Other rangers stroll the grounds dressed in Roaring '20s garb, enriching the atmosphere even further. So, one could leave Death Valley believing it tells the story of how people out West conquered the elements, extracting minerals and vacation pleasures from a hostile environment. But they would be missing the natural wonder of it. Salt deposits and sand cover much of the valley floor. Most of the cliffs and canyons wear alluvial aprons, where infrequent but torrential rains have deposited rocks and soil.
Erosion works rapidly here, scrubbing gravel into sand, rounding off mountains, shifting soil.
Volcanic activity contributed to the uneven terrain, teaming with earthquakes and the intense heat of summer to fashion still more craggy landscape. The mansion known as Scotty's Castle was built in the late 1920s by Chicago insurance tycoon Albert Johnson. Scotty, a desert con man, led people to believe the castle was his. The result is another victory for people. They see beauty in the canyons, the salt flats, the dunes and the distant peaks.