I love DEVA (Death Valley National Park) but do NOT want it to ever come close to joining the top ten most visited National Parks. Check out DEVA's standing in 2019: 

http://www.salamandersociety.com/deathva...s-2019.png

I wonder how accurate the official visitor numbers for DEVA are. Does that number only include the people who actually paid or showed a pass at FC or SW, or paid at a kiosk? Or does it include an estimated number of the people who visit without doing so?

IIRC, the kiosks at the entrances were inoperative the last time I checked. And only two of the entrances even have those. Safe to say a lot of people blow by them, and don't stop by the visitor center or the SW station.

I could count on one hand the number of times I actually stopped in the visitor center, showed my pass, and got one of the colorful tags to tape in my window. (I think they stopped giving those out?) Often I entered and exited from remote roads, or at any rate did not pass through FC or SW during banker's hours, so would never have been counted. Even if I stopped at a kiosk, they had no capability of reading my pass card (how dumb was that!)

Oh, and nowadays, an increasing number of people can enter NPS units free, at least on certain days if not every day.

Here is the NPS stats report page.  Death Valley is selected and the record runs from 1933 to 2019...

Annual Park Recreation Visitation

Well if DEVA were like GRSM you wouldn't see me there. But there would be lots of good desert out of the park and the crowds.

I too wonder as Candace does about actual visitors who stop to pay. Back before I was, ahem, "senior" I'd usually try to pay but it was a chore. Even staying at SPW, the ranger station was open something like 9-4 and any self respecting hiker would not be hanging around SPW during those hours. Even if passing through FC, it would be before or after hours. I did get them a few times.

Now with my senior pass they just say hang it from the mirror. Which I do, if I remember to, but if not, meh.

And yes, the kiosks not being able to take the passes, that is sure dumb.

And how many people stay on the paved roads, vs. dirt and backcountry. I doubt DEVA will get to the numbers of GRSM, but even if they did, I expect the backcountry to still be relatively lightly used.

Having said that, I remember in 1969, my first trip to DV, we were the first people to sign the log book at Neuman cabin on Goler wash for two weeks. In 2010, we were the 4th to sign it that day at 10 in the morning.

David Bricker / SYR - O26

(2020-11-23, 07:56 PM)David_Bricker Wrote: Having said that, I remember in 1969, my first trip to DV, we were the first people to sign the log book at Neuman cabin on Goler wash for two weeks.  In 2010, we were the 4th to sign it that day at 10 in the morning.

I grew up just three hours away from DEVA in So Cal and was clueless about the park (monument) in 1969 as a junior in high school. If I had visited and fallen in love with DEVA back then my life may have taken a different course? One thing is for sure, I would not be as far behind with my bucket list of adventures to complete within DEVA. 

Speaking of cabins and visitors, The Geologists Cabin is on my bucket list to sleep overnight there some day soon. Can anyone here venture what the odds of me having it to myself are? I assume weekdays are better than weekends. 

Also I'd like to improve upon the cabin or at least clean it up a bit as my dues for sleeping there. Any suggestions on how to prepare for this?

As in the movie "Close Encounters", for years I had the USGS Death Valley National Monument topo on the wall of my office at home. I have no idea why. Something just brought me there. Back then you never saw anyone if you hoofed anywhere by foot, save for the well established routes. These days, it can be pretty surprising where you run into people. Walking into Redwall Canyon and hearing voices? Encountering someone on Winters Peak? Mosaic Canyon, wow it's busy. But still, so empty compared to so many other places.

(2020-11-25, 04:51 PM)MojaveGeek Wrote: Back then you never saw anyone if you hoofed anywhere by foot, save for the well established routes.  These days, it can be pretty surprising where you run into people. 

About six years ago after reading Steve Hall's trip report of Trellis Canyon (northeast face of Tucki Mountain) and how isolated it is being about six miles from Salt Creek across the alluvial fan and "so rarely visited" I just had to check it out myself. Trellis Canyon is isolated alright and I had mixed emotions about seeing fresh human foot prints in the sandy gravel once I reached the canyon. I was disappointed that someone had been just been there but also relieved to think that I was in good company with others who sought out the quiet isolation. I've been equally surprised to find footprints in other remote locations in DEVA.

(2020-11-24, 05:48 AM)DeathValleyDazed Wrote:

(2020-11-23, 07:56 PM)David_Bricker Wrote: Having said that, I remember in 1969, my first trip to DV, we were the first people to sign the log book at Neuman cabin on Goler wash for two weeks.  In 2010, we were the 4th to sign it that day at 10 in the morning.

I grew up just three hours away from DEVA in So Cal and was clueless about the park (monument) in 1969 as a junior in high school. If I had visited and fallen in love with DEVA back then my life may have taken a different course? One thing is for sure, I would not be as far behind with my bucket list of adventures to complete within DEVA. 

Speaking of cabins and visitors, The Geologists Cabin is on my bucket list to sleep overnight there some day soon. Can anyone here venture what the odds of me having it to myself are? I assume weekdays are better than weekends. 

Also I'd like to improve upon the cabin or at least clean it up a bit as my dues for sleeping there. Any suggestions on how to prepare for this?

Its been many many years since I made it out to Butte Valley (just once, alas). I manages to have it all to myself that time. i agree that doing it on a week day, non holiday is your best shot. Also getting there earlier in the day.

Perhaps others will have more recent status info, but it can always use a cleaning (windows, etc), and leaving non perishable food or water is a safe choice.

Last I was out at Butte Valley was April 3-4, 2019, which was a Wednesday & Thursday. Came in via Goler and ran into two trucks. Checked out an empty Geologist Cabin for a bit and then popped over a ridge to the west to setup camp. I'd never post up at a well-known destination as I don't want to deal with people showing up at my campsite. Sure enough, when I woke up in the morning and hiked to the ridgeline I could see four trucks had shown up at some point and spent the night there.

Will never understand why anyone would want to sleep in a mouse-infested cabin and potentially expose themselves to Hantavirus.