RV Camping in Death Valley National Park - With Photo Gallery

Death Valley National Park, on the California/Nevada border, is well known for encompassing the Badwater area. At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater is the lowest point in North America. But Death Valley is also known for its extreme summer heat when daytime temperatures can reach 120°F and it's extremely dry climate.

However, there is much more to Death Valley National Park for those who are interested in exploring its diversity. Visit in the winter months for pleasant temperatures and sunny days, and explore the badlands with ever changing colors, see the snow capped mountains, enjoy the wildflower bloom. Below, I will discus RV camping in Death Valley National Park and share photographs of some of the highlights of this most fascinating place.

RV camping in Death Valley in the pleasant winter months is a wonderful way to enjoy the park. Since Death Valley has an average rainfall of less than 2" annually, you can usually expect sunny weather and comfortable temperatures in the winter months. RV camping in the Death Valley National Park campgrounds is low cost and allows you to be within easy driving distance of the most interesting points in the park.

Of the nine campgrounds in Death Valley National Park, six are suitable for RV camping. While they do not have RV hookups, generator use is allowed. Most campgrounds have drinking water available, restrooms with flush toilets and a dump station. Furnace Creek Campground is the only one that will accept reservations. (Call 1-877-444-6777). There is a 14 day limit at Furnace Creek Campground. Other Death Valley National Park campgrounds have a 30 day limit.

All the other National Park campgrounds are on a first come, first serve basis. You can check the National Park Recreation data base for updated information on particular parks.

Do check at the National Park Visitor Center for up-to-date camping information!

National Park Campgrounds.

We stayed at Sunset Campground during our visit to Death Valley. It is basically a huge flat parking area, but it is convenient to visit many of the sights in the Furnace Creek area. It was also easy to do day trips to almost any of the other areas of the park.

(Prices listed are eligible for America the Beautiful Senior Discount.)

• Furnace Creek: Open all year*. Elevation 196 below sea level. Suitable any size RVs or tents. $18. (closed 2012, check with park service for details)
• Sunset Campground: Open Oct-Apr.Elevation 196 below sea level. Suitable any size RVs or tents. $12.
• Texas Spring Campground: Open Oct-Apr. Elevation is at Sea Level. Limited number of RV sites. $14
• Stovepipe Wells Campground: Open Oct-Apr. Elevation is at Sea Level. RV and tent sites. $12
• Mesquite Spring Campground: Open all year. Elevation 1800 ft. RV and tent sites. $12
• Wildrose Campground: Open all year. Elevation 4100 ft. No drinking water. RV and tent sites. Free.

There are three other National Park campgrounds that are suitable for tents and may require high clearance vehicles to access.

If you want to camp where there are RV hookups, there is one concession-run campground in Death Valley: Stovepipe Wells RV Park. There is also a private RV park, Pinamint Springs Resort that has full hookups. These two privately run campgrounds can fill up during the busy season, so be sure to check for availability before heading out.

Plan ahead before heading out from your campground or hotel on a day trip!

Death Valley is a wonderful place to explore and there are many interesting day trips to do once you have settled on a campground to serve as your base. Be forewarned that there are only a few places to get gas and food, so be sure to start out with a full tank of gas, and pack a picnic lunch, snacks and plenty to drink before starting out.

When you are planning to RV camp at Death Valley, be sure to bring groceries and staples to last through your stay as there are only limited groceries available in the park.

Gas is available at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Furnace Creek, Beatty, Nevada and Tonopah, Nevada. Scotty’s Castle does sell snacks and sandwiches, but not gas.

Late afternoon sun brings out the beautiful colors along Artist’s Drive. At the parking area, we stop to admire the view of Artist’s Palette. Here many colored pigments from volcanic deposits, iron salts and mica have painted the hills in a rainbow of colors. I snap many photographs as the changing light and shadows bring out different colors. When we got home, it’s hard to believe that these views are real…but they are!

As the sun goes down, we continue on the drive, stopping occasionally to get out of the Jeep and admire the nearby hills as well as the distant views of snow capped mountains.

Located in the Furnace Creek area, this is a maze of eroded badlands. Zabriski Point is one of the most famous views in Death Valley. The colors are astonishing, particularly at sunset and sunrise when the angled sunlight lights up the colors. There is a parking area and the view point is only a short walk up the hill. Be sure to wear closed toe shoes for this walk as loose gravel can make walking in sandles or flip flops uncomfortable.

Dante’s View

Typical of the diversity of Death Valley National Park, Dante’s view is one of the high points of the park at 5,000 feet above the valley. The winding road to the top of the mountain leads to a spectacular view of Death Valley. Don’t try this in your RV as the road has hairpin turns and is only open to vehicles less than 25 ft. in length.

In the distance, you can see the Pinamint Mountains towering above the valley, often with snowy caps. The highest mountain in Death Valley, Telescope Peak, rises 11,049 feet above the lowest point in the park, creating yet another dramatic contrast in Death Valley.

Devils Golf Course

The extensive rock salt flats of Devil’s Golf Course have been eroded by wind and rain into sharp, serrated spires that defy anyone to enter. There is a road through the area, and you can get a close look at the rugged salt spires, but don’t try to walk on it.

Badwater

Badwater is the lowest point in North America, 282 feet below sea level. Here the summer air temperatures will rise to 120°F and above while the ground temperature on the salt flats can be much higher. When there are heavy rainstorms, a temporary lake might form on the salt flats, but it will disappear quickly.

This beautiful Spanish-style mansion is named after prospector, Walter Scott, “Death Valley Scotty,” who claimed that he built the castle from gold from secret gold mines. Actually, it was built by his friend, Albert Mussey Johnson, as a vacation home during the 1920’s. Tours of the castle are available for a fee of $11-15 per person for adults. Pass holder and children’s fees are lower. You must take a tour in order to see the inside of the house.

There are over1000 different kinds of plants growing in Death Valley and 50 of them are endemic, unique to Death Valley. Occasionally, the winter rains will be heavier than normal creating the right conditions for a spectacular wildflower bloom. This happened in 1996 and 2005. Even in average years, the months of February and March will bring out wildflowers in the desert, along the roadsides and nestled among the stones and rocks. We happened to be there when wildflowers were just starting to bloom, and enjoyed finding them in unexpected places. Many of the flowers are very tiny, and can easily be overlooked if you are driving. Do get out and walk some of the trails, but be careful where you step!

Borax was found in Furnace Creek (previously named Greenland) in 1881. The Harmony Borax Works was built by William t. Coleman. There, in 1884, the borax ore was processed by a workforce of 40 men who produced 3 tons of borax every day. However, the summer temperatures were so hot, the processing water would not cool enough to allow the borax crystals to form, and the plant was eventually moved to California. The most daunting task was getting the borax out of Death Valley and through the Mojave desert by wagons pulled by mule teams. This is how the 20-mule team borax became the famous symbol of the borax industry. Today the remains of the Harmony Borax works still stand and visitors to Death Valley can see the wagons and parts of the plant at the original town site which has been placed on the Register of Historic Places.

The beehive shape of the well preserved charcoal kilns are a unique sight. The 25 ft. high kilns were build to produce charcoal that was used in the processing of lead and silver from nearby mines. It is believed that the kilns were only in operation for a short time before another source of fuel was found. Although the actual settlement, if there was one, has disappeared, the ten charcoal kilns stand in perfect condition.

I hope you've enjoyed this virtual tour of some of the amazing sights at Death Valley National Park. When you are able to camp here with your RV and visit in person, you will find many more beautiful and exciting places to see and explore.

Happy Trails!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright @2012 Stephanie Henkel

If you love to write and share your expertise, why not join HubPages? It's FREE and it's FUN! Write about the topic of your choice: travel, how to, humor parenting, crafting or any other topic. Write at your own pace and be part of a supportive writers' community that welcomes new members. Click here for more information or to join.