Dantes View, Death Valley National Park
The sun sets over the Panamint Mountain Range in this view from Dantes Peak in Death Valley National Park, California. The salt flats of the Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the United States, are more than 5,700 feet below this point.

Racing Rocks, Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park
Five small boulders seem to race across the dried, cracked lakebed of the Racetrack Playa, located in Death Valley National Park, California. There are differing theories as to why these rocks move, though one suggests that occasional rain makes the playa slick allowing strong winds that are common in the area to push the rocks around.

Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park, California
Five medium-size rocks seem to race across the Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park, California. Some scientists believe occasional rains make the playa slick enough for strong winds to be able to push the rocks.

Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California
Tens of thousands of tourists scramble up the Death Valley National Park sand dunes, located near Stovepipe Wells. These wind-blown dunes are the most popular with tourists, but actually are smaller than the Eureka Dunes, also located in the California park.

Eroding Wall, Death Valley National Park, California
Several colorful layers of sandstone are visible in this Death Valley hillside near Panamint Springs, California.

Cirrus Clouds Framed by Arch, Death Valley, California
Thin wispy cirrus clouds are framed by the top of Natural Bridge, located in Death Valley National Park, California.

Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park
An early spring sunrise colors the cirrus clouds floating above Death Valley National Park, California, in this view from Zabriskie Point.

Cactus Growing In Canyon Wall, Darwin Hills
A cactus grows in a crack in the canyon wall of the Darwin Hills, located in Death Valley National Park, California.

Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, California
At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, California, is the lowest point in the United States. There's little water in Badwater. Water and melting snow eventually end up in the basin, dissolving minerals in the rocks as it goes. Once on the hot valley floor, the water quickly evaporates, leaving behind salt, borax and calcite.

Saratoga Springs, Death Valley National Park, California
An early spring sunset lights up the sky above Saratoga Springs, a unique lush portion of Death Valley, California. The perennial ponds are fed by groundwater from the Amargosa Valley, which encompasses parts of California and Nevada. Death Valley is the driest location in the United States, and the ponds support wildlife, including several types of birds and a rare pupfish.

Desert Fivespot, Closed
A Desert Fivespot (Malvastrum rotundifolium), found near Saratoga Springs in Death Valley National Park, California, waits to open. Desert Fivespots have a dark red spot at the base of each of their five petals.

Desert Fivespot, Open
A Desert Fivespot (Malvastrum rotundifolium) opens its petals, revealing its stamen and five spots. This Desert Fivespot was found near Saratoga Springs in Death Valley National Park, California.

Tobacco Weed, Death Valley National Park, California
Bright white Tobacco Weed (Atrichoseris platyphylla) stands against a field of blooming gold and violet wildflowers in the Furnace Creek Wash in Death Valley National Park, California.

Darwin Falls, Death Valley National Park, California
Darwin Falls is a rare waterfall in Death Valley National Park—the driest spot in the United States. The waterfall, which is about 20 feet tall, collects the rare rain and melting snow from the peaks west of the desert.

Darwin Falls, Death Valley National Park, California
It's rare to find any water in Death Valley, California, let alone a lush waterfall that drops about 20 feet. Darwin Falls, viewed from above in this image, is the outlet for rain and melting snow from nearby peaks.