Desert Destination's Climate Patterns Make Winter the Best Time to Visit

Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, January 7, 2008 - While many people in the country will spend considerable time shivering in front of their space heaters during the next three months, visitors to Death Valley will be hiking, swimming, golfing and watching some of the most breathtaking sunsets in the world.

Winter is the most popular time of the year to visit this strange and quietly beautiful California park, particularly during the months of January and February. With 3.3 million acres, Death Valley is the largest national park in the continental U.S. Compared to other major national parks, however, it has relatively low visitation, with only 744,000 people visiting in 2006.

The park's three lodges, two RV parks and nine campgrounds provide overnight accommodations for Death Valley visitors. The majority of travelers visit the park during the months of March and April and August and September. Employees of the Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort, however, believe the months of January and February are among the best months weather-wise.

"These are the months when we see our repeat visitors," said Phil Dickinson, director of sales & marketing for Xanterra Parks & Resorts, operator of the lodges, restaurants, golf course and shops in the park. "Regular park visitors know that they can hike, golf and explore the park any time during the day, not just during the early morning hours before it gets too hot. Plus, with fewer visitors, most people find the park even more relaxed and casual than usual. We even sometimes have early wildflowers to add color to an already beautiful destination."

Death Valley's Winter Sports

A properly equipped winter sports enthusiast in Death Valley is outfitted with good hiking boots, sunscreen, hat, binoculars, camera, golf clubs, bathing suit, tennis racket, water, full tank of gas and light jacket.

Now through February, the Furnace Creek Golf Course will host a steady stream of golfers, but preferred morning tee time are still available. At 214 feet below sea level, the course is the lowest in the world. Because the golf ball does not fly as far as it does at sea level and higher elevation courses, players must adjust their club selections as well as their mental approaches. The course also features small greens, strategically placed Palm and Tamarisk trees and water on nine holes.

Even if their game is off, golfers can still feel good about playing the course. Earlier this year it was designated a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System, the educational division of Audubon International. To achieve certification, a course must demonstrate it is maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in several different areas, including water conservation and wildlife and habitat management.

At the historic and elegant Furnace Creek Inn, guests can swim and relax by the quiet pool. The pool is kept at a comfortable 82 degrees by a warm spring. Surrounded by an oasis garden, the pool offers the feeling of extreme seclusion and relaxation. Soft music is played from the poolside lounge, and a poolside fireplace offers a place for guests to ward off the relative chill of the early evening.

Hiking opportunities in Death Valley are practically unlimited for both casual and seasoned walkers. Although there are no formal trails, paths carved out by past travelers are easy to follow. The National Park Service conducts interpretive programs daily including guided walks and naturalist talks. The programs begin at the National Park Service Visitor Center next to the Furnace Creek Ranch.

Most park visitors make the 55-mile drive from Furnace Creek to Scotty's Castle to take a tour of the park's Moorish-style castle and to learn the convoluted, entertaining tale of how the castle came to be built. The story involves a secret gold mine; a millionaire and his religious, musical wife; and an utterly charming con artist.

Land of Extremes

Death Valley is a land of extreme dryness and heat as well as extreme beauty.

The park is located on the California/Nevada border, approximately 120 miles from Las Vegas and 300 miles from Los Angeles. It is the hottest, driest and lowest place in North America. Annual rainfall is about 2. 5 inches. The reason for Death Valley's extreme climate is found in its geography. There are four major mountain ranges between the Pacific Ocean and Death Valley. When winter storms move east from the Pacific Ocean, they must pass over these mountain ranges to continue east. When the rising clouds cool they produce rain or snow on the western side of these mountains. When those clouds reach the eastern side of the mountains, however, they no longer have as much moisture.

Death Valley is also one of the hottest places on earth. The highest recorded air temperature was 134 degrees - at the Furnace Creek Ranch in 1912. The summer of 1996 had 40 days with temperatures over 120 degrees and 105 days over 110 degrees. The park's depth, shape and minimal plant cover all contribute to the park's extreme temperatures.

During the winter months of 2004 and 2005, Death Valley experienced a remarkable - for Death Valley -- 6.43 inches of rain. That strange winter weather resulted in what experts called "the bloom of the century" and one of the park's most spectacular wildflower seasons in living memory. Death Valley's famous spring wildflower show can begin as early as late February, when much of the country is still frosty.

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The Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort has been welcoming guests since the 1930s. The AAA Four-Diamond-rated Furnace Creek Inn is open from mid-October through mid-May. It features 66 rooms, including two suites with a full array of amenities, fine dining, tennis courts and a spring-fed pool. Open year-round, the Furnace Creek Ranch is situated adjacent to the golf course and features 224 rooms in a casual setting, general store, spring-fed swimming pool, tennis courts, horseback riding and the Borax Museum.

For more information about facilities in Death Valley National Park or to make room reservations at in-park lodges, call toll free at 1-888-236-7916 or 1-303-297-2757 or go to www.furnacecreekresort.com.