Trail Review: Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park
Parking: Free parking in parking lot or along road. Death Valley National Park does have a $30 entrance fee. More about the park fees HERE.
Distance: 1 mile out & back.
Badwater Basin is a popular tourist destination in Death Valley National Park. It's worth at least a short visit if you're visiting the park because of it's unique topography and because it's the lowest point in North America, coming in at 282 feet below sea level. Interestingly, the highest point in the U.S. is Mount Whitney and it's only about 85 miles from Badwater Basin.
Badwater Basin is a very flat, very large area with vast salt deposits. Because of its easy access, it attracts a lot of people so be prepared to be around crowds and to either wait for a parking spot in the parking lot or drive further down the road to park along the roadway and walk back.
From the parking lot, you'll descend down to the basin by either walking down a set of wooden stairs or using the wooden ramps. The first section is a short wooden walkway with a sign indicating the distance below sea level. This was a popular photo spot. As you go further down the walkway, it puts you out onto the salt flats.
From here you have a choice as to how far you want to go. A lot of people just stayed around the wider path close to the road. But as you go further out, the crowds thin out and so does the path. You eventually hit a point where you are no longer walking on smooth earth and it gets quite bumpy from all the salt deposits. It is very easy to trip if you're not paying attention. (I may have tripped a couple times...)
It's a very cool area and you can see for miles. It's quite a beautiful landscape and the looming mountains on the other side of the basin are a lot further away than they look. The walk out into the basin may be pretty easy, but it's a great time to soak in the view.
It's also important to note that if you are in Death Valley when it's hot (and it can get quite hot!), this hike is completely exposed. Be sure to have water on you.
We walked about half a mile out and that felt like a good distance to go. At a certain point, you've seen all that the basin has to offer. A few people went even further, most people went a lot less. It really is up to you how far you want to go.
On the way back, if you look up at the cliffs above the parking lot, you'll see a sign that indicates where sea level is. I thought that was pretty neat because it gives you a visual for just how far below sea level you actually are.
Bottom Line: A popular landmark in Death Valley that is cool to check out and does not require much time at all.
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