My very first visit to Death Valley National Park was a total surprise. Whatever my preconceived ideas of this park were, they were totally wrong. I was shocked by the variety of color in this place. This was not the drab, vast wasteland I thought it was. It is a beautiful and exotic world where even the color of the sand is breathtaking and the salt formations of the Badwater Basin area appear other-worldly.

The nearby Alabama Hills also hold fascinating rock formations and colorful evenings.

This is definitely an area that should be on every photographer’s must see locations list. I will certainly be returning (but not in the heat of summer since temps can top 120 degrees!!) To see more images from this spectacular area, click here.