This is an absolute much in Death Valley. The views from the salt basin is like something out of a movie. This is one of those places it’s hard to put into words and you have to see with your own eyes. The amount of salt is crazy. This is the lowest point in Death Valley at 287 feet below sea level.

A visit to Badwater is a must when in Death Valley. Of course it's the lowest point in the US, but beyond that it's a great viewpoint looking across the valley to Telescope Peak, over 11,000 feet higher than Badwater. I find morning light to be the best from this viewpoint but any time of day would be fine. If you have time, it's worth walking out from the viewpoint onto the vast salt flat on the floor of the valley. And if you happen to be there after a big storm, you may get to see a large but shallow lake that sometimes forms on the valley floor, which can be a spectacular sight. The actual (quite small) Badwater Pool just below the viewpoint next to the parking area is interesting to see as well. There are restrooms at one end of the long parking area.

We got lucky and were able to go while there was still water here (Jan 20th, 2024). It was really mesmerizing. Most people were walking straight in and straight out, but we walked to the right of the path, and the water was more pristine. I could’ve looked at that view all day! It was really special.

This is a great place to stop. There is a parking lot and an easy ramp and stairs leading directly to the water ‘s edge. You can take your shoes off and walk right in. The water is very shallow maybe 3-4 inches, so even young ones can walk in it. There is a board walk area with information signs that are worth reading. Look behind you high up on the mountain and you will see a sign that says SEA LEVEL. At Bad Water you are literally 289 feet below sea level, and that in itself is pretty cool.

It's beautiful views everywhere you look! The layers in the rocks, the reflections in the water (when it's there), the snow on the distant mountains... really highlight the unique extremes this area is known for. Sunrise and sunset are extra special times here. I was fortunate enough to paddle on the rare, ancient Lake Manly that forms in Badwater Basin during historic rains. The salt formations are truly spectacular. Grateful that I was able to experience it at it's wettest extreme, looking forward to visiting again at its driest extreme.

This spot is definitely a "must see" in Death Valley National Park. It was fun to walk out across the salt flats to Lake Manley (probably gone by now), with snow capped mountains in the distance. I listened in on an excellent ranger program regarding the history and geology of the area.

Lake Manly is a pluvial lake located at Badwater Basin inside Death Valley National Park. About a hundred thousand years ago, the lake covered most of Death Valley with a surface area of more than a thousand square kilometers. Nowadays, the lake only forms occasionally after heavy rain but only lasts within Badwater Basin, and most of the time, it’s just a pond. Last year (August 2023), a rare tropical storm, Hurricane Hilary, hit Southern California and brought heavy rainfall, which started forming the temporary lake. In the following six months, the area continued to fill up with flood runoff from Hurricane Hilary and rainfall from several storms. During that time, the valley floor received enough rainfall so that the temporary Lake Manly became bigger and deeper enough for kayaking. My wife and I were lucky enough to experience the phenomenon. The view of the temporary Lake Manly was astonishing; it’s hard to imagine how magnificent it was when the lake covered most of Death Valley a hundred thousand years ago. Although the water level at Badwater has dropped as the review was written, and the lake may not appear again anytime soon, Death Valley is still worth visiting. The landscape is so unique that one might even feel like one is on another planet. If you come to Southern California, it is worth spending a few days there.

I hadn't been expecting dry salty pool at this national park at all. But it's surely there and it's very photogenic. To be fair, your stop here will last as long as your will to take pictures in that heat. I recommend you to check the parking lot for this place in advance. I wanted to stop at the basin during the scenic drive that I and my boyfriend were following in the app for the National Parks, but the place is marked there incorrectly. We ended up driving on a dirt road to get closer to the basin. Both we and our regular road car managed that, but there is a bit better option on how to get to the basin that I learned about later.