At first glance, Devils Golf Course looks less like a landscape and more like something carved from another world. The ground is covered with sharp ridges, rough mounds, and irregular spires of salt and mud, stretching across the floor of Death Valley. Green grass, a fairway, and an ordinary golf course are absent. The name comes from the brutally uneven terrain, said to be so rough that only the devil could play golf there.
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| The jagged salt formations of Devils Golf Course in Death Valley National Park, California. |
Located in Death Valley National Park, California, Devils Golf Course is one of the park's most unusual geological landscapes. Wind, rain, evaporation, and the slow accumulation of minerals have worked together to create the jagged surface visitors see today. Unlike the smooth geometric salt polygons associated with parts of Badwater Basin, Devils Golf Course has a much rougher appearance, with salt crust rising into sharp, irregular formations.
What Is Devils Golf Course?
Devils Golf Course is an extensive area of hardened salt and mud on the northern side of Badwater Basin. The National Park Service describes it as an immense area of rock salt that wind and rain have eroded into jagged spires. The surface is so uneven that simply walking across it can be difficult and dangerous.
The landscape is part of Death Valley's larger salt-pan system. Water flowing through the surrounding drainage basin carries dissolved minerals toward the lowest parts of the valley. Because Death Valley is an enclosed, extremely dry basin, water has nowhere to escape to the sea. Instead, it evaporates and leaves minerals behind. Over long periods, those deposits build up into layers of salt and other evaporite minerals. That simple process—water arriving, minerals accumulating and water disappearing—helps explain why an apparently empty desert can contain such an extraordinary amount of salt.
Where Is Devils Golf Course?
Devils Golf Course is in Death Valley National Park in eastern California, within the vast salt pan of Death Valley. It lies in the Badwater Basin area, although it has an entirely unique appearance compared to the broad, relatively flat salt surface that many visitors associate with Badwater Basin. The National Park Service identifies Devils Golf Course as being at the northern edge of Badwater Basin.
The surrounding Death Valley landscape is the product of a much larger geological story. The valley belongs to the Basin and Range Province, where the Earth's crust has been stretching and faulting for millions of years. As the valley floor subsided, sediment and minerals accumulated in the basin. Today, erosion, flooding, evaporation, and tectonic forces continue to modify the landscape.
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| Rough salt and mud formations create the unusual landscape of Devils Golf Course in Death Valley. |
How Did Devils Golf Course Form?
The unusual surface at Devils Golf Course is the result of several natural processes rather than one dramatic geological event.
Salt, Water, and Evaporation
Death Valley receives water from a large surrounding drainage system. Rain falling on distant mountains can dissolve minerals from rocks and carry them downhill. Eventually, water reaches the enclosed valley basin. Because the basin has no outlet to the ocean, water can remain temporarily on the valley floor. In Death Valley's hot, arid climate, evaporation is much greater than precipitation. As the water disappears, dissolved minerals become concentrated and eventually crystallise. Sodium chloride, or ordinary table salt, makes up much of the salt found in the basin, although other minerals, such as calcite, gypsum, and borax, are also present. Over thousands of years, repeated cycles of flooding, evaporation, and mineral deposition have produced substantial layers of salt crust.
How Wind and Rain Shape the Salt
The salt does not remain perfectly flat. Rainwater and wind attack the crust from different directions, gradually wearing away weaker areas. At Devils Golf Course, this erosion produces the jagged ridges and sharp spires that give the landscape its extraordinary appearance. The National Park Service describes the formations as salt and mud shaped and eroded by wind and rain. The result is a landscape that appears frozen in motion. Ridges rise from the ground, narrow channels cut between them, and small peaks cast shadows across the rough salt surface.
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| Wind and rain have shaped the hardened salt into sharp ridges and irregular formations at Devils Golf Course. |
Why Is It Called Devils Golf Course?
The name is a playful description of the terrain. There is obviously no golf course here in the normal sense. The ground is far too rough for ordinary recreation. The National Park Service explains that the surface was considered so incredibly serrated and uneven that only the devil could play golf on such rough links.
The name has therefore become a perfect description of the landscape. Looking across the salt formations, it is easy to understand why early observers compared the surface with an impossibly rugged golf course. The area has a history of unusual human interaction with the salt landscape. A National Park Service historical account describes past attempts to blast open salt pools for visitors, something that would not fit today's conservation approach.
What Makes Devils Golf Course So Unusual?
One of the most fascinating things about Devils Golf Course is that the landscape is not completely silent or motionless. The National Park Service notes that visitors who listen carefully may hear tiny pops and pings from the salt. These sounds are associated with small salt crystals expanding and contracting in Death Valley's intense heat.
The formations are also constantly changing. Salt crystals grow, break apart, and weather reshapes them. Rain can wash dust from the surface and create new layers of salt, while flooding can dissolve some of the existing salt and later leave fresh crystals behind as the water evaporates. In other words, Devils Golf Course is not simply an ancient landscape sitting unchanged in the desert. It is part of an active geological system.
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| A close view of the rough salt crust covering the landscape at Devils Golf Course, Death Valley. |
Can You Visit Devils Golf Course?
Yes. Devils Golf Course can be visited as a scenic destination within Death Valley National Park. However, visitors should not treat the area like an ordinary hiking trail. The National Park Service recommends viewing Devils Golf Course from the parking area because the sharp salt formations can be dangerous to walk across and are also fragile. The salt crust may look solid, but its surface can be uneven and extremely sharp. Stepping onto fragile formations can also damage features that took a very long time to develop. The area is best suited to careful sightseeing, photography, and appreciating the geology from a safe position.
When is the best time to visit the Devil's Golf Course?
For most visitors, the cooler months are the better choice. The National Park Service recommends late fall, winter, and early spring, noting that temperatures from approximately mid-May through mid-September can reach 120°F (49°C) or higher in this part of Death Valley. Early morning and late afternoon can also provide beautiful light across the salt formations. The low-angle sunlight emphasises the ridges and shadows, making the rough surface particularly striking for photography. Because conditions in Death Valley can change quickly, visitors should always check current park information before travelling.
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| Devils Golf Course is known for its rugged salt formations and deeply eroded surface. |
Devils Golf Course and the Geology of Death Valley
Devils Golf Course makes more sense when viewed as part of Death Valley's larger geological system. Death Valley contains an extraordinary record of geological change, including ancient rocks, fault systems, sediment deposits, salt flats, and evidence of former lakes. Over immense periods of time, tectonic movement, erosion, flooding, and dramatic climatic changes have shaped the valley.
During the Ice Age, large lakes occupied parts of the valley. One of these was Lake Manly. As the climate grew warmer and drier, the lake slowly evaporated, leaving behind concentrated deposits of salt and other minerals. Those deposits became part of the salt-pan landscape seen in Death Valley today. Devils Golf Course represents one of the roughest expressions of that geological history.
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| A view of the Death Valley landscape, with water and the surrounding desert environment. |
Frequently Asked Questions About Devils Golf Course
Is Devils Golf Course a real golf course?
No. Devils Golf Course is a natural geological landscape covered with jagged salt and mud formations. Its name refers to the extremely rough terrain.
Where is Devil's Golf Course?
Devils Golf Course is located in Death Valley National Park, California, at the northern edge of Badwater Basin.
Why is Devils Golf Course so jagged?
Wind and rain slowly wear away the hardened salt and mud, while the salt crystals change and grow over time. These processes create the sharp ridges and spires seen across the landscape.
Is Devils Golf Course dangerous?
Yes. The salt formations are sharp, uneven and fragile. The National Park Service recommends viewing the area from the parking area rather than walking extensively across the formations.
Can you walk on Devils Golf Course?
The National Park Service warns that the formations can be dangerous to walk on and are easily damaged. Visitors should follow current park guidance and avoid damaging the salt crust.
What is Devils Golf Course made of?
It consists mainly of hardened salt and mud, with sodium chloride being the dominant salt in the broader Badwater Basin salt flats. Other evaporative minerals include calcite, gypsum and borax.
Can you hear the Devils Golf Course?
The National Park Service says visitors may hear tiny popping and pinging sounds caused by salt crystals expanding and contracting in the extreme heat.
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| Salt deposits create an extraordinary landscape across the floor of Death Valley. |
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| The unusual salt landscape of Devils Golf Course in Death Valley National Park, California. |
Devils Golf Course: Death Valley's Jagged Salt Landscape
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| The extremely rough salt terrain explains the unusual name Devils Golf Course. |
Conclusion
Devil'stone is actually part of a living geological process that continues to reshape the valley. Its name may sound playful, but the landscape itself deserves respect. The sharp salt formations are fragile, difficult to walk across, and dangerous to approach carelessly. Seen from a safe distance, however, Devil's Golf Course offers a remarkable glimpse into the forces that have shaped Death Valley for thousands of years.
For anyone interested in Death Valley geology, unusual natural landscapes, salt formations, or America's desert wonders, Devils Golf Course is one of the places that make the national park unlike almost anywhere else on Earth.
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