Badwater Basin Badwater Basin is an endorheic basin in Death Valley National Park, Death Valley, Inyo County, California, noted as the lowest point in North America, with a depth of 282 ft below sea level. Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous 48 United States, is only 84.6 miles to the northw… periodically floods, then dries and evaporates. This smooths out the salt pan into a salt flat. The Devil’s Golf Course area of the salt pan, sits several feet above flood level.Badwater Basin
Badwater Basin. The site itself consists of a small spring -fed pool of "bad water" next to the road in a sink; the accumulated salts of the surrounding basin make it undrinkable, thus giving it the name. The pool does have animal and plant life, including pickleweed, aquatic insects, and the Badwater snail .
Essentially, the salt flats of Badwater Basin are just leftover salt from evaporated water. When heavy storms occur (and they do!), the water forms temporary lakes, which then evaporate! This has happened for thousands (upon thousands) of years, creating this spectacular scene for us all to enjoy!
/ 36.25028°N 116.82583°W / 36.25028; -116.82583 / 36.25028°N 116.82583°W / 36.25028; -116.82583 Badwater Basin is an endorheic basin in Death Valley National Park, Death Valley, Inyo County, California, noted as the lowest point in North America and the United States, with a depth of 282 ft (86 m) below sea level.
When the basin is flooded, some of the salt is dissolved; it is redeposited as clean crystals when the water evaporates. A popular site for tourists is the sign marking "sea level" on the cliff above the Badwater Basin.
Despite this high salinity, many organisms not only survive, but thrive here. The pool is home to an endemic snail naturally found only at this location, and its rim is dotted with salt tolerant plants, including pickleweed.
Devils Golf Course received its name after a 1934 NPS Death Valley guidebook said, “only the devil could play golf” on this harsh terrain, and the name stuck. The salt pan we see today was once the site of Lake Manly, which is believed to have reached depths of over 600 feet at one time.
The site itself consists of a small spring-fed pool of "bad water" next to the road in a sink; the accumulated salts of the surrounding basin make it undrinkable, thus giving it the name. The pool does have animal and plant life, including pickleweed, aquatic insects, and the Badwater snail.
The source of Badwater's salts is Death Valley's drainage system of 9,000 square miles—an area larger than New Hampshire. Rain falling on distant peaks creates floods that rush ever lower. Along the way, minerals dissolve from rocks and join the flood.
Once covered by a lake, the water evaporated some 2,000 years ago, leaving behind a 1,000 foot-layer of salt and minerals. Part of an extensive salt pan, the Devil's Golf Course was created over many years as water occasionally rises up through the salt bed and reshapes the formations.
The salt flats in Death Valley are located in the south end of the national park, along Badwater Road. They're about 20 minutes south of Furnace Creek (the main park hub), so definitely don't miss them!
Badwater Basin has a small natural pool of undrinkable water next to the road. The water comes from a spring. It is called 'Badwater' because people cannot drink the water....Badwater BasinPrimary inflowsAmargosa RiverPrimary outflowsTerminal (evaporation)Basin countriesUnited StatesSettlementsBadwater, California6 more rows
After millions of years of slow sediment deposits had laid down the foundation materials, and violent periods of volcanism and tectonic shifting had added to and shaped them, the primary landscape of Badwater Basin had been established.
“Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park is the lowest point in North America, with an elevation of 282 ft below sea level. At Badwater, significant rainstorms flood the valley bottom periodically, covering the salt pan with a thin sheet of standing water.
At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America. Here's the kicker, it is still sinking! Badwater Basin is located along the Southern Death Valley Fault. Normal (vertical) movement of this fault results in an uplift of the Black Mountains to the east and a dropping of the valley floor.
Tucked away in Death Valley National Park, in California, the road to Badwater Basin is totally paved. It's called Badwater Road (CA 178). Starting at Furnace Creek (on CA-190), the drive is 15.5 miles (24.94km) long.
Why is it called Death Valley? Death Valley was given its forbidding name by a group of pioneers lost here in the winter of 1849-1850. Even though, as far as we know, only one of the group died here, they all assumed that this valley would be their grave.
At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America. Here's the kicker, it is still sinking! Badwater Basin is located along the Southern Death Valley Fault. Normal (vertical) movement of this fault results in an uplift of the Black Mountains to the east and a dropping of the valley floor.
Badwater Basin can be viewed from your vehicle in the parking area. Many visitors hike out onto the salt flat. There is no designated trail, but we advise visitors to choose a path where others have already walked to minimize damage. Badwater Basin is also a nice spot for night sky viewing and photography.
Why so Hot? The depth and shape of Death Valley influence its summer temperatures. The valley is a long, narrow basin 282 feet (86 m) below sea level, yet is walled by high, steep mountain ranges. The clear, dry air and sparse plant cover allow sunlight to heat the desert surface.
Our next stop for the day: Badwater Basin, home of the lowest point in the United States at 282 feet below sea level. It is also purportedly the record holder for highest temperature ever recorded–134 degrees Fahrenheit in 1913; however, further investigation into this claim has led weather experts to believe it’s not true.
Death Valley National Park Map: This map was crucial to all our adventure in Death Valley National Park and it’s highly recommend that you take it, along with a compass (and knowledge of how to use them) on any hike in the park.
Overall Grade: A+. Diversity galore and landscapes unlike anything we’d ever experienced or probably ever will again!
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The current best understanding of the area's geological history is that the entire region between the Colorado River in the east and Baja California in the southwest (and bordered by various uplifts and mountains around the west-northwest-northern perimeters) has seen numerous cycles since at least the start of the Pleistocene (and perhaps up to 3 Ma) of pluvial lakes of varying size in a complex cycle mainly tied to changing climate patterns (particularly, glaciation during the numerous recent Ice Age cycles ), but also influenced by the progressive depositing of alluvial plains and deltas by the Colorado River (cf. Salton Sea ), alternating with periodic water body breakthroughs and rearrangements due to erosion and the proximity of the San Andreas Fault. This has resulted in a high number of evaporating and reforming endorheic lakes throughout the Quaternary Period in the area, with an intertwined history of various larger bodies of water subsuming smaller ones during water table maxima and the subsequent splitting and disappearance thereof during the evaporative part of the cycles. Although these local cycles are now somewhat modified by human presence, their legacy persists; despite appearances much to the contrary, Death Valley actually sits atop one of the largest aquifers in the world.
The pool is not the lowest point of the basin: the lowest point (which is only slightly lower) is several miles to the west and varies in position, depending on rainfall and evaporation patterns.
The Devil’s Golf Course is located on Salt Pool Road which is just off of Badwater Road; around halfway between Furnace Creek and Badwater. It’s really accessible and fully sign-post so you won’t have any problems finding it.
Death Valley might be the desert that you expect it to be (and it is 40 degrees C!!) however formed over thousands of years the geology in the National Park is certainly something that will keep you interested.
The Death Valley saltpan is one of the largest protected saltpans in North America. Salt continues to be deposited by recurring floods that occasionally submerge the lowest parts of the valley floor. Delicate salt formations are hidden among the harsh and rigid spires. Close inspect may reveal the tiny salt structures.
Once you have parked up you’ll need to pluck up the courage to leave the comfort of your air conditioning and expose yourself to the dry desert heat. The landscape here stretches to the horizon and is extremely unique and certainly nothing like you would expect or will have likely ever seen before.
Death Valley National Park has many areas of interest however as a desert there are very few things to actually ‘do’. Heading here is more a case of taking in the dramatic landscapes and appreciating the unique geology the surrounds you.