Death Valley is a land of extremes, holding the record for Earth's highest temperature.

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Death Valley National Park is the largest, hottest, and lowest national park in the contiguous United States. Beyond its scorching reputation, this desert landscape hides ancient geological secrets, a complex history of boom-and-bust mining, and a fragile ecosystem that relies on groundwater trapped since the last ice age.

Death Valley National Park, straddling the California-Nevada border, is a geological marvel defined by its extreme topography. It contains Badwater Basin, which sits 282 feet below sea level, marking the lowest point in North America. Just 85 miles away, Mount Whitney rises to 14,505 feet, creating the greatest elevation gradient in the contiguous United States. The region's unique landscape, characterized by salt flats, sand dunes, and 'wine glass' canyons, is the result of millions of years of tectonic activity, including the formation of grabens and parallel strike-slip faults that cause the valley floor to subside.

The park's climate is notoriously harsh. On July 10, 1913, Furnace Creek recorded a temperature of 134 °F, the highest ambient air temperature ever measured on Earth. Despite this aridity, the area supports specialized life, such as the endangered Death Valley pupfish, which survives in springs fed by a regional aquifer. This water, dating back to the Pleistocene ice ages, is currently being depleted faster than it can be recharged, a concern exacerbated by the rapid population growth of nearby cities like Las Vegas.

Human history in the valley is equally dramatic. Native groups, including the Timbisha, practiced vertical migration for thousands of years before European-Americans arrived in 1849. The valley's name originated from a lost group of gold-seekers, though only one member died. Later, the area saw a frantic mining era focused on borax, famously transported by twenty-mule teams. Today, the park serves as a protected wilderness, a dark sky park, and a site of ongoing geological study, having evolved from a national monument established in 1933 to its current status as a national park expanded in 1994.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• The world's hottest surface temperature was recorded in this sinking rift
• Why the Danakil Depression Outshines Death Valley as an Extreme Climate
• The pioneering spirit of America's hottest desert town
• The California county containing the highest and lowest points in the contiguous U.S.
• This Nevada desert pool is a deep-earth skylight that reacts to global earthquakes
• The Jurassic seascape that rose to become Europe's most striking karst landscape
• The breathtaking beauty of Crater Lake was born from a catastrophic volcanic collapse
• Why Alaska's brown bears compete in a high-stakes popularity contest before their winter sleep
• France's volcanic chain reveals the violent process of how continents break apart
• How ancient monastic communities sculpted an entire civilization into soft volcanic rock
• The vast Kalahari wilderness is a battleground between ancient traditions and modern industrial interests
• The smallest national park in the United States is also its tallest monument

More in Parks, preserves, and World Heritage Sites · More in Countries & Cities · Latest · A–Z · All topics