Archaeology of Wildrose Canyon, Death Valley National Monument

Abstract

Wildrose Canyon, the site of the summer headquarters of the National Park Service for Death Valley National Monument, is on the west side of the Panamint Range in eastern California. The canyon, which runs in a roughly east-west direction, is about 13 miles long. Structurally, its width widens from its mouth where it measures less than 1/4 of a mile inland to a maximum of 11/2 miles and then narrows again in its upper reaches. There is a general upslope of the valley floor from about 4000 to over 8000 feet in elevation.The valley is flanked on either side with rugged mountains which rise steeply above its floor. Their sides are furrowed with many gulches and narrow canyons and the lower slopes are piled high with rock debris. The uneven valley floor is covered with boulders, gravel, sand, and silt washed down from the surrounding heights. Branch canyons extend back into the mountains at many points, dwindling to narrow gorges in their upper reaches.