Camped there last year and looking at going back next week. Is the trail open? I know the storm washed away some roads and this place is the only spot I want to camp. Anyone know if it is still accessible?

March 30, 2024 I completed this short video survey of how the storm flow re-routed the stream bed, destroyed the board walk, and the parking area. The survey stakes were recently placed to mark the foundations for the new board walk. The Salt Creek entrance off of Highway 190 was closed so I just hiked in from there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiBSusWJhjs

Hi,

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I will be visiting the U.S. during the Christmas - New Year break and planning to do a San Francisco to Las Vegas road trip on a 4x4 vehicle.

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Here's the itinerary I have made. Please can I get locals' opinions/suggestions if this is feasible, any dangers, any precautions, anything I have missed, anything I can skip, or just anything I need to be concerned about?

(I cannot hike or walk for longer distances due to knee issues hence I've not included any hikes. A couple of hours of easy walking in a day is fine).

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Day 1: San Francisco → Ridgecrest (via I-5, Route 58, and Route 14)

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Day 2: Ridgecrest → Dunmovin → Lone Pine → Swansea → Keeler → Cerro Gordo Ghost Town → Darwin → Ballarat → Stovepipe Wells (night stay at Stovepipe Wells)

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Day 3: Stovepipe Wells → Mosaic Canyon (not planning to do the full trail, just a few steps of walk and return) → Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes → Devils Cornfield → Old Stovepipe Wells → Harmony Borax Works → Artists Dr → Devil's Golf Course → Badwater Basin → Lake Manly → Zabriskie Point → Dante's View → Stovepipe Wells (again, night stay at Stovepipe Wells)

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Day 4: Stovepipe Wells → Scotty's Castle → Ubehebe Crater → Teakettle Junction → The Grandstand → Racetrack Playa → Stovepipe Wells (again, night stay at Stovepipe Wells)

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Day 5: Stovepipe Wells → Rhyolite → Las Vegas

Hello, I can’t really find information anywhere, but if I wanted to camp at the Furnace Creek Campground in May (by then, the campground will become first come first served), would it be hard getting a spot? Would I have to try to get it right away when they first become available, or would I be able to easily get a spot? It would just be my car and a tent.

Thank you!

I'm planning a trip to Death Valley, but the caveat is that I can only be there for any one day from June 18 to June 25. I was quite disappointed to find out that the full moon is on June 21. Is the night view still worth the trip if the moon is really bright?

I am planning a hiking focused trip to the park, but this trip is part of a longer trip that will include some time in Las Vegas. Given what we want to do in Vegas, I would need to book the trip for late Sept. or possibly very early October.

Plan is to stay in the park for a couple of days. I'd be getting up early and likely hitting the road within an hour of sunrise. The trails I want to hike are fairly close to the in park lodging so I'd likely be on the trail within 30 mins or so of leaving. The hikes are likely going to last two to four hours at the most. I'll have plenty of water and never push my limits. I know when it is time to call it quits and head back.

Will it still be considered too hot for short, early morning hikes during this time of year?

I understand the road is closed, but would it be feasible to make it as a backpacking trip from Wildrose Campground? Or is the area closed to foot travel as well?

TIA

First time renting an RV with 6 friends, we are planning to drive up to the park for one of our nights at the very end of May (week after Memorial Day). What are the odds Furnace Creek's hookup sites are filled up? We have a backup plan already reserved at Stovepipe Wells' private RV park (14 spot S.W. not the large 190 spot S.W.). Also, we wanted to stargaze a bit, and the lunar calendar says it will be just after the third quarter, rising at around 1-2am. Will the hours before it rises above the horizon be fair for stargazing? Any insight would be greatly appreciated :)

We’re flying into Vegas around 11am on the 29th of June(Saturday). From there, we were tentatively planning to just go straight to DVNP from the airport and catching all of the main scenic sights for the rest of the day and then stay in Lone Pine afterward. We’re not planning on doing too much actual hiking since we’re road tripping to Yosemite valley late on Sunday night. We definitely want to enjoy Death Valley while we’re there and don’t want to be too rushed. Should we hit Death Valley on Saturday afternoon or get there very early on Sunday and just stay in Pahrump on Saturday night nearby and then leave to go to Yosemite around 2 or 3pm on Sunday afternoon?

The drive to Yosemite valley is about 6 hours so it’ll be a long day if we try to do DV and then drive the rest of the way to Curry Village in Yosemite, but it might be doable. We just have to be in Yosemite by midnight on Sunday.

What would you do if you wanted to see the main scenic views in Death Valley on the way to Yosemite? Saturday or Sunday?

Never been to the park before. When would be the best time to go to see if there is a super bloom?

I'm planning a trip to Death Valley in September and would like to stay in Furnace Creek Campground, ideally in a full hook up spot. I see that the campground is still FCFS in September so I'm wondering if anyone has had any luck just showing up during that time and there being full hook-up spots available?

On a March 30. 2024 morning I entered the park from Beatty, Nevada and enjoyed a steady light rain most of the day. Here are a few video clips of this experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcgi0nnsbrA

Comet 12P/Pons–Brooks is currently visible in the northern hemisphere, but it's low on the horizon (so mountains and other objects might block the view).

Astronomy apps typically aren't able to account for objects near the horizon that might block the view.

Anyone know if the comet is visible from Death Valley?

I'd like to do some stargazing in Death Valley between April 19 and April 21. Anyone know if the comet will be visible on those nights?

Where in the park would you recommend going if I wanted to see an object low on the horizon?

Also, anyone know if the Milky Way is visible at that time?