No trip to the area would be complete without a stop there and it is located right in the heart of the Death Valley National Park. Here is all the information. Badwater Basin is located on the south end of the park; it is in the direction you would come if you came up from the town of Baker. With only one main road that goes through the park from that direction, it is pretty hard to miss. Some signs direct you to it from Furnace Creek if you go that way as well. This area is very popular, so be sure to note that if you go on a busy weekend.
The sign near the parking lot says that the area was named Badwater because a traveler was coming through and saw that there was water for his mule to drink. However, because the water is so full of salt, the animal refused to drink it, and thus the name Badwater was born.
A little more history on the area is as follows:. At Badwater, significant rainstorms flood the valley bottom periodically, covering the salt pan with a thin sheet of standing water. Each newly-formed lake does not last long though, because the 1. This means that even a foot-deep, mile-long lake would dry up in a single year. From the parking lot, you can see the sea level sign that is located feet above you on the adjacent mountain. Hiking Itineraries Landscapes Maps. Site Map Photography Whats New?
All California Locations Deep soaking rain is essential for a desert floral display. To begin, a rainstorm of a half inch or more is needed to wash the protective coating off wildflower seeds and allow them to sprout. For plants to continue growing, rainstorms must come at evenly-spaced intervals throughout the winter and spring. Superblooms are fleeting, but they leave a lasting impression with park visitors and attract large numbers of pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.
Some of the rocks move on their own at Death Valley. Scattered across the bottom of this dry lakebed are hundreds of rocks that leave trails on the ground when they move. Some of the rocks, which weigh up to pounds, have traveled over 1, feet. For years, the source of their movement has gone unsolved, but in researchers discovered a rare combination of events that move the rocks.
When the playa floods and cold winter nights freeze the water into a thin layer of ice that then break into large floating panels as night turns into day, winds drive the rocks forward across the slippery surface, which leave trails in the soft mud below. Although scientists have discovered the secret of the moving rocks, the fascination remains the same. If you listen closely, the sands will sing to you.
Although sand dunes are only a small portion of Death Valley, the shadowed ripples and stark, graceful curves are some of the most memorable sights in the park. While Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are the easiest to visit and the only location where sand boarding is allowed, Eureka Sand Dunes are much taller -- rising over feet. At the top of the sand dunes, you can experience one of the strangest phenomena of the desert: singing sand. When the sand slides down the steep faces of high dunes, a sound like the bass note of a pipe organ or the distant drone of an airplane can be heard.
There are few other places on earth where the beautiful songs of nature call so loudly to visitors. Watch out for the roadrunner. The small roadrunner -- less than 2 feet tall and weighing about 1 pound -- has achieved international fame.
The long-legged bird was featured alongside its cartoon arch nemesis, Wile E. The roadrunner is one of hundreds of birds in the park. Birdwatchers should visit Furnace Creek where animals are attracted to the oasis for water and shade. If you listen carefully, you can hear the tiny pops of billions of tiny salt crystals expanding and contracting in the heat. The sculpted salt formations form a rugged terrain that is simultaneously delicate yet dramatic.
You can see a galaxy far, far away in the park. Are you a Star Wars fan? Ever wanted to visit Tatooine? Now you finally can. Jump in your car and wind through Artists Drive , an unbelievable area of multicolored, eroded hills. Odd beehive-like structures of the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns stand 25 feet tall and preserve the history of Death Valley in their walls.
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