Death Valley National Park in Southern California is experiencing a “superbloom” of wildflowers rarely seen.
According to the Orange County Register, the notoriously arid park is experiencing its “biggest bloom” of wildflowers in a decade.
Desert sunflowers, yellow cups, brittlebush, gravel ghosts and desert five-spot are just some of the wildflowers now in bloom in the lowest regions of the park, including the Badwater Basin at 282 feet below sea level.
Blooms are visible from Jubilee Pass, at the southern end of the park, up to Furnace Creek in the north.
This is the “best bloom year” since 2016, according to the National Park Service, stopping short of declaring this year’s expanse of blooms a “superbloom,” at least thus far. Superblooms occurred in 2016, 2005, and 1998.
More about the park’s wildflowers can be found on this page, including what’s blooming in various areas.
Death Valley isn’t on Route 66, but it’s only about a 2 1/2-hour drive from the nearest Route 66 town of Barstow. The park is a side trip for a substantial number of Mother Road travelers.
(Image of wildflowers at Death Valley National Park by Kurt Moses off the park’s website)