Badwater Basin is a salt flat in Death Valley, California, the lowest point in North America. It is dangerous to access the actual lowest point, but some organisms survive in the area. The salt crust can be deceiving, and visitors are encouraged to stand on ramps built by the Parks Service. The location is the starting point of the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile race to Mount Whitney.
Badwater Basin is a stretch of salt flats at the lowest point in North America. It can be difficult to locate the lowest point in Badwater Basin, because it moves, but it hovers about 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level. For convenience, the source from which the salt pans are named is labeled the lowest point, in part because the actual lowest point is often dangerous to access.
This area is located in Death Valley in the state of California. Along with the rest of Death Valley, Badwater Basin is very hostile to visitors. It gets extremely hot and dry, and there is little shade available and no fresh water. Visitors are at risk of heatstroke and other heat-related conditions, and it can also be simply uncomfortable to visit, due to the high heat. However, some organisms make a living in the area, including extremophile bacteria, some plants, and the Badwater slug, a very rare mollusk.
Death Valley was formed millions of years ago and Badwater Basin is all that remains of what was once a great inland sea. Over time, the dissolved salts in the water became highly concentrated, thanks to repeated cycles of evaporation and rain, and eventually all the water evaporated, leaving a crust of salt. Winter rains often form a shallow lake in Badwater Basin which inevitably evaporates in the spring and summer months, and the basin soil is covered in a honeycomb-like network created by repeated soaking and drying, with a light salt crust .
The salt crust in Badwater Basin can be deceiving, making it appear that it is safe to walk. Indeed, parts of the reservoir are covered in thick mud, which can be dangerous for hikers. For this reason, visitors to Badwater Basin are encouraged to stand on the ramps built by the Parks Service, and while they can visit the mineral-rich spring, they cannot walk into the base itself.
This location is the starting point of the Badwater Ultramarathon, a grueling foot race in which people run from Badwater Reservoir to Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. Originally, runners had to not only complete the marathon but also climb the mountain, and few people have managed to successfully complete the challenge. As permits are now required to reach the summit of Mount Whitney, the race ends at the foot of the mountain, but it is still a challenge to race 135 miles (215 kilometers) through the area’s extreme heat.
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