Death Valley National Park

The largest national park outside of Alaska, Death Valley is an almost unfathomable place. The park’s 3.3 million acres encompass mountain-size sand dunes, below-sea-level salt flats, mysterious singing rocks, and colorful sandstone canyons. Extremes are the norm: Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in America, with summer temperatures peaking above 120° F. Also extreme are the park’s elevations: Badwater Basin rests at 282 feet below sea level while Telescope Peak soars to 11,049 feet.