Road to popular Death Valley attraction Artists Palette to close for 3 months
A popular loop road through colored rock formations in Death Valley National Park will be closed for repairs for three months starting Monday, the Park Service announced Tuesday.
Artists Drive was damaged by flooding in October 2015, but temporary repairs allowed it to reopen a few weeks later.
After the closure, workers will rebuild and repave portions of the scenic, one-way loop about 130 miles west of Las Vegas under a project funded by the Federal Highway Administration and slated to last through March 15.
Park spokeswoman Abby Wines said the entire area, including Artists Palette, will be closed to motorists and hikers until the work is finished.
“We considered allowing the public to hike into Artists Palette, but the terrain in that area is so rough,” Wines said in a written statement. “Hikers would likely end up walking adjacent to the road, where they could get hit by equipment coming around blind curves.”
The 9-mile road through an eroded landscape of pastel volcanic rock and ash is one of the Death Valley’s most popular attractions.
The Park Service also plans to close Harmony Borax Works, the site of an 1880s mining operation, for a week or two early this year to allow for trail repairs. The dates of that closure have not yet been announced.
Contact Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @RefriedBrean on Twitter.