Walking Wild & Free

Badwater Basin 1

Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin 2

Badwater Basin 3

Badwater Basin 4

Badwater Basin 5

Badwater Basin 6

Badwater Basin 7

Badwater Basin 8

Badwater Basin 9

Badwater Basin 10

Stand in the lowest place in North America and explore the edge of a salt flat.

Total Distance: 0.25+ miles out & back with spurs	Elevation Gain: 27ft. (-270ft. to -280ft.)
Difficulty: Easy	0-5 Mile Difficulty: Easy
View Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars3.0	Author’s Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0
Visitor Rating: (Click to rate) [Total: 0 Average: 0]	Visitor Difficulty Rating: (Click to rate) [Total: 0 Average: 0]
Pets: In the parking lot only (no dogs on the boardwalks)	Horses: No
Best Seasons: October-May. Mornings December-April have the best views of Telescope Peak.	Special Permits: None
Water Availability: None	Overnight Options: None
Trailhead Amenities: Primitive Restroom	Crowd Factor: Crowded
Trailhead Access: 0.6
Uses:	Trail Surface:
Features:	Hazards:

Mile-by-Mile: Badwater Basin

0.0 Badwater Basin Trailhead (-270ft.). Walk either right or left to the stairs to descend down the boardwalk that goes out to the salt flats. Use care on the steps, as they are sandy. (36.229783°, -116.767435°)

0.1 Badwater Sign (-280ft.). Take your turn for a photo and read the signs nearby. Then turn to follow the boardwalk out onto the salt flats. (36.2299417°, -116.7677167°)

0.13 End of Boardwalk (-279ft.). You can continue out along the path into the salt flats as far as you want. (36.2299556°, -116.7681139°)

History & More

Badwater Basin is about 2 feet higher than the actual lowest point in North America. But it’s close enough, right?

Badwater Basin frequently has water or puddles near the boardwalk. The puddles contain quite a bit of organic life – including a species of snail only found here – despite the harsh conditions.

It’s said that “Badwater Basin” received its name when a miner tried to drink the water from the pool near the boardwalk. The water was so salty that he couldn’t drink it.

The Badwater Salt Flats are mostly made up of sodium chloride (which is just table salt), though there is also calcite, gypsum, and borax on the flats.

It’s a family tradition that we all gather around the Badwater Basin sign for a picture any time we visit. That’s included a visit when it was 120F, and we felt like we were going to fry alive, as well as more chilly winter trips.

Badwater Flats cover nearly 200 square miles on the floor of Death Valley.

Download Trail Map

Driving Directions

From the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, head south on CA-190E (a right turn if you’re coming out of the visitor center access road). After 1.3 miles, turn right onto the Badwater Road, following signs for Badwater. Drive 16.5 miles to the parking area for Badwater Basin, on right.

From Death Valley Junction, take CA-190 West 28.9 miles to the Badwater Road; turn left toward Badwater. After 16.5 miles, turn right into the Badwater Basin parking area.

From the south, drive north on the Badwater Road. Badwater Basin is on the left about 30 miles north of Ashford Junction, where the Harry Wade Road joints the Jubilee Pass Road to become the Badwater Road.