Release date:    January 27, 2026
Contact:        [email protected], 760-786-3221

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. – Death Valley National Park is seeking the public’s help to identify the individuals responsible for illegal off-road driving on Eureka Dunes in Death Valley National Park on Dec. 17. More than five miles of unauthorized vehicle tracks caused significant plant damage to rare and sensitive desert plants.

The vehicle involved is believed to be a white 2021 Toyota Tacoma with California license plates, an equipment rack in the truck bed, and a black Fox Racing® cover on the tailgate. At least two individuals were in the vehicle when it was photographed driving on the dunes.

“Eureka Dunes are a special place meant to be enjoyed on foot,” said Superintendent Mike Reynolds. “They are protected from off-road driving by both park regulations and their designation as wilderness. Please help us identify those responsible for damaging these fragile resources. Some of the plants affected grow nowhere else on earth.”

At least 74 plants were damaged or destroyed, including one Shining Milkvetch (Astragalus lentiginosus var. micans), a rare species found only on sand dunes within Death Valley National Park.

In addition, vehicle tracks passed close enough to other rare plants that the weight of the vehicle may have cause underground root damage. These include Eureka Dunes Evening Primrose (Oenothera californica ssp. eurekensis) and Eureka Valley dune grass (Swallenia alexandrae), both species endemic to the park’s dune ecosystems.

Eureka Dunes are designated as a National Natural Landmark due to their height, which rises to more than680 feet, and their status as an “ecological island” that supports plant species found nowhere else.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to report it anonymously to the National Park Service Tip Line at go.nps.gov/SubmitATip, by email at [email protected], or by calling 888-653-0009.