Death Valley

Death Valley is a desert in California in the United States. It is known for being extremely hot in summer. It is also the lowest place in North America. Even with its harsh weather, many plants and animals live there.

Super Hot and Low

Death Valley once hit 134 degrees Fahrenheit, one of the hottest temperatures ever. The lowest spot is called Badwater Basin. It sits 282 feet below sea level. Even in the shade, summer days feel like an oven.

A map shows old lakes that once filled Death Valley.
A map shows old lakes that once filled Death Valley. (George I Smith / Wikimedia Commons)

A National Park

Death Valley is a national park that people love to visit. Visitors see sand dunes, salt flats, and colorful canyons. Coyotes, kangaroo rats, and bighorn sheep live here. In spring, wildflowers sometimes cover the ground.

Fun Facts

  • Large rocks in Death Valley seem to slide across the ground by themselves.
  • Death Valley got its name from a group of travelers stuck there in 1849.
  • The park is bigger than the state of Connecticut.

Did You Know?

The ground in Death Valley is sometimes covered in crunchy white salt left from old lakes.