Badwater Basin, Salt Flats - L1

Headed to Death Valley to check out bad water basin salt flats to see if there is water. Hike around the area for 3-4 miles.

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. – A temporary lake provides a rare opportunity to kayak in the driest place in the United States: Death Valley National Park.

“You might think with no drain to the sea, that Death Valley would always have a lake,” says park ranger Abby Wines. “But this is an extremely rare event. Normally the amount of water flowing in is much less than the evaporation rate.”

Badwater Basin lies at the bottom of Death Valley. At 282 feet below sea level, it is the lowest elevation in North America. Badwater Basin is normally a dry salt flat.