Death Valley
Death Valley National Park runs along the border between eastern California and western Nevada and is the largest US National Park outside of Alaska. Death Valley itself is the lowest, driest, and hottest place in North America. Despite its name and its harsh conditions, Death Valley is anything but dead. More than 1000 kinds of plants live within the park, as do a variety of wildlife, including native mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and butterflies. The Timbisha Shoshone Indians have lived here for centuries and continue to inhabit part of Death Valley. The Valley received its English name during the California Gold Rush, named by prospectors who sought to cross the valley on their way to the gold fields.
