With elevations ranging from 282 feet below sea level to 11,049 feet, a world-famous climate, and some of the most spectacular scenery in the North American desert, Death Valley National Park is a year-round hiker's paradise. Hundreds of miles of trails and cross-country routes lead to countless canyons, springs, and abandoned mines, most of them infrequently visited. Whether you want to stroll on salt flats, hike a lonesome canyon, climb a rugged peak, visit a remote gold mine, or simply explore the backcountry by car, this comprehensive guidebook provides dozens of destinations suited to your interests. Illustrated with original topographic maps, this book will guide you to Death Valley's most popular sites and many spectacular, out-of-the-way places, illustrating the remarkable diversity of its terrain, geology, flora, and fauna. Many of the region's historic mines, camps, and ghost towns are also described, including accounts of their fascinating and colorful past.