Death Valley Badwater Basin

If you are going to take a trip to Death Valley National Park, you’re definitely going to want to make a stop at Badwater, the lowest point in North America. Badwater has an elevation of negative 282 feet (-86 meters) or 282 feet below sea level. Badwater is marked with a sign (The sign and the Badwater spring beside it are not actually the lowest point of the Badwater Basin: the true lowest point is several miles to the west over the salt flats, but can be dangerous and difficult to reach)

Badwater Basin sign

To the right of the Badwater sign is a small spring-fed pool of water that is undrinkable due to the salt content giving the point it’s name: Badwater. Even though the water is undrinkable, that doesn’t mean there isn’t life in it. The Badwater spring hosts varied plant life, aquatic insects and the Badwater snail.

Death Valley Badwater Spring

If you are a bit more adventurous, you can take a short walk out into the Badwater Basin salt flat:

Death Valley Badwater Salt Flats