Nature & Science

Panamints-from-Badwater
The snow-capped Panamint Mountains rise more than 11,000 feet above the nation's lowest elevation, -282 feet Badwater Basin.
 

Death Valley: The name is forbidding and gloomy. Yet here you can find colorful badlands, snow-covered peaks, beautiful sand dunes, rugged canyons, the driest and lowest spot in North America, and the hottest in the world.

 
Animals
A desert bighorn sheep ram faces the camera from a hillside
Learn about the many creatures which call Death Valley home.
Plants
Death Valley has over 1,000 plant species.
Death Valley has more than 1,000 described plant species ranging from ancient bristlecone pines to ephemeral spring wildflowers.
Environmental Factors
Burros in Death Valley.
Climate change, invasive species, pollution, and mining all affect Death Valley.
Natural Features & Ecosystems
Geology and more!
Geology, geography, faults, springs and water features, the Racetrack, Devil's Hole and more!
Night Sky
A night sky fills the frame, thick with stars. A wide, hazy band of light runs diagonally.
Half the park is after dark! Experience the beauty of dark night skies.
Research Permits
pupfish being picked out of a blue bucket with a small net
To apply for a scientific research and collecting permit, visit the NPS Research Permit and Reporting System website.
 

Last updated: January 22, 2026

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 579
Death Valley, CA 92328

Phone:

760 786-3200

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