Death Valley National Park, California, USA Nov 2, 2023

Stretching for kilometres below the desert sun, the salt flats of Badwater Basin shine in Death Valley National Park, California, USA. This sweltering spot is the lowest point of elevation of North America, 86 metres below sea level. In this otherworldly landscape, the hardened, mineral surface glistens like a mirror as the scorching heat dances upon it, creating rippling waves in the air. Composed of sodium chloride, borax and other minerals, the flats" brittle crust conceals a treacherous mud layer beneath. For those who venture beyond the flats and up a mountainside, Dante"s View reveals a panoramic view of Badwater Basin from a height of nearly 1,676 metres. With its surreal landscapes, Death Valley National Park offers a truly unique experience where an odd beauty thrives despite the harshest of conditions.

© Jim Patterson/Tandem Stills + Motion

palette

Today in History

Nov 2, 2024American bison in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
Nov 2, 2025Maple and bamboo forests in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 28, 2023Container ship near a commercial port in Thailand
Feb 9, 2024Pegadung Rock, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
Aug 30, 2025Whale shark
Oct 27, 2025Thick-billed raven
Dec 19, 2024Sibiu Christmas Market, Romania
Aug 24, 2023Shark Fin Cove, California, USA
Feb 6, 2026Ra Gusela peak at Giau Pass, near Cortina dAmpezzo, Italy
Sep 19, 2023Hadrians Wall, England
Sep 20, 2023Aqueduct, Arkadia Park, Poland
Mar 26, 2024Vinh Hy Bay, Vietnam
Jan 27, 2025Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Feb 6, 2024Lake Tahoe
Jan 22, 2026Karlovy Vary, Bohemia, Czechia
Jun 16, 2025Sea turtle, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
Feb 10, 2026Es Vedrà and Es Vedranell, Ibiza, Spain
Jan 24, 2025Strokkur geyser in Iceland
May 25, 2024Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
Dec 10, 2024Lands End, Cornwall, England
Oct 1, 2023Lake Bled, Slovenia
Jun 2, 2024Ploumanach Lighthouse, France
Mar 16, 2025A kingfisher perched on a branch
Mar 2, 2025Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia
Jan 15, 2024The Eiskapelle, Bavaria, Germany
Jun 1, 2025Barrier reef off Grande Terre, New Caledonia, France
Apr 2, 2025Sandstone formations in the badlands near Caineville, Utah, United States
Sep 21, 2023Inside the Nobel Peace Centre, Oslo, Norway
Sep 23, 2024Sea otter, Alaska, USA
Oct 20, 2025Hoffmanns two-toed sloth
Jan 3, 2024Lake Minnewanka, Alberta, Canada
Feb 25, 2024Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, Canada