Death Valley tourism booms as visitors flock to see once-in-a-decade 'super bloom'

By Katy Galimberti, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

March 27,2016; 9:16PM,EDT

 

 

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The once-in-a-decade "super bloom" that has put Death Valley in the spotlight over the last month has brought a renewed sense of tourism to the region.
Winter's persistent rain delivered ideal conditions for the sea of flowers to come to life in time for the spring season. The area is usually one of the hottest, driest places in North America.
Visitors from around the world have been packing the park to see the blooms. Surrounding hotels have seen a boost in reservations as well.
Desert Gold flowers create a sea of yellow along Badwater Road in Death Valley National Park. (Facebook Photo/Milliard)
At the nearby Furnace Creek Resort, reservations started spiking in January when a bloom of this magnitude was just beginning to show initial signs, according to the General Manager Dominie Lenz.
Now halfway through the peak time, traffic hasn't slowed down. Clark Davis, director of sales and marketing at the resort, told KABC it's the busiest he's seen in 10 years.
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Other hotels in the area are booked solid through April, KABC said.
But for those looking to make a trip, campgrounds at the park are on a first-come-first-serve basis. They go fast, according to park rangers, so it's best to arrive before 10 a.m.
In this Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016, photo, tourists take picture of wildflowers near Badwater Basin in Death Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The lower-elevation flowers are beginning to fade, according to the park service, but there are still opportunities to take in views of the rare flowers.
Mid-elevation flowers, like the Mojave Asters and Death Valley Monkeyflowers, started to peak around the middle of the month. Found along bumpy roads or gravel paths, the effort might be greater to find the views, but officials say it is worth the work.