An arid desert region in southeastern California, Death Valley was given its name by one of 18 survivors of a party of 30 attempting in 1849 to find a shortcut to the California goldfields. Much of the valley is below sea level, and near Badwater, at 86 m (282 ft) below sea level, is the lowest point in the western hemisphere. Death Valley National Park (established as a national monument, 1933; redesignated a national park, 1994) has an area of 13,518 sq km (5,219 sq mi) and incorporates the valley and surrounding mountains.The valley is from 6 to 26 km (4 to 16 mi) wide and about 225 km (about 140 mi) long and is almost entirely enclosed by mountain ranges, volcanic in origin, bare and brilliantly colored. The Panamint Range on the west, which rises to a maximum altitude of 3,368 m (11,049 ft) at Telescope Peak, shuts out the moist Pacific winds. On the east are the peaks of the Amargosa Range.
The summer temperatures in Death Valley, one of the hottest regions known, exceed 52°C (125°F) and rarely fall below 21°C (70°F). The
National Weather Service recorded 57°C (134°F) in 1913, the highest temperature ever recorded in the United States. Average rainfall in a normal year is 50 mm (2 in). Sandstorms and dust whirlwinds of several hours' duration are common. For more information about Death Valley, visit websites http://www.nps.gov/deva/ and http://www.nps.gov/deva/Expanded.htm.
2. Mount Whitney This mountain in eastern California is a peak of the Sierra Nevada. It is the highest mountain in the 48 states of the mainland United States and has an altitude of 4,418 m (14,494 ft). Its slope is precipitous on the east, rising abruptly for 3,000 m (11,000 ft) from Owens Valley. The mountain is named in honor of Josiah Dwight Whitney, American geologist and chief of the expedition that came upon it in 1864. More information about Mount Whitney can be found in the following website http://www.nps.gov/seki/whitney.htm.
