Death Valley is full of extremes. It's one of the lowest places in the world (282 feet below sea level), yet it's surrounded by some of the tallest mountains in the continental US (some are over 11,000 feet). The mountains were freezing and snowy, while the valley was sandy, warm and DRY. These extremes create amazing scenery. Sometimes I wish I had a nicer camera, because my little point-and-shoot just can't do the landscape justice.

 

Also, the park is enormous! It just keeps going. I could easily spend 2 weeks here hiking, climbing, canyoning and learning about the valley's geography and history (both are surprisingly interesting).

 

It took about 5 hours to drive to the edge of the park, so not too bad of a drive, but getting to the center adds another couple hours to your drive. Although they're no where near as impressive at the real deal, check out my pics to get a feel for the park. I'd love to go back... but there's so many more places that I still need to visit!