Death Valley National Park is a land of extremes. It's the driest place in the United States, the lowest place in the Western Hemisphere and, at one time, the hottest single location recorded on earth. Yet here-- in this seemingly inhospitable chasm-- life thrives. More than 1,000 species of plant call this park home. And, several animal species here live nowhere else on Earth. Journey with National Geographic, from the park's highest peak, at 11,049, to its lowest point, a staggering 282 feet below sea-level, and meet the scientists who are working to protect this wild place as the mercury rises.