Badwater Sunrise, Death Valley

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Snow capped Telescope Peak and mountains of the Panamint Range glow at sunrise and reflect in the pool at Badwater in Death Valley National Park. Badwater is a small spring-fed pool made undrinkable by the accumulated salts of the surrounding basin, giving it the "bad water" name. The pool does have animal and plant life, including pickleweed, aquatic insects, and the Badwater snail.

The topography of Death Valley is truly amazing. With an elevation of 282 feet (86 m) below sea level the Badwater Basin has the lowest elevation of any point in North America. The immediately adjacent Telescope Peak is 11,325 feet above the valley floor. Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous 48 states at 14,505 feet is only 84.6 miles away. This extreme elevation difference between valley floors and mountains is something that must be seen to be appreciated.