Death Valley targets Oct. 15 partial reopening, but Nevada entrances will remain closed

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nevada entrances to Death Valley National Park will remain closed when the park reopens — tentatively an Oct. 15 target to restore partial access.

A news release Wednesday from the park officials indicates parts of California State Route 190 (CA-190) and Death Valley National Park are shooting for the Oct. 15 date, but the only access into the park will be from Lone Pine, California.

The announcement comes as people planning vacations are asking questions on the park’s Facebook page. Two people asked Tuesday for more details on what’s happening as the park recovers.

“Hoping we don’t have to cancel our annual camping trip during Thanksgiving week,” one comment said.

The park has been fully closed since Aug. 20, when flash floods caused heavy damage as the remnants of Hurricane Hilary dumped an entire year’s rain in a single day at Death Valley. Flash floods undercut pavement and left collapsed roads across the park. Photos released just after the flood showed the severity of the damage.

The National Park Service (NPS) and Caltrans said the reopening depends on weather and the availability of materials to repair the highway. “When this section of CA-190 reopens, drivers should anticipate multiple 24-hour traffic control points where repair work is ongoing,” according to the NPS release.

“Lodging, food, and fuel will be available at Panamint Springs Resort, Stovepipe Wells Village, and The Oasis at Death Valley. Some NPS campgrounds will open at the same time,” NPS said.

The Furnace Creek Visitor Center was not mentioned in the release.

Nevada entrances to the park will remain closed on Oct. 15, NPS said. Some hiking trailheads will be available, but most secondary roads in the park will still be closed.

A Facebook post on Monday tried to explain the situation to people who don’t understand desert flooding. “This rain has even more of an impact because the ground here doesn’t absorb water like a grassy yard might. Where rich soils tend to soak up water from even heavy rains, Death Valley’s rocky soils and steep mountains shed water and send it downhill… quickly. You can see evidence of this – it is how Mosaic and Golden Canyons got carved out and how the large alluvial fans across the park were built (and continue to build and move with just an inch… or two!… of rain),” park officials said.

“Now, we have ‘alluvial fans’ that are covering some of our roads (flood debris) and small canyons are starting to get carved (missing asphalt and new ditches). But don’t worry, change is part of this ecosystem, and we are working on getting the roads ready to drive again!” the post said.

Superintendent Mike Reynolds thanked Caltrans, Federal Highway Administration and NPS staff for their hard work. “We look forward to once again welcoming back visitors. We thank everyone for their patience, especially people traveling from Las Vegas or anywhere east of the park.”

Staff members from other national parks have been brought in to assist.

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