Death Valley Is Having A Rare And Magical 'Super Bloom'

...And it makes this spring the best-ever time to visit.
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But once every 10 years or so, something magical happens: The valley explodes with a rare floral "super bloom," in which its native plants literally spring to life.

Death Valley started showing signs of a super bloom in early January after heavy rains pummeled the region in fall, according to the Death Valley National Park website.

Travelers are driving in from all around to catch what some experts call a once-in-a-lifetime event, a rare chance to see an arid valley covered in brilliantly-colored flowers. According to the Los Angeles Times, it's been 11 years since Death Valley was so "full of life."

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A visitor walks through a field of Desert Gold wildflowers as they carpet Death Valley, California in a rare super bloom, March 4, 2016.
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Death Valley, one of the hottest and driest places on Earth, is carpeted with thousands of colorful wildflowers. The "super bloom" is happening this year for the first time in a decade because of three rainstorms that hit back in October, spurring on wildflower growth.
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A Desert Five-spot 'Eremalche rotundifolia' in Death Valley National Park, in Death Valley, California, March 3, 2016.
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Desert sunflowers cover the desert in the Badwater Basin area off Highway 178 in Death Valley National Park.
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A pair of visitors tip-toe through a field of Desert Sunflowers during rare 'super bloom' of wildflowers in Death Valley National Park March 4, 2016.
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Yellow wildflowers line the highway through Death Valley National Park, in Death Valley, California, March 4, 2016.
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Geraea canescens and Phacelia crenulata offer a color wash across the desert floor during rare 'super bloom' of wildflowers off Highway 190 in Death Valley National Park March 4, 2016.
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This photo shows blooming wildflower Purple Phacelia in Death Valley National Park. Patient sightseers who get out of their cars can see many more species. More than 20 species of wildflower bloom in the park at various elevations.
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The usually barren landscape around the popular Sea Level sign along Hwy 190 in Death Valley National Park is now a little more colorful thanks to a rare 'super bloom' of wildflowers March 4, 2016.

To see the super bloom for yourself, hitch a ride to eastern California, where the park straddles the state border with Nevada. Once inside, take a scenic drive to some of the park's preferred flower-viewing spots, or grab a campsite and spend a night under the desert stars. The National Park Service continually updates a Death Valley flower map to guide your journey.

Park rangers aren't sure how long this year's bloom will last, but flowers typically bloom in the park until mid-July.

Happy travels!

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