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So much rain has fallen in California’s normally bone-dry Death Valley National Park, a temporary lake formed — and it’s deep enough to kayak on, photos show.
Death Valley National Park on Facebook
So much rain has fallen in California’s normally bone-dry Death Valley National Park, a temporary lake formed — and it’s deep enough to kayak on, photos show.
National Park Service officials realized the rare — and limited-time — opportunity and opened the driest place in the U.S. to kayakers, according to a Feb. 16 news release.
“The magic ingredient this year was rain — and lots of it,” officials said in the release.
The park usually experiences about two inches of rain each year, officials said. But in the past six months, just under five inches has fallen on the valley floor, and the mountains around it received even more.
Most of the rain fell during two major events: 2.2 inches after Hurricane Hilary in August, and another 1.5 inches during the atmospheric river from Feb. 4-7, officials said.
“The lake was deep enough to kayak for a few weeks after Hurricane Hilary, but unfortunately people couldn’t come enjoy it then,” park ranger Abby Wines said in the release. “Every road in the park was damaged by flash floods, and it took two months to open the first road into the park. Now most of the main roads are open, so it’s a great time to come visit!”
The temporary body of water in Badwater Basin is known as Lake Manly, officials said. Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level.
“You might think with no drain to the sea, Death Valley would always have a lake,” Wines said. “But this is an extremely rare event. Normally the amount of water flowing in is much less than the evaporation rate.”
Officials expect the lake to stick around a couple more weeks before it evaporates, so wannabe kayakers should jump on the “extremely rare” opportunity while they can.
A few lucky folks have already made the trip and posted photos of the experience on the park’s Facebook page and on Reddit.
“After reviewing the feedback, we decided to keep the lake on Badwater Basin,” park officials said on Facebook Feb. 12. “You all seem to really like it, and honestly after the recent rain we had no choice. We are fully embracing our water era.”
Officials shared a stunning photo of snow-capped mountains reflected on the lake’s pristine surface, inspiring visitors to share their photos of the lake.
“Lake Manly has appeared again and we took advantage of the unique opportunity to kayak in the ~1.5 feet of water,” someone wrote in the r/Kayaking subreddit on Feb. 17. “It currently measures about 6 miles long and 3 miles across. We’ll see how much longer it lasts!”
They shared five photos from their kayaking trip ranging from the mountains reflecting on the water — to the dried salt on their skin and clothing from the salty water.
Even after Lake Manly is too shallow to kayak on, park rangers believe it will still reflect the mountain scenery through April, officials said.
During that time, parking lots may be full, officials said. Drivers should be cautious of soft shoulders when parking along the road and make sure they’re completely out of the driving lane.
And visitors should avoid walking on any surfaces that aren’t established pathways, as footprints along the lakeshore can last for years, officials said.
All hotels and almost all campgrounds in the park are open, and paved roads are open to almost all of the park’s most iconic features, including the temporary lake in Badwater Basin, officials said. Some secondary roads remain closed from past flood damage.
Brooke Baitinger
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