While work continues on the roads and cooler fall temperatures descend upon the region, Death Valley National Park (California) is working on opening campgrounds.
In a Modern Campground report, a record amount of rainfall prompted Death Valley to close all park roads last August.
According to a National Park Service (NPS) press release, park officials and Caltrans are making steady progress in getting flood-damaged roads back open.
The release indicated that seven storms caused a series of flash floods from late July through mid-September.
“Navigation apps are giving travelers incorrect information about road conditions in the park. Only sections of California Highway 190 are open, while Towne Pass, between Emigrant Junction and Panamint Valley on CA-190, will likely remain closed until mid-November.
In addition, NPS officials said the floods also helped the environment as they erased human impacts.
The NPS is using this natural reset as a time to implement free mandatory permits for roadside camping and backpacking in the most heavily-used areas, to prevent them from occurring again,” according to the release.
NPS road workers are focusing on clearing paved roads and are set to begin work on unpaved roads next month.
Free permits are needed for overnight camping on the park’s most popular backcountry trails and roads.
Free permits are also required for roadside camping along Echo Canyon, Hole in the Wall, Marble Canyon, and Cottonwood Canyon roads.
The same permits are required for overnight camping on the Cottonwood-Marble Canyons loop, while backpacking and roadside camping permits are not required for any other area of the park, but they are encouraged, officials said.
“The floods gave us a chance to reconsider acceptable levels of camping impacts in these popular areas,” said Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds.
“Park visitation has doubled over the past decade, which has resulted in crowding on backcountry roads adjacent to developed areas like Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells.”
Roadside camping permits are issued for nine campsites along Echo Canyon Road, six along Hole in the Wall Road, ten along Cottonwood Canyon Road, and four along Marble Canyon Road.
No camping is allowed along those roads except for a designated site permit.
All park campgrounds are first come, first served, except for Furnace Creek Campground.
This story originally appeared on Pahrump Valley Times.