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A Telephoto Shot Of A Death Valley Salt Pan In The Badwater Basin Area, Death Valley National Park

A telephoto image of an almost perfectly-round salt pan on the floor of Death Valley with a long, squiggly white line of salt connecting to the salt pan, Death Valley National Park
Rebecca Latson
Thursday, June 8, 2023

“The source of Badwater’s salts is Death Valley’s drainage system of 9,000 square miles—an area larger than New Hampshire. Rain falling on distant peaks creates floods that rush ever lower. Along the way, minerals dissolve from rocks and join the flood. Here, at the lowest elevation, floods come to rest, forming temporary lakes. As the water evaporates, minerals concentrate until only the salts remain. After thousands of years, enough salts have washed in to produce layer upon layer of salt crust.”

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The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

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