffered heavy damage following a severe flash flood in August 2023. Temporary fixes allowed it to reopen after a few months but left it vulnerable to wear and tear and further flooding.
Official NPS source
Following a sudden population decline caused by two recent earthquakes, one of the world’s rarest fish – the Devils Hole pupfish – is on the path to recovery, according to a multi-agency team of biologists.
Official NPS source
Park rangers successfully rescued a stranded hiker from a steep and unstable gully in Death Valley National Park on January 15, following a challenging evening operation.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service (NPS) seeks help identifying the person or people who illegally drove on Eureka Dunes in late December or early January. The vehicles caused significant damage to rare plants that are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Official NPS source
As 2025 begins, consider planning a visit to Death Valley National Park. Fee free days and good star-gazing periods can all be ideal times to plan a visit to the 5,000-square-mile desert park.
Official NPS source
National Park Service (NPS) and Beatty firefighters successfully extinguished a trailer fire in Death Valley National Park on December 29, 2024.
Official NPS source
Preservation specialists from the National Park Service are working to protect three historic wooden towers in Saline Valley. Additional work is planned for Tower #1, which was toppled in April 2024.
Official NPS source
Emigrant Canyon Road will close starting January 6 for road repairs. There will be no road access to Wildrose until early March 2025.
Official NPS source
Devils Hole in was shaken by an earthquake that happened 500 miles away. This impacted the only habitat of an endangered species of fish.
Official NPS source
A tractor-trailer carrying 44,000 pounds of dried chickpeas burned up in Death Valley National Park on November 21, 2024.
Official NPS source
In celebration of Veterans Day, Death Valley National Park will offer free entrance to all visitors on Monday, November 11.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park welcomes a new Chief Ranger. Philip Johnson will lead the Visitor and Resource Protection program, which includes law enforcement, fee collection, emergency medical services, structure fire response, and search and rescue in the 3,400,000-acre park.
Official NPS source
Eleven burros died in near Owls Hole Spring in Death Valley National Park. The cause of death is under investigation, but the National Park Service (NPS) suspects a harmful algae bloom was to blame.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park experienced the hottest meteorological summer (June-August) on record, with an average 24-hour temperature of 104.5°F (40.3°C). This surpasses the previous record of 104.2°F (40.1°C), set in 2021 and 2018.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service completed the environmental review of plans to replace Salt Creek Boardwalk, which was destroyed by a flash flood.
Official NPS source
A Death Valley National Park resort employee was rescued on August 13, 2024 after becoming severely dehydrated while hiking Panamint Butte.
Official NPS source
A soft drink delivery truck burned to the ground on CA-190 near Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park on August 15, 2024.
Official NPS source
A fire destroyed a travel trailer in Death Valley National Park on August 11, 2024.
Official NPS source
A man died of heat exposure at Natural Bridge Trailhead on August 1, 2024.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park repaired three water system breaks during July 2024, which was the park’s hottest month on record. Fortunately, the Great American Outdoors Act will provide approximately $62 million next year to complete critical upgrades to the park's largest water and wastewater infrastructure systems, which are in the Furnace Creek area.
Official NPS source
July, 2024 was the hottest month ever recorded in Death Valley
Official NPS source
A car caught on fire at Dantes View in Death Valley National Park on Sunday, July 21, 2024. No one was hurt, but the vehicle was destroyed.
Official NPS source
A man was rescued after suffering full-thickness burns on his feet at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park on Saturday, July 20, 2024.
Official NPS sourceIn unrelated incidents, two people died in Death Valley National Park on Saturday, July 20, 2024.
Official NPS source
Bystanders helped rescue a woman suffering from heat illness in Death Valley National Park on July 18.
Official NPS source
Multiple agencies responded to a truck fire on CA-190 in Death Valley National Park on Monday, July 15. The driver was uninjured, but the stake-bed truck was destroyed in the fire.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park reached at least 125°F (51.7°C) for nine consecutive days, July 4-12, 2024. This was followed by a multiday power outage in part of the park during temperatures above 120°F.
Official NPS source
A small airplane made a successful emergency landing on a road in Death Valley National Park on July 2, 2024. There were no injuries.
Official NPS sourceA group of six motorcyclists experienced heat illness while traveling in extreme temperatures. One motorcyclist died, another was hospitalized, and four others were treated for heat illness.
Official NPS source
Entrance to Death Valley National Park will be free on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 in honor of Juneteenth National Independence Day.
Official NPS source
Rigoberto “RJ” Avina died in a vehicle crash in Death Valley National Park on May 26. Avina had worked for the National Park Service for nearly 3 years but was not on duty at the time of the accident.
Official NPS source
Safe and reliable water is essential in Death Valley National Park, often one of the hottest places on Earth. The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund is providing approximately $62 million to complete critical upgrades to the park's water and wastewater infrastructure.
Official NPS source
Park rangers and law enforcement officers successfully rescued a woman May 10 after she left her tour group and spent a night out on a steep, loose ridge near Artists Drive.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service (NPS) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are one step closer to replacing Salt Creek Boardwalk. The agencies have funding to replace the boardwalk which was destroyed by a flash flood. The public has an opportunity to comment on the project before it proceeds.
Official NPS sourceA man died in Death Valley National Park on May 19, 2024 after suffering an apparent medical event while driving Artists Drive.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service seeks information about recent damage to a historic salt tram tower in Saline Valley. It appears the 113-year-old tower was pulled over while a person used a winch to extract their vehicle out of deep mud. The damage happened sometime between April 1 and April 24, 2024.
Official NPS source
A tractor trailer carrying hazardous waste caught on fire in Death Valley National Park on April 26. Park rangers extinguished the fire before it reached the truck’s trailer, preventing a potential release of waste into the park.
Official NPS source
Agency biologists are excited to report increased numbers of one of the world’s rarest fishes. Scientists counted 191 Devils Hole pupfish, which is the most fish observed during annual spring season counts in 25 years. This is good news for the critically endangered fish living in Death Valley National Park.
Official NPS source
A 66-year-old man from Gig Harbor, Washington died while hiking with his wife in Death Valley National Park on April 5. The man was about one mile up Mosaic Canyon Trail when he appears to have suffered an acute medical event.
Official NPS source
After eight months of intense work, National Park Service (NPS) employees in Death Valley National Park are celebrating the end of the emergency phase of flood repairs. Emergency repairs were done on several utilities and 1,323 miles of roads inside the park. Steel Pass and Wildrose Charcoal Kilns opened recently.
Official NPS source
A wooden wagon and three housing units were damaged or destroyed in two separate fires at a privately-owned resort within Death Valley National Park.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service (NPS) recently completed repairs after they were severely damaged and reopened the dirt roads in the “Nevada Triangle” of Death Valley National Park. The newly open roads are in the triangular shaped part of the park that runs into the state of Nevada, near Beatty, NV. These roads have been closed since August after they were damaged by flash floods caused by the remnants of Hurricane Hilary.
Official NPS source
Backcountry/Wilderness permits for popular road-side camping areas and backpacking routes will soon be available to reserve in advance online.
Official NPS source
While a superbloom is not expected throughout Death Valley this year, some locations in the park such as Panamint Valley are blanketed with dense concentrations of bright wildflowers. One of the showiest flowers is desert gold, which has created brilliant patches of yellow blooms. Other wildflower hotspots include Ubehebe Crater and Dantes View. The park’s website has more information on wildflowers.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park will increase fees for developed campgrounds starting on May 1, 2024. Extensive public engagement followed by NPS review led to the determination that the park’s proposed updated campground fees were comparable to fees charged by similar nearby campgrounds.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park has reopened 382 additional miles of roads damaged in August 2023 by the remnants of Hurricane Hilary. For over six months, teams have been working on environmental and archeological assessments, emergency repairs and other clean-up to get damaged areas open for the public to visit. This is in addition to the 195 miles of roads that reopened on March 9.
Official NPS source
The NPS recently reopened 195 miles of roads in Death Valley National Park. Emigrant Canyon, West Side, Ibex, Saratoga, and Owlshead Roads had been closed since they were damaged by flash floods caused by the remnants of Hurricane Hilary.
Official NPS source
The temporary opportunity to kayak on Lake Manly has ended. An intense windstorm spread and evaporated the lake. It is no longer physically possible to boat in the lake.
Official NPS source
About 1.1 million people visited Death Valley National Park in 2023. Here’s a snapshot of the work behind the scenes that made those visits possible.
Official NPS source
The Death Valley Dark Sky Festival will return Friday March 1 through Sunday March 3.
Official NPS source
A temporary lake provided a rare opportunity to kayak in Death Valley during February 2024.
Official NPS source
An atmospheric river caused a temporary setback in Death Valley National Park’s ongoing recovery from Hurricane Hilary. Most of the park’s primary roads have reopened. The rain enhanced the scenic temporary lake at Badwater Basin.
Official NPS source
Two flood-damaged roads are reopening in Death Valley National Park: Keane Wonder Mine Road and Big Pine – Death Valley Road.
Official NPS source
A semi-truck hauling bottled water caught on fire within Death Valley National Park on January 10.
Official NPS source
Entrance to Death Valley National Park will be free on Monday, January 15 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park will reopen Beatty Cutoff Road and Mesquite Spring Campground on Friday, January 12. These are the latest steps in the park’s recovery from massive flash floods caused by the remnants of Hurricane Hilary in August.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service (NPS) seeks public comments on a proposed project to rehabilitate the water and wastewater systems in Furnace Creek and Cow Creek within Death Valley National Park. The NPS has funding from the Great American Outdoors Act to rehabilitate the park’s two largest water and wastewater systems.
Official NPS source
Three vehicles illegally drove off road and got stuck in Death Valley National Park recently. The vehicles needed to be towed and the drivers were cited with mandatory court appearances.
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A coyote was struck by a car and killed on Christmas Day in Death Valley National Park. The coyote had been begging for food along Badwater Road near Golden Canyon for the preceding months.
Official NPS source
A 65-hour power outage in Death Valley National Park ended at 10:00 am on Tuesday, December 26. The power outage impacted park visitors and 450 residents during the busy Christmas weekend.
Official NPS source
On Saturday, Death Valley National Park will reopen 95 miles of flood-damaged roads. Pockets of wildflowers and cool temperatures make this an ideal time to visit the park.
Official NPS source
On December 12, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that 60 additional miles of backcountry roads in the southern end of Death Valley National Park are now open.
Official NPS source
Portions of Eureka Valley and Saline Valley opened on November 30. These are the most recent portions of Death Valley National Park to reopen after every road in the park was damaged by the remnants of Hurricane Hilary in August.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park continues to repair and reopen flood-damaged roads. Roadside camping is now available along Echo Canyon Road, Hole in the Wall Road, Cottonwood Canyon Road, Marble Canyon Road, and Greenwater Valley Road (aka Furnace Creek Wash Road). The free, mandatory camping permits are available at Furnace Creek Visitor Center, same day only.
Official NPS source
Two men were rescued by helicopter after they illegally drove on a closed road in Death Valley National Park. The National Park Service closed Titus Canyon Road temporarily due to hazardous conditions caused by flood damage.
Official NPS source
The southeast entrance to Death Valley National Park is now open. Badwater Road provides direct access from Shoshone, CA to the temporary lake at Badwater Basin.
Official NPS source
Entrance to Death Valley National Park will be free on Veterans Day. A temporary shallow lake at Badwater Basin and an astronomy program make this an ideal time to visit.
Official NPS source
A tractor trailer carrying beehives rolled over on CA-190 in Death Valley National Park on November 5, 2023. The driver and several emergency responders got stung by bees.
Official NPS source
A motorcycle hit a van that braked suddenly to avoid running over a tarantula.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service will reopen Mud Canyon Road and Daylight Pass on November 1, 2023. Daylight Pass connects Death Valley National Park to NV-374 and Beatty, NV. Only emergency repairs have been completed, so drivers need to use caution.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park will partially reopen on Sunday, October 15. Visitors will be able enter the park via CA-190 from the west via Lone Pine or from the east via Death Valley Junction. All other park entrances will remain closed.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comments by October 25 on proposed fee changes for backcountry permits and campgrounds in Death Valley National Park. The NPS proposes to increase nightly campsite fees by $4 to $8. Some backcountry permits would become reservable in advance on Recreation.gov with a fee.
Official NPS source
Caltrans and the National Park Service (NPS) announced that parts of State Route 190 (CA-190) and Death Valley National Park are tentatively scheduled to reopen on October 15. The only access into the park will be from the west via Lone Pine, CA.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park remains closed, with no estimated reopening date. Crews are working to clear and repair roads.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park is still closed due to major flash flood damage. The park had its rainiest day ever on August 20, receiving more rain than it normally does in an entire year.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park remains closed after the remnants of Hurricane Hilary delivered a year's worth of rain in one day.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park closes due to flooding from Hurricane Hilary.
Official NPS sourceDeath Valley National Park will partially close in anticipation of heavy rains and flooding from Hurricane Hilary. The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch from Saturday, August 19 at 11:00 am and until Tuesday, August 22 at 5:00 am.
Official NPS source
The NPS will use $1,600,000 from the Inflation Reduction Act to help preserve historic mining structures at Skidoo and Gem Mill in Death Valley National Park.
Official NPS sourceA tractor trailer’s brakes caught on fire—twice--while descending CA-190 eastbound from Towne Pass on August 10 in the evening. The truck was saved from a complete loss to fire by a report from an off-duty National Park Service (NPS) employee and the response by Death Valley National Park’s rangers with a fire engine.
Official NPS source
Two people got lost driving in Death Valley National Park on July 4, 2023, resulting in one of them being transported to a hospital for heat illness. The two men got their vehicle stuck in the salt flat after driving illegally almost a mile off road. Two Star Towing removed their vehicle from the salt flat on July 27, carefully using a skid steer to minimize additional off-road damage.
Official NPS source
Entrance fees will be waived on Friday, August 4, 2023 at Death Valley National Park and all other National Park Service sites. This is the third anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), which is making a huge difference in the protection and enjoyment of national parks and other public lands.
Official NPS sourceA 26-year-old man from Costa Mesa, CA died in a single-vehicle rollover July 22, 2023 on CA-190 between Emigrant Junction and Stovepipe Wells.
Official NPS source
A man died at a trailhead in Death Valley National Park on Tuesday afternoon as temperatures soared to 121°F.
Official NPS source
A tractor trailer crashed in Death Valley National Park on July 17, 2023 releasing emulsified asphalt.
Official NPS source
National Park Service officials are investigating the death of five burros that were discovered shot and killed in Death Valley National Park
Official NPS source
Friends of the Inyo, Death Valley National Park, the Bureau of Land Management, and other conservation organizations will kick off the Latino Conservation Week celebration with an event on July 15 in Bishop, CA. “Naturaleza, Conectividad y Crédito” (“Nature, Connectivity and Credit”) is a free, bilingual event to share the best ways to access and enjoy public lands.
Official NPS sourceA 65-year-old man from the San Diego, CA area was found dead in his vehicle in Death Valley National Park on the morning of July 3, 2023. Extreme heat appears to have caused his death.
Official NPS source
Join us at a job fair in the Eastern Sierra to learn about exciting interagency career opportunities.
Official NPS source
Badwater Road reopened on May 25 after NPS employees moved dirt and rocks off the road and filled in unsafe drop-offs on road edges. “Turn around, don’t drown” during flash floods.
Official NPS source
Firefighters from the National Park Service and Southern Inyo Fire Protection District responded to a truck fire on Highway 190 just outside the east boundary of Death Valley National Park on May 17.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service (NPS) has funding from the Great American Outdoors Act to rehabilitate the water and wastewater systems at Furnace Creek and Cow Creek in 2024. The NPS is seeking public feedback on this project proposal.
Official NPS source
The National Park Service (NPS) and partners recently removed trash and dangerous chemicals left behind from an illegal marijuana grow site operation in Jail Canyon in Death Valley National Park. Jail Canyon has reopened to public visitation now that the safety closure has been lifted.
Official NPS sourceA 73-year-old man from Las Vegas, NV died in a motorcycle crash in Death Valley National Park around 10:50 am on May 6, 2023.
Official NPS sourceA woman was bitten by a bat with rabies and a coyote was struck by a car recently. Park rangers are reminding the public not to touch, handle, or feed wildlife.
Official NPS source
Death Valley National Park will join national park sites around the country in kicking off National Park Week with free entrance to the park on Saturday, April 22, 2023.
Official NPS source
The NPS will only accept credit or debit card payments for camping and entrance fees in Death Valley National Park starting June 1, 2023. This will save $40,000 in cash-handling expenses, which will be redirected to benefit the visiting public.
Official NPS source
Park rangers were dispatched to Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park around 2:30 am on the morning of March 24, 2023 to look for a woman reported missing by her companions. The woman returned around 8:20 am after hiking to a road and hitchhiking.
Official NPS source