There is a place way out in the backcountry of Death Valley National Park called Marble Bath. Actually, it is two places.
Why there are two Marble Baths is a bit of a story. The real Marble Bath is a narrow marble canyon that contains some potholes (also called tinajas or water caches) that usually hold water long after it rains. These are the only semi-reliable sources of water for many miles in an otherwise very arid stretch of desert. They don’t call this Death Valley for nothin’, ya’ know.
The presence of water here meant it was a required stop for early travelers, prospectors, and, most especially, Native Americans. These people left their mark on the slick marble walls of the canyon as well. Hundreds of petroglyphs and pictographs cover the cool marble walls with their intriguing designs. It is an amazing little site.
Marble Bath pictographs and historical inscriptions
