Death Valley National Park, California Nov 2, 2023

Death Valley National Park, California

Stretching for miles below the desert sun, the salt flats of Badwater Basin shine in Death Valley National Park, California. This sweltering spot is the lowest point of elevation in North America, 282 feet below sea level. In this otherworldly landscape, the hardened mineral surface glistens like a mirror as the scorching heat dances upon it, creating rippling waves in the air. Composed of sodium chloride, borax, and other minerals, the flats" brittle crust conceals a treacherous mud layer beneath. For those who venture beyond the flats and up a mountainside, Dante"s View reveals a panoramic view of Badwater Basin from a height of nearly 5,500 feet. With its surreal landscapes, Death Valley National Park serves up unique beauty in the harshest of conditions.

© Jim Patterson/Tandem Stills + Motion

palette

Today in History

Nov 2, 2018Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
Nov 2, 2019A national icon
Nov 2, 2020Waiting for winter
Nov 2, 2021Day of the Dead
Nov 2, 202275th anniversary of the Spruce Goose
Nov 2, 2024National Bison Day
Nov 2, 2025Maple and bamboo forests in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 5, 2025Peña Roya beech forest, Moncayo Natural Park, Aragon, Spain
May 12, 2022International Nurses Day
Nov 5, 2021Pont Rouge
Jul 24, 2022Amelia Earhart
Jan 13, 2018Fire-damaged forest near Wolf Creek Pass, Colorado
Mar 12, 2023Lucian Blaga National Theater, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Oct 22, 2022Guilin and Lijiang River National Park, China
Jan 23, 2024Atolls in the Maldives
May 30, 2025Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee
Jan 23, 2019Celebrating Pie Day is as easy as, well…
Jul 1, 2024Canada Day
Mar 8, 2021A notorious advocate for women
Jun 23, 2019Adorable activism
Jun 12, 2023Big Bend National Parks birthday
Jan 14, 2021Summer huts in winter
Jun 9, 2018Yarn bombing in the village of Gurnard, England
Apr 5, 2019A day of death and rebirth
May 5, 2022Cinco de Mayo
Mar 23, 2018Happy World Meteorological Day
Aug 23, 2025St. Barbaras Cathedral, Kutná Hora, Czechia
Aug 25, 2021Happy anniversary to the National Park Service!
Apr 6, 2018It’s National Walk to Work Day
Oct 13, 2021Celebrating a young girl s age-old discovery
Jan 24, 2020Sunlight sets Iceland s Eyjafjallajökull aglow
Oct 20, 2019Meet the slowest flirt in the animal world
Aug 2, 2025Petroglyphs near Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Feb 29, 2024Leap day
Dec 2, 2019Wild and beautiful Alaska
Jan 13, 2023Giant kelp in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Jul 16, 2020Summertime in Alaska