A broken, orange ridge at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, CA
About this photograph
- Creator
- Margery H. Freeman
- Date created
- Unknown
- Location
- Death Valley, California
- License
- This photograph copyright ©2009. All Rights Reserved
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- Search LEARN NC for arid, badlands, badwater, California, Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, deserts, dry, erosion, lowest point, mountains, national parks, rainshadow, Sierra Nevada, Telescope Peak, valleys, and Zabriskie Point.
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The view from Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, California. A jagged stone mountain ridge zigzags across the landscape, lit sharply by afternoon sun. The stone is a rich, rust orange. Zabriskie Point is well-known for its outstanding views of the eroded valley below. It is a popular spot to view the sunrise and sunset. The point is a short walk from the parking area.
Death Valley National Park is located east of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. It is home to the lowest point in North America at Badwater, which is 282 feet below sea level, but also encompasses parts of several mountain ranges. Its highest point is Telescope Peak, at 11,049 feet. Located in an rainshadow exaggerated by the presence of four major mountain ranges between it and the ocean, Death Valley receives less than two inches of rainfall a year and is famous as one of the hottest and driest place in North America. Summer temperatures often hover around 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
