Badwater Basin is the the lowest spot in the USA, at 282 feet (86m) below sea level. It’s also my last hike on my short trip to Death Valley. A sign high up on the cliffs marks sea level, and reminds you how far down you are! (The highest point in the contiguous 48 states – Mount Whitney – is only 84.6 miles (136 km) to the northwest and can be seen on a clear day from Telescope Peak and Dantes View – but not today due to haze from fires in California.)
Near the carpark and at the edge of the salts flats is a spring-fed pool – the accumulated salts of the surrounding basin make the water undrinkable. The name is thought to have come from an early explorer’s horse who refused to drink, thus giving rise to the name “bad water”.
A long, white salty “finger” stretches out from the end of the boardwalk, providing access onto the salt flat. I later read that one should stay on the boardwalk to avoid crushinng the tiny Badwater snail – but there’s no signage requesting visitors to stay off the salt, and most people are venturing onto the salt flat. Looming high above Badwater are the Black Mountains, part of the Amargosa Range – Dante’s View where I’ve just come from is almost 6,000 feet above me.
Continuous freeze–thaw and evaporation cycles have created the hexagonal honeycomb patterns of the salt pan, which stretch all the way into the distance to Panamint Mountains on the other side.
I walk as far as I can. It’s about two miles to the far end of the salt pan, below the towering Panamint Range, where the smooth salty surface ends. A bit further on is Shorty’s Well on the opposite side of the salt pan, and the starting point for a very arduous hike from -282 feet up to the Telescope Peak summit at 11,049 feet!
Accommodation near Badwater Basin
The closest accommodation to Death Valley National Park is at Panamint Springs (where I stayed) and Furnace Creek, near the Furnace Creek Visitor Centre. The Ranch at Death Valley is more affordable and offers a range of rooms, while the Inn at Death Valley has upmarket villas.
The nearest town is Beatty, which is just outside the park and has a wide range of accommodation.
Booking.comMore information on Badwater Basin
- Falcon Guide, Hiking Death Valley National Park
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