Historic Saline Valley salt tram tower pulled down

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. – The National Park Service is seeking information about recent damage to a historic salt tram tower in Saline Valley. It appears the 113-year-old tower was pulled over while a person used a winch to extract their vehicle out of deep mud. The damage happened sometime between April 1 and April 24.

“I have hiked along sections of this tramway, and am amazed by the tenacity it took to build,” said Superintendent Mike Reynolds. “I hope the person responsible for this damage will contact us so we can discuss restitution.”

The Saline Valley Salt Company built the 13-mile aerial tram to transport salt from Saline Valley to Owens Valley in 1911. The tramway climbed over 7,000 vertical feet at steep vertical grades up to 40 degrees.

The Saline Valley Salt Tram is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is considered nationally significant because of its age, length, steepness, preservation, and scenic setting.

Only the first four towers are within Death Valley National Park. Most of the tramway crosses lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Tram tower #1 is the tower closest to Saline Valley lakebed. Nearby tracks show that a vehicle drove a short distance off the legal roadway and got stuck in mud. Park rangers believe that someone used the nearby tower as an anchor to pull their vehicle out of the mud. The tower toppled over, pulling its concrete footings out of the ground.

The NPS already had a salt tram stabilization project planned before this damage happened, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. The project manager has not determined if that funding can be used to re-anchor tower # 1.

Park rangers ask that anyone with information on this incident contact the NPS-wide tip line at 888-653-0009 or go.nps.gov/SubmitATip.