This is Dante’s View. To get there you must drive out of Death Valley through the Black Mountains, then take a turnoff and drive a half hour through the hills. Along this drive you see some Ubehebe plants and old mining operations, then climb up a low mountain with some hairpin turns. At the top there is this nice parking lot and an amazing view of most of central Death Valley. It was a cold day, being the middle of winter. The air was calm as we climbed up the mountain to the top, but at the last moment you come to the crest and whammo... the wind hits you. There were about 10 cars in a lot that was built to accommodate 100. Some hardy souls and myself (not being hardy but determined) hiked a way down a ridge and close to the cliffs which descended down steeply into the valley. This spot is the best place to get the real feeling for just how unusual Death Valley is; a giant gash in the ground, surrounded by mountains, more or less devoid of life, barren and rather scary. Badwater is directly center, at the bottom of the picture. It is the lowest point in the US, 282 feet below sea level.