Hottest place on Earth offers kayaking trips as lake forms after hurricane

20 February 2024 , 06:51

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A kayak is taken out on the lake formed at the Badwater Basin in Death Valley - usually the driest and hottest place in the US (Image: Michael Kohler/NPS)

The hottest place on earth, Death Valley, is now offering kayaking trips. This comes after incredible images showed a lake formed in the area, which holds the record for the highest-ever surface temperature recorded on Earth.

Despite being the driest place in North America, a lake was formed following Hurricane Hilary in August 2023 and it hasn't fully dried up yet. Death Valley usually only gets about 2 inches of rain per year, but the weather gauge at Furnace Creek recorded 4.9 inches in the past six months.

A lake appeared at Badwater Basin in August, which is typically a salt flat, park officials said. Recent rainfall means the lake will stick around longer than expected, according to a statement from the park.

READ MORE: Hottest place on Earth called Death Valley now has a lake - baffling locals

A person drags a paddle board as tourists enjoy the rare opportunity to walk in water as they visit Badwater Basin (AFP via Getty Images)

Now, this temporary lake is giving people a rare chance to kayak in the hottest and driest place in the US, the National Park Service said in a recent news release. The water-based adventure is taking place at Badwater Basin, at the foot of Death Valley National Park.

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Park ranger Abby Wines said: "You might think with no drain to the sea, that Death Valley would always have a lake. But this is an extremely rare event. Normally the amount of water flowing in is much less than the evaporation rate.

Tourists enjoy the rare opportunity to walk in water as they visit Badwater Basin, the normally driest place in the US (AFP via Getty Images)

The lake was deep enough to kayak for a few weeks after Hurricane Hilary, but unfortunately people couldn't come enjoy it then. Every road in the park was damaged by flash floods, and it took two months to open the first road into the park. Now most of the main roads are open, so it's a great time to come visit!

Even though Death Valley is famous for having the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth, and usually has really hot temperatures during summer, this week the highs have been around the 50s to 60s Fahrenheit. In the summer, temperatures often go over 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade with overnight lows dipping into the 90s Fahrenheit.

A child plays with water as tourists enjoy the rare opportunity to see water as they visit Badwater Basin (AFP via Getty Images)

Death Valley is so dry that in the years 1929 and 1953, no rain was recorded at all. The driest period on record was only 0.64 inches (1.6cm) of rain over a 40-month period from 1931 to 1934.

Hurricane Hilary was the first tropical storm to enter California since storm Nora in 1997. The hurricane saw about 26 million people across four states (Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah), placed under flood warnings. Death Valley is still recovering from the damage done by Hurricane Hilary but park officials say most roads have now re-opened.

Abigail O'Leary