A Once-in-a-Decade Wildflower Superbloom Is Sweeping Across Death Valley
The famously dry national park is now covered in gold, purple, pink, and white flowers.
Rhyan Taylor, Burbank, CA/Getty Images
Contrary to its name, Death Valley National Park is incredibly alive right now. The vast desert, usually defined by its copper hues and dry landscape, is in the midst of a rare wildflower superbloom. Before now, a dramatic floral display of this magnitude hadn’t occurred in the area since 2016.
Carpets of bright yellow, orange, and purple flowers now interrupt the familiar beige palette in lower elevations on alluvial fans and foothills, creating a desert spectacle that’s equal parts unexpected and breathtaking. Famously known as the hottest place on Earth and the driest place in North America, Death Valley is experiencing superbloom status after a record rainfall (2.41 inches, to be exact) this past fall. This extra wet season is what caused the unusual bloom, and gives us the chance to see these fragile flowers thriving in one of the harshest climates.
At the end of February 2026, the National Park Service (NPS) announced Death Valley was “having an above-average bloom year.” And now, it’s official—the area is experiencing the best blooms since 2016, and NPS says many blooms haven’t even sprouted yet.
California desert superblooms happen with this perfect recipe: a winter with mild temperatures and lots of rain. NPS reported that low-elevation blooms will continue through mid- to late March, and higher elevations can expect to see them popping up from April to June. Right now, these are the current bloom locations, according to NPS:
- North Badwater Road (between State 190 and Badwater Basin)
- South Badwater Road (near Ashford Mill)
- Highway 190 (between Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek)
- Beatty Cutoff
One important rule to remember: Don’t pick. Collecting wildflowers is strictly prohibited.
Whether you’re planning a dedicated trip or simply passing through, witnessing this bloom in person is a rare chance to see Death Valley in a different, unexpected light—one that seems almost deceptively beautiful for a place named for its extremes.
