Death Valley National Park 2023 Wildflower Season

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Wildflower Field Guide

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Please share your wildflower pictures, including the date and location.  We will post your photos on our Wildflower Reports page, so others can learn where and when to view the spectacular displays.  

1. E-mail your digital photos and reports to Jim@desertusa.com. Use Wildflower Report as the subject of your e-mail.  Let us know where you took the image, the date, and how you would like us to give you photo credit (first name, etc.)
   
2. Text your photos and report to 760-740-1787
   
3. Share your photos and report on DesertUSA’s Wildflowers Facebook Group.  
   

Maps and more information on where to stay and what to see in Death Valley

2023 Southern Ca. Wildflower Reports - Death Valley

Nov 21 2023 Kevin G Eccles reports: Driving through Death Valley on this Monday on Highway 190 was fairly uneventful until I entered Panamint Valley.  As I descended from Towne Pass, I thought I could see a yellow area on the valley’s west side.  As I got closer, I noticed a fairly large field of desert sunflowers.  This field is located on the north side of the road just east of the junction with what Google Maps calls Panamint Valley Road (the road that heads south to Trona).  It's nothing like a super bloom but a fairly dense field of these flowers.  FWIW, I didn't see any other species of flowers blooming in the area, and I didn't see any other fields that had wildflowers blooming.

Oct 1 2023 Death Valley NP reports: As you may have heard, Death Valley National Park got some rain in August, causing some damage to our roads...a lot of them. We received more than our average annual rainfall in a day; you can see pictures from this rain event on our socials and website (nps.gov/deva).
Since then, the park staff have been busy assessing and cleaning up roads. If you are keeping track, we have over 1,400 miles of them.

Even though we are still closed, a lot of work is going on in here. Thank you for your patience!
For the most up-to-date information on the park, visit https://www.nps.gov/deva

Sept 13 2023 Death Valley NP reports: The news we all have been waiting to hear : October 15th is our target date to provide access from the west side of the park through Lone Pine, California. When the park does reopen, visitors will be able to enter on highway CA-136 and continuing through the park on CA-190 with access to Panamint Springs, Stovepipe Wells Village, and the Furnace Creek area.

Sept 3 2023 Death Valley NP reports: Please note that the entire park is CLOSED, including all roads and entrances, due to damage caused by remnants of Hurricane Hilary. Road Conditions

 

 

May 14 2023 Daniel reports: FYI for any of your peeps in Death Valley…. Today spent hours at emigrant pass (on rd that heads to mountains at emigrant junction off 190 west of stovepipe) and had 20 plus species in peak bloom. Astounding for a first time visitor from east. Hot spot was on west side of road coming down south side of pass almost to bottom. Amazing day!

May 1 2023 Rick and Margarita report: We decided to go check out the higher elevation areas of Death Valley National Park. We drove to Shoshone, headed north to 178, and turned West. This is the road that heads into southern DVNP. 6 miles west take Furnace Cr. Road. Easily traveled dirt road. After 10 miles turn west to go to Gold Valley. We went in about 8 miles. It is still very green. Lots of Pincushion & Desert Dandelion. There is a lot of variety scattered about. Mariposa Lily, Hopsage, Chicory, Desert Trumpet, Mojave Aster, Blue Dicks, plus more. Very nice right now. I would not wait long to visit.

April 24 2023 Russ Reports: The endangered Panamint Daisy was in full and vigorous bloom on Saturday, April 22,  2023. This example was right on the side of Wildrose Canyon Road about 3/4 of the way up from Panamint Valley. There were numerous examples up on the hillside also. 

Numerous flowers blooming in Cottonwood Canyon.
These were in the upper wash. Taken on Saturday April 22

 

April 18 2023 Mary Reports: The area from the south Death Valley entrance (by Shoshone) through Salsberry and Jubilee passes is having one of the best blooms I have seen in that area.  There are yellow swaths of Coreopsis, White Steamed Blazing Stars, Golden Primroses, Brittle Bush and Desert Dandelions.  Up close there are also pinks from Desert Five Spot, Large Flowered Gilia, and Monkey Flowers and white Gravel Ghosts and Desert Stars. I even found several clumps of the elusive Lilac Sunbonnets in a wash. The photos are from that part of the park.

The Desert Five Spots are having a good year, finding several hundred of them. Desert Golds continue not having a good year. There are only a few Desert Gold blooms on the Badwater Road, and several large and fresh, but sparse, patches of them on 190 north of Furnace Creek around MM 103 and 101. Another place to checkout is the Betty Cutoff Road and Mud Canyon that have some blooms.  Emigrant Canyon is still in early spring with just a few Paintbrushes and some early annuals blooming. Photos 4/14to16/2023

 

April 17 2023 Duglas Reports: North part of the park, photos taken 4/13/23

April 11 2023 Reese Reports: All these were taken on 4/4 on the south entrance to Death Valley over Jubilee pass on 178 and down into the valley, except the Mojave Yucca which was over east of Tecopa on Old Spanish Trail Hwy Near Emigrant Pass.

March 31 2023 Text Reports: Death Valley 374 to Beatty. Many miles of early super blooms.

March 27 2023 Jessica Reports: Found 28 kinds of wildflowers in Johnson Canyon in Death Valley on 3/26/23, mostly concentrated in the washes on the alluvial fan. Notch leaf scorpionweed, popcorn flower, fiddlenecks, gravel ghost, Fremont’s phacelia, scarlet milkvetch, desert dandelion, whispering bells, little gold poppy, white fiesta flower, chia, desert five spot, and more. 

 

 

March 21 2023 Hans Reports: Came back last night from a 5 day Death Valley trip. Spent Wednesday night camped on the Johnson Canyon anvil fan and was welcomed with a wonderful evening shower. Driving down from Beatty to Furnace Creek I did not see a single road side flower, traveling south between Badwater and Sidewinder canyon I found this batch. Must say, usually I just drive by, but this year I had to stop and enjoy them.

Sidewinder Canyon had some flowers. The north facing slopes
had a good bit of green, so we’ll see what Mother Nature does. 

March 13 2023 DesertUSA Reports: No superbloom this year, but you can still find wildflowers in the washes.

Feb 23 2023 DesertUSA Reports: Rain is forecast for Friday and Saturday, which may help what is there now. 

Feb 19 2023 Death Valley Reports: Will there be a superbloom this year? The short answer - nope! Generally, superblooms are preceeded by fall/winter rains, which we did not receive. Sprouts of many wildflower species have been seen popping up on alluvial fans, in washes and around Furnace Creek Visitor Center, but we have not seen widespread germination that would indicate a superbloom.

Feb 16 2023 John Reports: Death Valley, trying to identify these two plants in the picture.

Steve Flower in question looks to be a wild begonia. Didn't know that it occurs in Death Valley but high prob that's what it is.

Bruce The purple flowers look like Phacelia Calthifolia.

Feb 13 2023 Steve Reports: We just spent the weekend in Death Valley and flowers are still pretty scarce but we did see some Brittlebush up along the entrance to Echo Canyon against the south facing wall. There appear to be a bunch of them just about to pop so hopefully the rest continue as well. No signs of anything else yet.

 

Feb 13 2023 Janet Westbrook Reports: Alas, looks like Death Valley is going to be a bust this spring.  Yesterday’s (Feb 12)  survey of my favorite places on alluvial fans and roadsides yielded nothing, no green things at all!  I did find 2 plants of Desert Sunflower, Geraea, that's one that can be spectacular, at the Ranch.  They were 15” high and blooming like crazy - which is what should be happening all over the lower levels of the park.

That says to me that it’s not going to happen.  Something isn’t right.  Maybe there was too much rain and washed the seeds too deep in the mud of the rills.  ??  Didn’t even find the cactus patch on the North Road (which opened Feb. 10).  The perennials are thriving!

Desert Holly is in full bloom, and very green Creosotes about to burst with yellow flowers. Superintendent Mike Reynolds issued a statement on Friday, Feb. 10 not to expect anything much this year except maybe midlevel plants more in April.  Mud Canyon is another favorite, but it’s still closed.  They’re just about to finish repaving the whole thing - so no plants there either. 

So what can you see?  Amazing geology in action!!  It looks like the whole North Road up to Mesquite Campground had been covered with dirt, sand, and rocks in some places 3 feet deep!  All the paved roads are open now except Mud Canyon, but most of the side dirt roads are not open - Racetrack, Titus, others suffered greatly.  

Jan 25 2023 Janet Westbrook Reports: I drove the south loop 1/17/23 - it from Stovepipe to Badwater to Shoshone to DV Junction to Stovepipe.  I saw NO green, yet.  Not even cotyledons!  But I think it will happen - all we need is some sun and warm weather, and we’ve had a week of that, so maybe.  Will there be a Super Bloom?  Still too early to tell, but for the last 2 good blooms, there were already some Desert Gold, Geraea, blooming in the rills on the Bajada.  Not yet this year… the bloom will be late, and will depend on the weather end of Jan and beginning of Feb - need water/sun/water/sun etc.  but nothing yet. 

Jan 17 2023 DesertUSA Reports: More rain in the park from the latest storm. Some road closed. More info

Jan 9 2023 Death Valley Reports: Will there be a superbloom this year? The short answer- maybe. It is still too early to predict if the storms from the summer 2022 monsoon season will lead to a showy 2023 spring bloom. Generally, superblooms are preceeded by fall/winter rains, which we did not receive. However, we have had several storms in January, so it is still possible. Right now we are anticipating an average to above average bloom this spring, but it reamins to be seen if there will be a full superbloom.

Jan 9 2023 DesertUSA Reports: Flood Watch in the AM today, rain Tuesday.

Jan 1 2023 DesertUSA Reports: Happy New Year. The outlook for the wildflower season looks okay at this point. 10% chance of rain today.

Jan 2023 Death Valley Reports: It is far too early to predict if the storms from the summer 2022 monsoon season will lead to a showy 2023 spring bloom. The late-summer rainfall helps set the stage, but additional rainfall will be needed this October-February. A La Nina weather pattern is predicted for this winter which typically results in drier-than-average winters in Death Valley.

 

 

 

 

Peak Blooming Periods for Death Valley are usually...

Mid February - Mid April at lower elevations (valley floor and alluvial fans)

* Best Areas: Jubilee Pass, Highway 190 near the Furnace Creek Inn, base of Daylight Pass * Dominant species: desert star, blazing star, desert gold, mimulus, encelia, poppies, verbena, evening primrose, phacelia, and various species of cacti (usually above the valley floor).

Early April - Early May at 2,000 to 4,000 ft. elevations

* Best areas: Panamint Mountains * Dominant species: paintbrush, Mojave desert rue, lupine, Joshua tree, bear poppy, cacti and Panamint daisies.

Late April - Early June above 4,000 ft. elevations

* Best areas: High Panamints * Dominant species: Mojave wildrose, rabbitbrush, Panamint daisies, mariposa lilies and lupine.

Books on the Death Valley area.

More on Death Valley Park

 

Wildflower field guide ebook
find the wildflowers by color - Kindle, iPads and Smart phones. $4.99

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For other state reports click on link below

Arizona| California| Nevada| New Mexico| Texas

Southern CA Wildflowers | Anza-Borrego DSP | Joshua Tree NP | Mojave NP

Back to Main Wildflower Page | Wildflower Field Guide

Mojave Desert Wildflowers book 200 color photos

Other DesertUSA Resources

Desert Plants
Wildflower Information & Hotlines
When Will The Wildflowers Bloom?

 

 

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