Death Valley is a desert valley located in eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below sea level. This point is only 84.6 miles ESE of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States with an elevation of 14,505 feet. Death Valley holds the record for the highest reliably reported temperature in the world, 134 °F at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913. Death Valley has some of the best geology of the area, which makes it a very picturesque site.

Just outside of Death Valley is the ghost town of Rhyolyte, which is one of the best ghost towns in Nevada. Rhyolyte reached its peak population sometime around 1907 with approximately 10,000 people living in the rapidly growing town. A number of impressive buildings were built including a three story bank, a large mercantile store, and fourty-five saloons. It even had three public swimming pools. However, the financial panic of 1907 began the end of the town as investors from the east withdrew their backing and all the mines were forced to close. By 1908, people were fleeing from the town, and by 1909 the population was well below 1000. The last resident died in 1924. As you can see from the gallery, some of the structures are still quite photogenic. A few of the pictures in the gallery are from Death Valley, which is not too far away from Rhyolyte. Check out this area if you ever get to Nevada!