Truck damages Death Valley sand dunes; rare plants destroyed
California’s Death Valley is world-famous for its record heat, flash flooding, “superblooms” and even a temporary lake.
It’s also become known for grievous acts of vandalism, especially in the last decade. The latest act came in December when a truck made an illegal off-road driving trip through the Eureka Dunes in the northern part of the national park.
At least 74 rare and sensitive desert plants were damaged or destroyed during the trip, the National Park Service said in a statement released Tuesday. One plant was the shining milk vetch, a rare species found only on sand dunes within the park.
Park rangers are asking for the public’s help in identifying the truck and those responsible for the illegal trip on Dec. 17. The vehicle involved is a white 2021 Toyota Tacoma with California license plates, an equipment rack in the truck bed and a black Fox Racing cover on the tailgate. At least two people were in the vehicle when it was photographed driving on the dunes, rangers said.
More than five miles of vehicle tracks caused significant damage to the plants.
In addition, vehicle tracks passed close enough to other rare plants that the weight of the vehicle may have caused underground root damage, officials said. These include the Eureka Dunes evening primrose and Eureka Valley dune grass, both species endemic to the park’s dune ecosystems.
Eureka Dunes are designated as a “National Natural Landmark” because of their height, which rises to nearly 700 feet, and their status as an “ecological island” that supports unique plant species.
“Eureka Dunes are a special place meant to be enjoyed on foot,” Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in the statement. “They are protected from off-road driving by both park regulations and their designation as wilderness.”
Anyone with information about the vandalism may report it anonymously to the National Park Service tip line at go.nps.gov/SubmitATip, by email at nps_isb@nps.gov, or by calling 888-653-0009.
Past vandalism events
January 2025: A driver damaged rare plant species on the Eureka Dunes.
April 2024: A 113-year-old salt tram tower was pulled down by a park visitor who was trying to free a vehicle that was stuck in the mud.
February 2019: The park suffered some damage during the government shutdown, including restrooms overflowing with trash and splashed with waste.
December 2017: A group of people trespassed and vandalized the home of the endangered Devils Hole pupfish. In April 2016, three men were caught on a security camera jumping the habitat’s fence and shooting up government security equipment.
October 2017: Unknown vandals scratched letters and symbols as large as 20 feet high and 40 feet across into the mud bottom of Ubehebe Crater.
March 2017: Someone abandoned an old van off-road at Badwater Basin. The van left dark brown tire marks across the salt pan.
February 2017: Fossilized animal tracks were stolen from an undisclosed area within the 3.4 million-acre park.
September 2016: A motorist defaced Racetrack Playa, a remote dry lake bed famous for its mysterious moving stones. Two years later, volunteers helped repair more than 500 feet of the tire tracks that scarred the playa.
Contact Mark Davis at mdavis@reviewjournal.com.
