Tag: Death Valley

Death Valley National Park, located in eastern California and stretching into Nevada, is a land of extremes. It is the hottest, driest, and lowest national park in the United States, featuring the famously scorching Badwater Basin, which lies 282 feet below sea level. The park’s vast and varied landscape includes towering sand dunes, rugged mountains, and colorful badlands. Despite its harsh conditions, Death Valley is home to a surprising diversity of life, with unique plant and animal species adapted to the extreme environment. The park also boasts stunning geological features such as the salt flats, volcanic craters, and canyons, offering visitors a breathtaking glimpse into the power of nature. Starry night skies and striking sunrises and sunsets add to the park’s otherworldly beauty, making it a unique destination for adventure seekers and nature enthusiasts alike.

Sunset Campground

Posted on by

Sunset Campground is another large, flat parking lot campground primary for RV camping located near Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park, California. The Campground is with a mile of the Furnace Creek Ranch Resort and the Furnace Creek hotel.

Sunset Campground located in Furnace Creek, Death Valley National Park. Photo by Heather Rathbun
Sunset Campground located in Furnace Creek, Death Valley National Park. Photo by Heather Rathbun

Although close to a lot of amenities in Furnace Creek, such as a store, borax museum & gas station the camping experience is like camping in a parking lot. The campground rarely fills to capacity and this is probably due to its layout and almost a complete lack of vegetation.

The campground is a large, flat, gravel clearing. The campsites are marked off and numbers by chalk. Earlier reports had the campground at 270 sites which is now marked down to 230. undoubtably to make it seem more open. This location is best suited for RV and trailer camping. This is a wonderful location for sky gazers who seek a clear night sky with little light pollution.

Sunset campground contains 230 camp sites. There are two group fire rings in the camp. No personal fire grates or charcoal grills are allowed. Gas burning stoves are permitted.

Campground Summary

NameSunset Campground
LocationFurnace Creek, Death Valley National Park, California
Latitude, Longitude36.461059, -116.863386
Elevation-160 feet below sea level
Sites230
AmenitiesDump station, flush toilets, water availale

Sunset Campground Map

References

Stovepipe Wells

Posted on by

Stovepipe Wells Campgound is located in Stovepipe wells just off the 190 highway in Death Valley National Park. Located about 25 miles away from Furnace Creek, Stovepipe wells contains a restaurant, gas station, gift shop and reasonable nice amenities for the area.

Sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley National Park
Sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley National Park

The campground itself is more suitable for RV and Trails and has the feeling of a large parking lot, which does not offer much in a remote camping experience. However, it does contain some tent sites along the northern edge of the campsite. For tent campers, the campsites leave much to be desired, in my opinion. I prefer not to be surrounded by a sea of land yachts running generators.

The tent sites are the only locations which allow fires and since you are on the edge of the campground you can get the feeling of isolation provided you are looking North. High winds and sandstorms at night are frequent. On my last visit a powerful wind guest hit while I was returning from the restroom. I was greeted with the sight of a tent flying at a high rate of speed with about 100 feet in altitude above the desert floor. Several minutes later a camper came walking by, and when asked I told him “It went that away” pointing out into the desert.

There are some nice hikes nearby which include the local sand dunes, Mosaic Canyon, Nemo Canyon and Grotto Canyon.

Additionally, the Mesquite Flat Sand dunes located just to the east of the camp ground offers a nice area to explore, if the weather cooperates.

The gas in here is very expensive, and the only place I know you can get 85 octane fuel. It is cheaper than the gas prices at Furnace Creek.

Campground Summary

NameStovepipe Wells Campground
LocationStovepipe Wells, Death Valley, California
Latitude, Longitude36.60611, -117.14556
Elevation-23 feet below sea level
Sites190 Total
28 Tent only
AmenitiesWater, Fire Rings, Tables

Stovepipe Wells Campground Map

Eureka Dunes Dry Camp

Posted on by

Eureka Dunes Campground is near a small localize sand dunes formation with Death Valley National Monument. Eureka Dunes Dry Camp is located next to the Eureka Sand Dunes in the Eureka Valley.

The valley is is an enclosed basin locationed at about 3000 feet above sea leval. The sand dunes in this remote valley in the north western portion of Death Valley are the tallest dunes in California. Some of the dunes measured are almost 700 feet tall above the valley floor. The dunes themselves are contained in a relatively small 3 square miles.

At first glance, these islands of sand within Eureka Valley appear inhospitable to life. This however is not the case. These dunes receive the most rainfall of any within Death Valley due to their location within the park.

Due to the extreme isolation there are five known types of endemic beetles which make their home in the sand. Three plant species, Eureka Dunegrass ( Swallenia alexandrae ), Eureka Dunes Evening Primrose ( Oenothera avita eurekensis ) and Shining Milkvetch ( Astragalus lentiginosus micans ) and known to only exist in this three mile by one mile island of sand.

With roughly four sites and only a vaulted toilet, Eureka Dunes campground offers solitude for the back country traveler.

Campground Summary

Campground NameEureka Dunes Dry Camp
LocationDeath Valley National Park, California
Latitude, Longitude37.111773, -117.680898
Elevation2890
Number of Sites4
AmenitiesRestrooms, tables

Eureka Dunes Campground Map

References

Thorndike Campground

Posted on by

Thorndike campground is located at 7,400 feet in the Panamint Mountains in Death Valley National Park. The campground is accessible to high clearance vehicles only and no longer than 25 feet in length.. Depending on road conditions, 4-wheel drive may be necessary the reach the campground. The road becomes much steeper and rough once you pass the Wildrose Campground.

Thorndike Campground in Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park

The campground is located within a Pinyon Pine and Juniper Forest. The campground is 1000 feet lower in elevation that Mahogany Flat campground and 4000 feet higher than Wildrose Campground. Due to its high elevation, this campground does close in the winter months.

This is the closest campground to the Death Valley Charcoal kilns. Thorndike has 6 sites, tables, fireplaces, and pit toilets. Thorndike is free of change campground, however, it does operate on a first come first serve basis.

Fires are allowed at NPS fire pits only. No firewood collecting is permitted; bring your own wood. Fires are prohibited June 15-September 15 and periods of high fire danger.

Campground Summary

NameThorndike Campground
LocationPanamint Mountains, Death Valley National Park, California
Latitude, Longitude36.236893, -117.071446
Elevation7400 feet
Site6
AmenitiesTables, Fireplaces, and vault toilets.

Thorndike Campground Map

References

Warm Springs Road

Posted on by

A short side trip from the Saline Valley Road to the Saline Valley Warm Springs in Death Valley National Park, California. The road is used to access the Warm Springs Hot Springs of the Saline Valley. The region and its hot springs became very popular in the 1960’s

Looking down at the Lippencott Mine Road from the Lippencott Mine, with Warm Springs Road, Saline Valley in the distance.
Looking down at the Lippencott Mine Road from the Lippencott Mine, with Saline Valley in the distance.

The hot springs were improved before the National Park was formed in 1994. As such; showers, bathtubs concrete pools and three bathrooms. these bathrooms are replaced by the Park Service. Palm trees were planted to create am oasis. Additionally, there is a small airport known as the “Chicken Strip”, which is a 1400 foot dirt runway cleared near the hot springs. The “Chicken Strip” landing strip is about a 10 minute walk from the oasis.

There are three distinct springs and camping locations. The warm springs oasis existed as its own four some 40 years prior to the national park service taking over. The location became quite popular and nudity was common. There was quite a bit of controversy when the national park service took over due to the decades long existence of the improvements conflicting with the governments tendency to (over)regulate.

NPS Photo - Mature, non-native palm trees, such as these near the Volcano Pool, will stay in place until they die of natural causes.
NPS Photo – Mature, non-native palm trees, such as these near the Volcano Pool, will stay in place until they die of natural causes.

A “clothing optional” policy is still permitted at the springs, but nudity is frowned upon elsewhere at the site.

The road is maintained for the most part and should be accessible to most 2WD vehicles.

Notoriety

It is said that Charles Manson visited the Warm Springs looking for entrance to the bottomless pit. Manson believed the bottomless pit was an entrance to an underground world, which would protect him from the race war he tried to start as part of his plan to start “Helter Skelter.”

Trail Summary

NameWarm Springs Road
LocationSaline Valley, Death Valley National Park, California
Length7.5 Miles
DifficultyEasy

Warm Springs Road Trail Map

References