Category Archives: Photographs: Death Valley

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert

Dawn, Near Death Valley Dunes

Leave a comment

Dawn, Near Death Valley Dunes

Dawn, Near Death Valley Dunes. Death Valley National Park, California. April 4, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Dawn light on dried and cracked desert surface near Death Valley Dunes, with the Funeral Mountains in the distance. This photograph was made more or less from behind the dunes, as approached from the Stovepipe Wells direction.

Yet another “dawn behind the dunes” photograph from my April 2008 visit to the Valley. These old cracked mud formations are found in the low areas around the dunes and provide an interesting contrast to the rippled formations of the sand, especially when low angle light brings out the textures.

keywords: death valley, national park, dunes, dry, cracked, earth, mud, sand, dawn, sunrise, morning, plants, desert, sky, clouds, mountains, funeral, amargosa, california, usa, stovepipe wells, scenic, landscape, travel, stock

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert

Death Valley Dunes, Sunrise

Leave a comment

Death Valley Dunes, Sunrise

Death Valley Dunes, Sunrise. Death Valley National Park, California. April 4, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Sunrise at the Death Valley Dunes with the Funeral Mountains in the distance.

This was shot at about the same time as the photograph I posted yesterday, also right an sunrise and in a location “behind” the dunes from the perspective of the nearby highway.

keywords: sunrise, dawn, death valley, national park, dunes, sand, plants, flowers, wildflowers, funeral, mountains, amargosa, california, usa, scenic, travel, landscape, stock, usa, stovepipe, wells

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert

Flowers at Dawn, Death Valley Dunes

Leave a comment

Flowers at Dawn, Death Valley Dunes

Flowers at Dawn, Death Valley Dunes. Death Valley National Park, California. April 4, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Wildflowers in dawn light at the Death Valley Dunes with the Funeral Mountains in the distance. Photographed more or less behind the main dunes near Stovepipe Wells.

I had hiked out “behind” the dunes before sunrise, starting a bit closer to Stovepipe Wells than many may. This affords an easier route the the part of the higher part of the dunes, crossing a more level route rather than slogging across the waves of sand. The sun rose just as I came around behind the dunes.

keywords: flowers, wildflowers, yellow, blossoms, sand, dunes, death valley, national park, california, usa, nature, landscape, travel, scenic, morning, dawn, light, plants, funeral, mountains, stock

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Building Detail, Bodie

Leave a comment
Building Detail, Bodie
Building Detail, Bodie
“Building Detail, Bodie” — An old building in the Bodie ghost town.

Yes, there really is snow falling in this photo. You might be able to see it a bit if you click on the thumbnail to see the somewhat larger size. I was caught – somewhat pleasantly – by surprise when I encountered this rather cold weather at the end of May in 2006.

Update 2025: Bodie is a large ghost town east of the Sierra Nevada that is a California State park. The place is maintained in state of arrested decay — not restored to be like new, but not allowed to decay and disappear like typical ghost towns. It is located in pretty tough country — the sagebrush desert of the western edge of Basin and Range territory. It can be very hot and dry out here in the summer, but it is also one of the coldest places in the West in the winter. On this visit I caught a surprise late-season light snowfall.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (Click the title to see the full article and to comment if you are viewing it on the home page.)

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.