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Recovery Efforts Ongoing At Death Valley National Park

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By NPT Staff - November 5th, 2015
Clouds over Mesquite Springs CG at Death Valley/NPS

The El Nino weather pattern could bring more heavy rains to Death Valley National Park this winter. This shot was taken at the Mesquite Springs Campground on November 3/NPS

Work is continuing almost non-stop to rebuild roads in Death Valley National Park that were washed out by torrential rains last month. So far the North Highway to Ubehebe Crater and Racetrack Road have been reopened to the public, though many other popular sections remain closed.

Park Service officials say about 5 miles of the Scotty’s Castle Road/Bonnie Claire Road that accesses Scotty's Castle has been destroyed. A temporary one-lane dirt road has been graded to provide access for work crews.  South of Badwater, the road is washed out in several places within a 10-mile stretch and so remains closed until further notice.

The loop to Artists Drive remains closed due to mudflows and road damage, including missing paved road. The Twenty Mule Team Canyon Road was basically washed away. The West Side Road, meanwhile, was covered by debris as of Wednesday.

While the El Niño weather pattern could bring more flooding to Death Valley this winter, it also could bring an exceptional wildflower bloom across the park next spring.

For more on the storms that battered Death Valley, read Death Valley Storm Recovery By the Numbers.

For the latest on Death Valley road conditions, check the park's road condition Facebook page.

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