Death Valley National Park spans the California–Nevada border where the Mojave and Great Basin deserts meet, protecting the largest national park in the contiguous United States and a landscape of salt flats, dunes, badlands, canyons, valleys, and mountains. Known for extremes, it includes Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, and rises sharply toward high peaks that help create intense aridity and heat. Its geology preserves ancient rocks, vanished lakes, and broad mineral-rich salt pans, while specialized plants and animals endure harsh conditions. The region also holds a long human history, from Native occupation and the Timbisha to mining, tourism, and eventual national park status.