From its arid sand dunes to its rocky crevasses, the topography could trick you into believing it belongs to a planet much closer to the sun than ours. The fascination surrounding Death Valley, its otherworldly appearance and sweat-inducing temperatures, is likely why droves of tourists continue to visit and brave sky-rocketing temperatures, even during a heatwave that's had its grip on the West Coast for the better part of a week.
While temperatures have not exceeded the hottest on record, set in 1913 when heat levels soared to 134 degrees Fahrenheit (56.6 degrees Celsius), they've come pretty close, The Guardian reported.
In fact, the National Weather Service said heat levels reached 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53.33 degrees Celsius) on Sunday at Furnace Creek, the Associated Press reported.
As of Wednesday, the National Park Service (NPS) is still issuing an "Extreme Summer Heat" alert, warning tourists to "travel prepared to survive" as temperatures are expected to climb between 110 degrees Fahrenheit to 120+ degrees Fahrenheit. The NPS did not immediately respond to Insider's request.
And yet, despite the heat, tourists have flocked to Death Valley in droves. Some are going explicitly to experience that extreme weather for themselves — one tourist told Channel 4 News that she was visiting Death Valley for the first time because she thought it would be "a cool thing" to be there for possibly the "hottest day on Earth."
In doing so, they've pushed their bodies to the limit.
Some photos from over the weekend give context to the danger of visiting Death Valley. This image shows tourists roaming the arid plains behind an "Extreme Heat Danger" sign warning people not to walk through the area after 10 a.m.
An extreme heat danger sign at Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, on Monday, July 17, 2023, in Death Valley, CA.
Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Warnings aside, tourists arrive at the valley in droves. Most wear hats, shorts, sun dresses, and sunglasses in a likely futile attempt to stay cool amid sky-rocketing temperatures.
A bus filled with visitors from Poland stopped at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Death Valley, California.
Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Most people who visit are only able to take in the unique views of Death Valley before dawn.
Park visitors photograph the sunrise at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Death Valley, CA.
Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Here, one recent tourist, a 71-year-old hiker, tried to take a break from the soaring temps underneath a visitor signpost. His face was covered in sunscreen and he wore a sunhat, long sleeves, and gloves to protect himself from the sweltering heat.
Steve Curry walked to Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Death Valley, California.
Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Some people could only handle the heat for brief moments, such as this man who stepped out to view Zabriskie's Point before quickly returning to his tour bus.
Robert Skulk, of Poland, visits Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Death Valley, California.
Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Among the recent visitors was this man wearing a sunhat and sunglasses, standing in front of the digital temperature display at Furnace Creek holding a "Happy Death Day" poster and another that read: "This is the climate emergency."
A protestor stands next to a digital display of an unofficial heat reading at Furnace Creek Visitor Center during a heat wave in Death Valley National Park in Death Valley, California, on July 16, 2023.
RONDA CHURCHILL/AFP via Getty Images
Also photographed by the temperature display were two park rangers, who smiled as the unofficial thermometer read 132 degrees Fahrenheit, just two degrees off the hottest temperature ever recorded in 1913.
People pose for pictures with an unofficial temperature display outside the Furnace Creek Visitors Center in Death Valley, California, on July 16, 2023.
REUTERS/Jorge Garcia
As the sun dipped below the valley, one tourist seemingly poked fun at the bone-dry landscape by putting on a pair of flippers and snorkel at the Badwater Basin in Death Valley, a salt flat lacking any signs of life other than its human visitors.
Marko Leszczuk walks along the salt flats at Badwater Basin as the sun sets on July 16, 2023 in Death Valley National Park, California.
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