15 July 2008

Oh Ranger: The Rocks Call Out

By Bob Spoelhof

What vivid images are brought to mind by the magical name ‘Death Valley.’ Most visitors expect to see sand dunes shimmering in the sun. Lizards skittering through the gravel to hide under a rock are part of the picture. Cactus plants, waiting for the time to bloom, dot the hills. These things you may have expected. What surprises most visitors is that a park called Death Valley can have such incredible beauty. The rocks—barren, striped, and multicolored—call out to be photographed. The distant mountains and gleaming salt pans demand exploration. For me, the desert is much more than I ever imagined.

My wife and I visited here for the first time five years ago after volunteering at another desert park. As a geologist, I was so struck by the evidence of very recent geologic processes that I was overwhelmed. One year later, we were volunteering in Death Valley, the place of my dreams. Then paid positions became available, and now we have been growing ever more infatuated with the desert each of the last four years.

My great love for the geology of Death Valley has led me to observe and study, trying to synthesize the complications evident in every rocky outcrop. I’ve seen that Death Valley and its geology represent much of the western United States. The wide valleys and intervening mountain ranges are typical of most of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. Seen here too are the sharply etched fault lines also evident in southern California. The geology here has elements from all the surrounding states.

While Death Valley represents the geologic landscape of the greater Southwest United States, its own unique beauty and complexity continue to intrigue me, and I hope visitors, for years to come.

Spoelhof is an interpretive park ranger at Death Valley National Park in California.

This article originally appeared in the American Park Network guide to California’s Death Valley National Park.  More information on visiting the parks is available at OhRanger.com.