The most notorious of the California deserts is Death
Valley, a deep trough about 130 miles long and six to fourteen miles
wide. In the center of the valley is Badwater, the lowest point in
the Western Hemisphere at 282 feet below sea level.
Death Valley was
named by a group of gold-seekers who struggled through the region
in 1849. Following the discovery of rich deposits of borax
in 1873, the valley became famous for its twenty-mule teams hauling
out wagon-loads of this valuable mineral. Because of its scenic,
scientific, and historical interest, the region was included within
the Death Valley National Monument in 1933.
