Salt Creek - Death Valley National Park
This week we’re exploring a special spot located inside Death Valley National Park. Join me for a stroll along the Salt Creek Interpretive Trail.
UPDATE: The Salt Creek Interpretive Trail was badly damaged by recent storms and is currently closed. For more information on the restoration status, please visit the official NPS website here.
Salt Creek Interpretive Trail boardwalk in Death Valley
Location
While Death Valley is known for being one of the hottest and driest places on earth, you can still find a few hidden water filled oases here. Approximately 15 minutes west of Furnace Creek Visitor Center and just a mile off Hwy 190, the Salt Creek Interpretive Trail strolls along Salt Creek, which runs partially underground. However, numerous pools can be seen here year round and salt water often flows along the boardwalk trail (though it can dry to a trickle in hot dry Summer months).
Looking for pupfish along Salt Creek Interpretive Trail
Pupfish in Death Valley’s Salt Creek
Pupfish
While discovering creeks and springs hidden among the desolate Death Valley earth is special on its own, this area holds the unique distinction of being home to the endangered Death Valley pupfish. Salt Creek pupfish are one of 5 types of pupfish found inside the park. Originally named for the way they dart back-and-forth in the water like playful water puppies, these fish certainly don’t have an easy existence in the harsh Death Valley conditions. Adults only measure in at just over an inch in length with juveniles being even smaller. These tiny minnow-like fish go dormant in the hot Summer months, but if you plan a trip during their mating season in the Spring, you can often see them zigzagging and splashing in the creek water from the boardwalk trail. Watching living fossils play in the water almost gives you a look back at what this place would have been like thousands of years ago when Lake Manly covered this entire basin and the pupfish swam freely through Death Valley.
Salt Creek Interpretive Trail boardwalk in Death Valley
Salt Creek Interpretive Trail boardwalk in Death Valley
Trail
Salt Creek Interpretive Trail is a flat, gentle one mile paved and raised wooden boardwalk loop that crisscrosses and meanders along the edge of Salt Creek. Informational panels line the trail with fascinating information on this area and its history. The boardwalk is ADA, wheelchair, and stroller friendly for visitors of all ages and mobilities. There are multiple viewing benches on the boardwalk where you can sit and listen to song birds or watch for pupfish. Please be respectful of this incredibly fragile environment, and stay on the maintained boardwalk trail to protect this sensitive area of Death Valley from damage.
Salt Creek in Death Valley National Park
Know Before You Go
• The 1 mile gravel drive down Salt Creek Rd is required to reach Salt Creek Interpretive Trail. Although the dirt road is passable for most vehicles, it’s important to check current conditions before your visit (especially after a recent rain). Vault toilets can be found next to the open gravel parking lot by the trailhead.
• The best time of year to see the pupfish playing is March and April. Make sure to walk the entire path, because at times they are more scarce at the beginning of the trail…but as you continue to cross the bridges over the creek there are multiple spots where you can watch for the tiny darting shadows and groups of pupfish swimming in the shallow water.
• Even though this is a gentle short trail, it is completely exposed and hiking in Death Valley is not recommended after 10am in the brutal heat of Summer months. Always bring extra water and sun protection for any Death Valley adventure.
• While the best time of year to see pupfish is Spring, there’s plenty of other wildlife activity to be seen in this area year round along with the desert landscape of pickleweed and salt grasses.
• Please remember the Leave No Trace Principles so this spot’s natural beauty can be enjoyed for years to come.
Top 10 Death Valley Spots
Salt Creek Interpretive Trail
Mosaic Canyon
Salt Creek Interpretive Trail boardwalk in Death Valley
In Summary
Thanks so much for joining me this week in Death Valley. For a virtual visit of Salt Creek, make sure to check out my Behind the Blog YouTube video at the top of this post. You can also download my free Death Valley Travel Guide with pinpoint map locations and driving directions to some of my favorite spots here…and don’t forget to check out my full Death Valley section for detailed blog posts on some of my other favorite Death Valley spots. Until next week I hope you find adventure and encouragement wherever you go.
Salt Creek in Death Valley National Park
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About Me
I’m Dawn Marie, a travel and lifestyle blogger based out of Southern California. With in-depth articles, travel guides, and reviews on hotels & products, I seek to share my journeys to help you plan for your own. My adventures take me all over California, the western United States, and around the globe...and every Monday I post new content here, including a comprehensive blog post and YouTube video.
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Can you kayak in Death Valley? Yes! Currently the National Park Service is allowing park visitors to take kayaks and stand up paddle boards onto the historic Lake Manly, the ancient lake that has reappeared at Badwater Basin. Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for all the info you need to plan your kayaking adventure to Death Valley National Park, a perfect road trip from Los Angeles.