Death Valley is world-famous for the incredible size, shape, and exposure of these alluvial fans. At the mouth of Golden Canyon, you are standing on another alluvial fan. Here you can see evidence of how past floods have shaped this fan. Look closely at the rocks nearby, including those that you are standing on. You may notice that large boulders and cobbles have been deposited near the entrance of the canyon.
Boulders litter the entrance to Golden Canyon after a flash flood.
As the torrent slows down, the water is no longer able to carry its load of sediment, and rapidly deposits a chaotic mixture of poorly sorted debris on the alluvial fan. Farther downslope toward the valley floor, the sediment becomes progressively smaller. This site is a cooperative endeavor of the US Geological Survey Western Earth Surface Processes Team and the National Park Service .