The highest point in the United States is Denali in Alaska, with its summit reaching to an impressive 20,310 feet. The highest point in the contiguous United States, however, is located in California, and it’s less than 100 miles from the lowest point in the lower 48.
The Lower 48’s highest point is Mt. Whitney in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. Its summit reaches to 14,494 feet, or just under 2.75 miles above sea level. The lowest point in the Lower 48, on the other hand, is Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park. The salt flats there sit at 282 feet below sea level, or 14,776 feet below the summit of Mt. Whitney. Shockingly, these points are within just 85 miles of one another, demonstrating the truly extreme geography that fills California.
The two points can actually both be seen from a single point. If you hike to the 11,049 foot summit of Telescope Peak on a clear day, you’ll be able to see Badwater Basin to the east, 11,331 feet below you. Far on the Western Horizon, you’ll be able to spot the summit of Mt. Whitney, 3,456 feet above where you stand.
