With a name like Death Valley, people do not expect to find the beauty and the solitude that this park delivers. It is extremely dry (don’t forget to have plenty of cold water when you visit) and hot (daytime temperatures are frequently well into the hundreds). As a matter of fact, one of the hottest temperature ever recorded on the surface of the earth was recorded here — 134 degrees Fahrenheit.

     The park is also huge (larger than the state of Rhode Island) so be sure to have enough gasoline in your car if you plan to see the majority of the park in one day.

     Death Valley features the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, Badwater, 280 feet below sea level.

Badwater

     The desert-like landscape is stark but strangely beautiful and extremely colorful.

Red Cathedral

  Another beautiful spot is Zabriskie Point.

Zabriskie Point

    Another highlight of a visit here is the home of “Death Valley Scotty,” a place known as Scotty’s Castle, an eclectic structure filled with unusual furniture and architecture.

Scotty's Castle