Badwater Basin

Into Badwater Basin we head next. This is the location of the much advertised lowest point in North America.

As you can see, there is parking here and lots of people. Now, the next thing to notice is on the mountain just behind the parking lot. Near the center of the image, about half way up is a small white sign. Keep looking, you'll find it. That is the location of sea level.

At my feet you can see a boardwalk. This has been installed to keep the multitudes of people from making a mess in the sometimes muddy earth below and protect them from the salt crusted soil you see between the boardwalk and the parking area.

Off to one side of the boardwalk is a stretch of salty stone with a small puddle reflecting the mountain just beyond. The angle has filled the reflection with only mountain making it appear at first glance as if there is a salt free section of rock with a hole dug in it.

With a bit of the sky reflected in the puddle here, it is clear what is happening in this photo. The salt crust is very hard and the crystals are very sharp. Walking on it will wear out your shoes quickly. Falling on it will really hurt.