Death Valley events planned to celebrate the great outdoors

If you needed any more reason to get out there and enjoy what nature has to offer, a pair of special days are coming up to celebrate just that.

National Trails Day on Saturday, and National Get Outdoors Day, June 13, will take place at locations across the country, including at Death Valley National Park.

People are encouraged to “Find Their Park” as part of the two events, and get out there and enjoy the great outdoors.

Find Your Park is a public awareness and education campaign, celebrating the milestone centennial anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016.

The initiative urges people to find their own personal connections within the network of national parks and public lands.

Despite Death Valley being known for its scorching temperatures, the park has several places where you can stay cool and still enjoy the benefits of the area.

Telescope Peak presents views of both Death Valley and Panamint Valley, while Dante’s View offers spectacular vistas of the Badwater salt flats and beyond. Scotty’s Castle is around 10 degrees cooler than Furnace Creek.

With temperatures reaching their peak at midday, especially at lower elevations, those who are enjoying the Death Valley area are cautioned to limit their time outdoors and drink plenty of water.

National Get Outdoors Day is sponsored by the American Hiking Association, and includes organized events that will take place in every state across the country. Activities included are hiking, biking, paddling trips, bird watching and horseback rides among a slew of others.

For more information go to nationaltrailsday.org, or go to www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org to find active outdoor events at sites in the area.

To help plan your trip to Death Valley National Park, go to www.nps.gov/deva, or call 760-786-3200 for more information.