Death Valley National Park

A land of Extremes, Death Valley National Park spans from below sea level to snow-covered mountain peaks. Visitors enjoy colorful badlands, mountains, beautiful sand dunes, rugged canyons, and the hottest, driest spot in North America.

Five months of the year unmerciful heat dominates the park, and for the next seven the heat releases its grip only slightly. Rain rarely gets past the guardian mountains, but the little rain that does fall is the life force of the wildflowers that transform the desert into a vast garden. Wildlife has also learned to deal with the heat. Animals that live in the desert are mainly nocturnal. Once the sun sets, the temperature usually falls quickly because of the dry night air. Larger animals, such as the desert bighorn, live in the cooler higher elevations.