The Salt Creek Boardwalk, destroyed by a flash flood two years ago, will be rebuilt/NPS

The Salt Creek Boardwalk that was destroyed by a flash flood two years ago in Death Valley National Park will be rebuilt, the park has announced.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will put the project out to bid. All public access to the site will be closed during construction, which is planned for fall 2024 through spring 2025. Salt Creek Road is located 13 miles west of Furnace Creek on CA-190.

For decades, people enjoyed viewing Salt Creek pupfish (Cyprinodon salinus salinus) from the boardwalk, one of the park’s few wheelchair-accessible trails. The boardwalk prevented people from trampling the creek, which is this fish’s only habitat.  

A flash flood in August 2022 destroyed the boardwalk and vault toilet. The parking lot and road were further damaged during the remnants of Hurricane Hilary in 2023.  

The Salt Creek Boardwalk project will replace the raised boardwalk, reconstruct the road and parking area, and install a new restroom at a reconfigured trailhead. The project is funded by FHWA’s Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO) program and Federal Lands Transportation Program (FLTP), NPS Disaster Supplemental, and donations from Death Valley Natural History Association.

Design overview of the new boardwalk/FHWA