Road Guide to Death Valley National Park, Updated Edition [Paperback]

Robert Decker (Author), Barbara Decker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2004

A guided tour of the major sights and features of fascinating Death Valley National Park. A 48 page guide with 50 color photos as well as 20 maps and drawings.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert Decker was Professor of Geophysics at Dartmouth College for 25 years; he was also Scientist-in-Charge of the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory for 5 years. Barbara Decker is a science writer who has written 15 books and many magazine articles. Barbara is the President of Double Decker Press established in 1984 to publish Road Guides to National Parks and Monuments.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Double Decker Press (January 2004)
• ISBN-10: 1888898089
• ISBN-13: 978-1888898088
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Death Valley in a Weekend, March 16, 2008

By 

Fritz R. Ward "dayhiker" (Crestline, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Road Guide to Death Valley National Park, Updated Edition (Paperback)

So, you have two days to "do" Death Valley. How do you go about it? Death Valley is huge. The main basin is 120 miles long and 5-10 miles wide. But the park also includes the Saline Valley and parts of several mountain ranges. However you plan your visit, you will be in for a lot of driving and this updated Decker guide is a good place to start.

This book has a lot going for it. Where else are you going to quickly learn about basin and range topography, and the fact that the valley floor in Death Valley continues to sink even as it fills with sediment each year? A good popular geography text would have that information, of course, but not in 48 pages and not with a scenic tour guide included. The photos are also stunning, so if you can't go right away, you can at least get this book and see what you are missing.

Centered around Furnace Creek, this book describes two driving tours: one to the north and one to the south. In the course of two days, you will manage to see the bulk of the park highlights: Scotty's Castle, Harmony Borax works, Dante's viewpoint, Salt Creek, Uhebe's crater, and many more. I particularly liked the fact that this guidebook included suggestions for short hikes along the way and an appendix listing additional trails and less frequently travelled roads. Indeed, I cannot think of any negatives with this book(let) so I am giving it 5 stars. Buy it and go enjoy one of America's premier parks.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful Guide, January 25, 2007

By 

J. Cisler (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Road Guide to Death Valley National Park, Updated Edition (Paperback)

I would recommend a guide to get the most from your Death Valley trip. We entered the park from the south, from Pahrump, where the traffic is lighter and the landscape quite fasinating. The guide was very useful and lead us to sites we might have bypassed.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inexpensive and useful, August 1, 2007

By 

Longtime editor (Behind the desk) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Road Guide to Death Valley National Park, Updated Edition (Paperback)

We have used four of the Deckers' national park road guides so far and found them all to be worthwhile--especially at their low price. The guides help ensure that you don't miss the "must see" places. This is especially useful if you have to allocate your time carefully.