Death Valley

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Death Valley is a valley in the U.S. state of California. It is a desert, and it is southeast of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Death Valley is a part of the Mojave Desert. It is the most important part of Death Valley National Park.

Badwater is a place in Death Valley. It is the lowest place in North America. It is 282 feet (86 m) below sea level.

Death Valley can be very hot or very cold. In the summer, the temperature can be 130°F (54°C). In the winter, it can be less than 32°F (0°C). On July 10, 1913, it was 134°F (57°C), which is the hottest recorded temperature in the United States.

Death Valley is very dry. There is less than 2 inches (50 mm) of rain every year. Even though the valley is very dry, it sometimes has floods. In August 2004 there was a very bad flood, and the park had to be closed.

Thousands of years ago, Death Valley was a lake. Geologists (scientists who study the Earth) call it Lake Manly. Today, Death Valley still has much water deep under the ground.

Death Valley was named in 1849. Miners and settlers tried to travel across the valley during the California Gold Rush. Many people died because it was so hot and dry. It has very little water because the water evaporates, or disappears in the clouds, before it can touch the ground. This also happens because it is very far under sea level, and the water would have to travel for at least 60 minutes.