Water:
- Drink at least one gallon (4 liters) of water per day to replace loss from perspiration.
- Carry plenty of extra drinking water in your car.
Heat and Dehydration:
- If you feel dizzy, nauseous or get a headache, get out of the sun immediately and drink plenty of water.
- Dampen clothing to lower your body temperature.
- Heat and dehydration can kill.
Plan your visit:
- Do you have the appropriate vehicle, tires, tools, camping gear, maps, and skills for your intended route?
- Do you have enough fuel and water? If you aren’t sure, ask a ranger.
Be Prepared
- Check your rental car contract to see if you are covered should something happen to your car on an unpaved road.
- Have the necessary tools (rental cars often lack the proper tire changing tools!) and know how to use them.
Hiking:
- Do not hike in the low elevations when temperatures are hot.
Dangerous Creatures:
- Never place your hands or feet where you cannot see first.
- Rattlesnakes, scorpions or black widow spiders may be sheltered there.
Mine Hazards:
- Do not enter mine tunnels or shafts.
- Mines may be unstable, have hidden shafts, pockets of bad air and poisonous gas.
- Stay Out – Stay Alive.
Flash Floods:
- Avoid canyons during rain storms and be prepared to move to higher ground.
- While driving, be alert for water running in washes and across the road.
- Water can carry rocks and debris with it and may suddenly appear around the next curve in the roadway.
In Case of Emergency: Dial 911 from any telephone or cell phone.
However, Don’t Rely On Technology!
- Your cell phone won’t work in most of the park.
- Emergency locator beacons have a high failure rate.
- GPS devices frequently tell Death Valley visitors to turn off well-traveled roads, and take “shortcuts” over the desert and into isolated canyons.
- Common sense and good judgment are far more reliable.
Custom, Private Tours – One-Day and Multi-Day Tours of the American West.
Scheduled Day Trips to Death Valley from Las Vegas
Other Topics In This Series:
Desert Travel Tips: Death Valley Tours From Las Vegas
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