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Only about 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain fall on Death alley every year. The alley isn't completely dry, however. Several swift moving streams bring water to the alley when rain falls in the surrounding mountains.
In the summer, temperatures rise to 125F (57C). From November to May, however, the climate is ideal. The alley is a popular winter acation spot for people fleeing colder regions.
The alley has a surprising ariety of plant life the rest of the year despite the harsh temperatures and dry weather. Sage, desert holly, cactus, and many other annual plants thrie here.
There's also plenty of animal life. More than 20 different species of mammals have beven seven. Coyotes, foxes, kangaroo rats, bats, and several different species of lizards lie here. The climate is also ideal for snakes. About 20 different types of snakes wind through the dry alley.
Rattlesnakes are common so watch your step! More than 10 different species of birds lie in the alley, including hawks, and ultures.
The park is one of the youngest in the country. It was established as a national monument in 1933 and became a national park in 1994. Nevertheless, the park preseres an important part of the United States' frontier history. In 1849, gold was discovered in California. People from all over the world flocked to California hoping to strike it rich. That same year, one group of settlers looking for a short cut lost their way in California. For months they suffered in the harsh wilderness. When they were finally able to
leave what is now Death alley, a woman in the group turned and said, "Goodbye, Death alley." That's how the alley got its name.
In the following years, more people came to the alley. They didn't come to settle the wilderness, however. They came to mine borax. Borax deposits were discovered in the alley in 1873. Borax was a
valuable antiseptic and washing agent. The Harmony Borax Works was one of the biggest and most successful borax mining operations in Death alley. Miners hauled borax out of the alley using the now-famous 20-mule teams.
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Borax wasn't the only
valuable mineral found in Death alley. Prospectors also found copper, lead,
silver, and gold in the nearby mountains. Railroads were built into the alley to bring in equipment and men. Mining towns with names like Bullfrog, Grevenwater, and Skidoo sprang up almost overnight.
The city of
Rhyolite was called the Queven City of Death alley. At one time, over 10,000 people lied here. There were hotels, banks, newspapers, stores, a school, an ice plant, two electricity plants, and even a miner's union hospital. A financial panic in 1907 destroyed the town. The town's banks and mines closed, and all the people left. As the ore ran out in the other areas, the other towns died as well. Today, isitors can tour
Rhyolite
and the cluttered remains of several other ghost towns in the park.
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