Top 10 Species & Places

Death Valley Facts & Figures

Badwater, in the Death Valley basin, is considered the lowest point in North America at 85.5m (282 ft.) below sea level.
At 3367m (11,049 ft.), Telescope Peak is the highest mountain in Death Valley National Park.
Covering over 1 million hectares, Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the US outside Alaska.

Death Valley

The badlands of Golden Canyon. Death Valley National Park, USA.
© US NPS

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One of many species found within Death Valley National Park

Scorpion. Death Valley.
© US NPS

Death Valley National Park in the US states of California and Nevada is the lowest, driest and hottest valley in the country, with temperatures soaring to 46°C (115°F) in the summer months.

It doesn’t get much hotter than that ... or colder, with heavy winter snows and near-zero temperatures at night.

And with natural destinations within the park bearing such ominous names as Funeral Mountains, Coffin Peak, Hell's Gate, Starvation Canyon and Dead Man Pass, it's a wonder why anyone would want to visit.

Desert beauty

Despite its foreboding reputation, visitors will find a place of amazing beauty with many colourful rocks and canyons, pristine sand dunes, unique salt formations and even a diverse range of wildlife.

Life does thrive in the harsh desert environment, including bighorn sheep, coyote, bobcat and mountain lion, horned lizard and scorpian.

The park also boasts 1,000 plant species, such as cactus, desert holly, creosote bush, Joshua tree and bristlecone pine.

Death Valley goes solar

As part of WWF's Climate Savers initiative, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, America's largest park and resort management company, with operating concessions in Death Valley, is commited to cutting its heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions.

Xanterra has pledged to reduce its CO₂ emissions 10% below its 2000 emissions levels by 2015 - an approximate reduction of 9,308 tons of CO₂ - by using more efficient vehicles and appliances, and purchasing renewable energy.

At its operations in Death Valley National Park, Xanterra has installed one of the largest non-utility-owned renewable energy systems in the US - a one megawatt (1 MW) solar photovoltaic energy system. It also has solar-powered systems in its operations in Yellowstone and Zion national parks.