Natural History Wanderings

Death Valley National Park has the following new wildflower report

The bloom is definitely moving north and higher in altitude. Although there are still expansive fields of Desert Gold along the Badwater Road, many of the other flowers in this area are definitely past their peak.
My pick of the week is Highway 190. Look for the cheerful Easter egg colors of bright yellow Golden Evening Primrose and purple Notchleaf Phacelia from Furnace Creek to the East Entrance. Northwest of the Visitor Center, you will find the expansive fields of Desert Gold that Death Valley is famous for. All along the road, get out and look closer for more variety.
A nice little loop is to go up the Beatty Cutoff and down Mud Canyon, then back to Furnace Creek along Highway 190. Mud Canyon is looking fantastic, but the flowers are growing so thick there that there is nowhere to pull over. Use the wide shoulders on the Beatty Cutoff and wander a wash to look for variety.
If you have a high clearance vehicle, do a little botanizing in the mid-elevations of the Greenwater Valley to increase your species count. There are not a lot of flowers blooming here yet, but there are a lot of different species, flowers you will not find in the lower elevations. Best back road dirt road drives this week would be the Hole in the Wall Road and Echo Canyon Road. Color and diversity in both these places is fantastic. For hikers, Fall Canyon and Monarch Canyon are good bets. Happy flower hunting!