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Death Valley National Monument & Park, from 1933 to Present (people per year)

Echo Canyon at Amargosa road to Echo Pass, early morning

Journal Entry: Day Four - December 01, Thursday Oh, what a grand day this is, preceded by a very nice evening last night. I camped about a mile off the Hidden Valley road, on the road that leads to White Top Mountain. It was absolutely quiet, there was no one else in the valley, and the sunset after dinner was magnificent enough that I had to capture it on film. Today is clear and sunny, with a few scattered and delicate clouds floating around up there, and I shall finally discover what is at the end of the White Top Mountain road, high on my list of "must visits" for many years now. The drive is clearly enjoyable, primarily class-2 roadbed, and it twists through fun and mysterious canyons. Finally, I come to an old abandoned mining operation, with roads branching off even higher, and views of Death Valley below. Up here, it's a short forest area, with stubby, but numerous trees everywhere. The natural world sings happily to me. About ten miles from the Hidden Valley road, this trip is recommended for anyone exploring the Hunter Mountain, Goldbelt Springs, Racetrack, and Teakettle Junction areas. 1933 9,970 Death Valley becomes a National Monument 1934 19,768 1935 42,061 1936 40,815 1937 48,874 1938 58,320 1939 61,301 1940 80,842 1941 100,829 1942 44,755 1943 14,374 1944 13,661 Height of World War Two 1945 31,112 1946 100,976 1947 161,953 Dad brings mom to Death Valley on his Harley 1948 162,150 1949 208,557 1950 189,045 1951 219,520 1952 296,106 1953 338,899 1954 337,900 1955 342,200 The Old Trailmaster's first visit at age four 1956 300,100 1957 333,400 1958 334,300 1959 335,700 1960 355,900 1961 397,900 1962 363,400 1963 408,100 1964 403,600 1965 453,000 My buddy Tom begins his tales of Jeeping around Ballarat 1966 437,800 1967 476,700 1968 469,600 1969 458,800 1970 580,500 1971 290,900 1972 293,999 1973 315,400 1974 368,800 1975 545,500 The Greenhorn Expeditions begin 1976 582,400 1977 620,400 1978 673,610 1979 631,152 1980 618,140 1981 630,402 1982 679,992 1983 635,582 1984 621,197 1985 576,679 1986 586,668 1987 665,345 1988 692,267 1989 664,449 1990 690,965 1991 743,608 1992 869,183 1993 998,474 1994 971,487 Death Valley becomes a National Park 1995 1,109,421 1996 1,189,215 1997 1,188,212 1998 1,177,746 1999 1,227,583 2000 1,179,094 2001 1,014,636 World Trade Center is attacked 2002 897,596 2003 890,375 2004 764,820 2005 800,113 2006 744,440 Fuel prices begin to soar 2007 704,122 Multiple factors, including fuel costs, have reduced the count in excess of half a million visitors since 1999 (a good thing if you come here for solitude, but a bad thing if you are the Park Service in need of revenue to maintain the Park). So folks, get away from your computer and take a trip in your hybrid.

 

 

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