Charcoal Kilns

Highest point in the park at 11,049 feet. The trailhead to the summit starts at the Mahagony Flats campground and is 12.5 mi round-trip with 3200 ft of elevation gain.

A bizarre landscape consisting of a vast field of salt crystals. Please admire these carefully! A slight touch can break the crystals, which often take years to re-form.

At 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in North America is a surreal landscape of vast salt flats. A boardwalk and signs provide info on the local environment, and a trail leads out onto the salt flats. As it is a dry lake bed and a low point, a temporary lake may form after heavy rainstorms.

Because it is not marked from the road, and not well marked on the map, a hike through this canyon offers solitude even beyond that of what is a very quiet park to begin with. The canyon isn't much to look at for the first 1/2 mile (0.8 km) of the hike from the parking area, but beyond that, there is much to explore.

The rocks within this section of the park have been stained myriad colors by minerals within, creating a view that resembles an artist's palette. It is possible to get close up to them, and is generally not too hard if you have prior hiking experience.