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B_and_D
01-16-2004, 11:01 PM
We spent three nights there last week (early January) and are really glad that we went. We wish we were still there!

Somehow, without reservations, we ended up with a great campsite at a place with a huge pool, full hookups (even cable tv), etc. The camping books & internet don't advertise this place as a RV spot, but if you want to camp somewhere there with all the amenities, email us and we'll give you the info. In winter we just wanted to be comfortable!

We absolutely loved Death Valley and would like to go there again, soon. You could spend months there exploring, especially with a 4 WD vehicle. Scotty's Castle was great, even after seeing Hearst Castle 6 days before. We saw the Artist's Palette, Natural Bridge, Badwater (lowest point in the US) and the Ubehebe (sp?) Crater. Climbed the highest sand dune by Stovepipe Wells one afternoon, and climbed them again trying to find our son's glasses early the next morning after we discovered that he'd lost them on the first climb (and subsequent roll down) the dunes.

Needless to say, didn't find them. Worse than a needle in a haystack.

If you're into photography, well, you're in heaven. Especially around sunrise or sunset.

Death Valley is great because even though you can't drive everywhere (and you wouldn't want to, because it would ruin what you go there to see) you can still walk pretty much wherever you want to, and there are SO many 4wd roads you can take off on with old ghost towns, mines, etc. We didn't have time to do many off road adventures but that's what we'd like to do next time we go.

At the pool, we ran into a guy who was taking a high school class on a week's environmental geology class. He also recommended the Inyo Mine road and Darwin Creek, but we didn't have time to go to those. Death Valley is HUGE.

Definitely worth seeing.

Windbreaker
01-17-2004, 08:38 AM
Thanks for the report, keeping in mind that we don't do cold, what is the best time of year? Summer in the heat is a little worrisome, up to 105 we do well but over that is a little much.

Bill
01-22-2004, 04:59 PM
B_and_D -

Thanks for the info you've already sent me offline. It sounds so great that my wife and I are making definite plans to go, probably in mid-to-late Feb.

It appears (in the Big Book of Campgrounds) that there are at least five similar-sounding campgrounds in the National Park, these being Furnace Creek (where you stayed), Mesquite Springs, Stovepipe Wells, Sunset, and Texas Spring. Can you (or anyone else) speak to the differences, if any? Did you choose Furnace Creek over the others for a specific reason, or was it pretty much a tossup?

We're looking forward to inputs from anyone who has been there. Thanks.

Bill

OrangeKid
01-23-2004, 09:46 PM
We just got back from Death Valley. We spent 7 nights over the MLK holiday weekend at the Furnace Creek Campground and it was great. The weather was perfect with highs in the uper 60s to lower 70s and lows from around mid 30s to around 50. The important thing was that there was no wind. When it is windy the sand blows and it can be unpleasant. According to a ranger winter is not very windy but spring can be.

Death Valley is one of our favorite places and we have been there numerous times over the years. This was our first trip there in our new TM. It is the largest National Park in the lower 48 states and would take many visits to explore completely. One ranger told us he had hiked over 3000 miles in Death Valley and has yet to see it all.

WRT the campgrounds. Furnnace Creek, Sunset and Texas Springs are all near the visitor center and museum and an excellent location for the first time visitor. Of the three Furnace Creek is by far the nicest with some shade and some privacy for the sites. It has no hookups. It is the only campgound that takes reservations. It was totally booked on Saturday night. Sunset is a just a huge parking lot with no tables, fire rings, bushes or trees. There is no privacy. I have seen Sunset fill up with hundreds of campers during Death Valley 49rs get togeher in November (not a good time to go, although the weather is usually very nice). Texas Springs is up in the badlands behind Sunset and there is no shade but it is smaller and better than Sunset. No generators are allowed in Texas Springs.

Stove Pipe Wells Campgound is also a huge parking lot but it does have some electrical sites. Threre is no privacy or shade. It is a good location for the sand dunes and the Panamint Valley further west.

Mesquite Springs is a nice campground around 52 miles north of Furnace Creek. It is isolated and there are no hookups. It is a good jumping off point to go see the northern part of the park including the Racetrack where there are rocks that have somehow moved on perfectly horizonatal lake beds and left tracks. Amazing!

There is also a small private campground at Panamint Springs resort near the western boundary of the park. It is shaded and a good location for exploring Panamint Valley and Darwin Falls. I don't know if it has hookups.

Anytime but summer is good for Death Valley. We avoid avoid May through October. Spring break is a very popular time there and the campgounds fill up. Furnace Creek is the first one to fill up on weekends and holidays.

Spring flowers start in late February and run through June or later at the higher lelevations. It is not known if this will be a great spring flower year. There needs to be some fall and winter rain for the flowers to bloom. 1998 was the most recent spectacular bloom for spring. El Nino bought a lot of rain in the fall and winter that led to the spectacular bloom.

As B_and_D said it is definitely worth seeing but in a few days one can only scratch the surface.