What impact did mining have in Death Valley? Objective Students will be able to: • Express the meaning of discovery in their own words • Explore tools used in early mining within Death Valley Background Since the 1848 discovery of gold in California, Death Valley experienced over 140 years of boom and bust mining. From the 1880s to the early 1900s, mining was limited and sporadic in the Death Valley region. In the mid-1900s, open pit and strip mines became popular. Legislation and Death Valley’s changing status to a national monument and then a national park put an end to most mining activity. Duration: 60 Minutes.