Death Valley National Park in Inyo County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Zabriskie Point
From Wasteland to Wonderland
Photographed by Craig Baker, October 28, 2020
1. Zabriskie Point Marker
Mining comes and goes with fluctuating demand for minerals, but the draw of the desert is eternal. By the 1920s borax mining activity had slowed and the Pacific Coast Borax Company began looking for other uses for its holdings in Death Valley. The elegant Furnace Creek Inn first opened for business in 1927 with great success.
In a move to preserve the frontier nature of the desert and to attract more guests to the inn, the borax company initiated the move to protect Death Valley. It became a national monument in 1933 and a national park in 1994. The transition from mining to tourism proved to be the saving grace for the mining company and Death Valley.
Christian B. Zabriskie (1864-1936) was vice president and general manager of the Pacific Coast Borax Company. He oversaw the operations in Death Valley during the transition from mining to tourism.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1927.
Location. 36° 25.197′ N, 116° 48.74′ W. Marker is in Death Valley National Park, California, in Inyo County. It can be reached from California Route 190, 3½ miles east of Badwater Road. From the parking lot, hike to the
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in California’s Sierra Nevada. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Golden Canyon Trail (approx. 1.9 miles away); Desolation Canyon (approx. 2.2 miles away); Death Valley 49ers Gateway (approx. 3 miles away); Furnace Creek Ranch, Death Valley (approx. 3.9 miles away); Old Dinah (approx. 4 miles away); 20 Mule Team Wagon Train (approx. 4 miles away); Vietnam Veterans Memorial (approx. 4 miles away); West Side Road (approx. 4.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Death Valley National Park.
More about this marker. Two additional interpretive signs nearby explain the geology of this area.
Photographed by Craig Baker, October 28, 2020
2. Zabriskie Point Marker
Photographed by Craig Baker, October 28, 2020
3. View from Zabriskie Point
Credits. This page was last revised on August 10, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 6, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 800 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 6, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
