Death Valley National Park - California

Address:Death Valley, California
Tel: (760) 786-3200

Death Valley is a land of extremes; extreme heat, extremely old rocks (at least 1.7 billion years), extreme aridity, extreme size (it's the largest National Park in the contiguous U.S.), and extremely low elevation. Believe it or not, the enormous park is inhabited by thousands of different plants and animals who can withstand the harsh, "deadly" conditions. These include the Bighorn Sheep, Joshua Tree, and the nearly extinct Death Valley Pupfish. The park also encompasses Badlands, the lowest point in the Western hemisphere, at 282 feet below sea level.
Before it became protected, Death Valley was exploited by gold and mineral mining expeditions and, to this day, the Billie Mine operates out of the park. Check out Scotty's Castle, a two-story Spanish villa originally used as a vacation home. Today, the property is a tourist attraction exhibiting many personal belongings from the original owners' home and displaying technological advances in the region.
You could easily spend days exploring the park on foot, but if you have less time, tour the park by car or bike. There are ample camping opportunities, including a few in the scenic Panamint Valley.

This valley is also a land of subtle beauties: Morning light creeping across the eroded badlands of Zabriskie Point to strike Manly Beacon, the setting sun and lengthening shadows on the Sand Dunes at Stovepipe Wells, and the colors of myriad wildflowers on the golden hills above Harmony Borax on a warm spring day.