You are entering the hottest, driest, lowest spot in North America. Despite its forbidding image, Death Valley is a mecca for nature lovers of all kinds. For geologists, this region is unsurpassed in beauty and complexity. The forces that raised majestic mountain ranges and dropped the valley floor between them are still in action today.
The story of Death Valley is dominated by its geology. Its harsh desert climate results from a rain shadow effect created by mountains uplifted to the west. A unique flora and fauna are adapted to its deep, fault-dropped valleys. The extreme conditions here have attracted hardy, adaptable, and sometimes eccentric, human inhabitants. We invite you to share this fascinating desert environment with us.