Badwater basin salt flats10/11/2023 ![]() The worn down path leading out to the salt flats What the salt flats look like if you don’t walk very far out About three-quarters of a mile outĪs we headed back, we noticed that we were really the only ones at the moment venturing out to the most scenic parts of the flats. We had hoped to hike farther out, but it did feel quite hot out there so we settled for just taking some photos and appreciating it for a few minutes. As the temperatures were in the eighties, ninety at most, the day we visited, we ventured out what we guessed to be three-quarters of a mile onto the salt flats to get to where the hexagonal shapes were most photogenic (closer to the parking lot, they are darker in color (or dirtier?) and the shapes are not as pronounced). There is no trail aside from the worn down path nearest the parking lot, so hikers must be careful to keep track of where they started and bring plenty of water. The extreme temperatures of the basin cause most trips to it to be quick, but it is possible to hike five miles out onto the salt flats. There are several RV parking spots at Badwater Basin The water is viewable from a small boardwalk near the parking area. A permanent, very small pool of water does exist in the basin, but is so called “badwater” because the high salt content renders it non-potable. The surface of the basin consists mostly of a salt flat that is famous for its three-dimensional hexagonal outlines caused by changing temperatures and evaporation processes. Hence the name “basin”, and why flash floods have to be taken seriously here. Thus, it fills with water on the occasions it does rain, as the runoff from the mountains has nowhere to go. ![]() At 282 feet below sea level, the basin is fully enclosed by surrounding mountains with no drainage to bodies of water. No trip to Death Valley National Park would be complete without visiting its claim to fame – Badwater Basin – the lowest elevation point in North America.
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