Cotton ball Basin is a Death valley playa that is located 100 to 150 feet below sea level and is home some amazing life and anomalies.

The basin is a ancient ocean with salt bearing most of the evidence of this once upon a time sea bed. The salt content and alkali levels remain high in this region so it is hard to imagine life living along the Barron and hostile environments with temps rising to over 130 degrees in the summer.

Walking on the basin the ground crackles like broken china plates and the ground is mushy in places, which is where the name of this scenic circular travertine playa comes from.

It can be quite dangerous to talk out here after rains due to the sinking floor and in some area, you can actually get stuck in quick sand. Please do not go out here after rainfall or storms.  It will damage the formations.

Once you get out there which can be from a 1/2 mile to over 3-4 miles from the highway, the little noise from the car disappears and you are surrounded by this alien like world with oblique circular formations on the ground for a s far as you can see.

Whats even more interesting is that under the layer of salt, is some sort of green algae like organisms that exist under the salt, in intense temperatures, and in salt! This is yet another sign of how life can find its way to live in some of the most hostile conditions.

The sunsets in Death Valley never disappoint and this was not exception. the sun casted a beautiful hue over the playa that brought this dreamlike place to life.