Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, California, is the lowest point in North America, sitting at 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level. It is a vast salt flat where the heat can be extreme, often exceeding 120°F (49°C). The basin gets its name from a small pool of 'bad' water that is undrinkable due to its high salinity. A fascinating geographical fact is that Badwater Basin is located only about 85 miles (137 km) away from Mount Whitney, which is the highest point in the contiguous United States (14,505 feet). This proximity between the lowest and highest points in the nation is a result of the Basin and Range province's unique geological stretching of the Earth's crust.