Mesquite Spring Campground Campground

List of Campsites

First come / first served campground at an elevation of 1,800 feet, located 2 miles off of the Scotty’s Castle Road below Grapevine Canyon. It is a great base camp for your adventures in the northern parts of Death ValIey National Park. It is surrounded by desert mountains and geological features. Each site has a fire grate and picnic table. There are no hook-ups available. Fee is paid at the automatic pay station at the front of the campground.

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Death Valley National Park Ranger Programs Ticket Facility

Within Death Valley National Park Paleontologists call it “The Barnyard,” a remote box canyon in an inhospitable desert where slabs of mud stone as big as billboards are indented with fossil tracks left by mastodons, camels, horses, and cats the size of leopards. It is one of the largest, most diverse, and well-preserved deposits of prehistoric mammal and bird tracks known to exist, and a window onto the ecology of Death Valley during the Pliocene Epoch, about 5 million years ago, when things were starting to heat up. This is a moderately strenuous, seven-mile round trip hike with 1,500' elevation gain on rugged, uneven terrain. It is not recommended for anyone with mobility or breathing difficulties and prohibited for children under 10. Participants should be regularly hiking at least four miles on uneven terrain in the weeks leading up to this hike. Those that are unable to hike the first mile at a reasonable hiking speed will be escorted back to their vehicle. Hike is in a remote area of Death Valley National Park that is otherwise closed to the public. Guided tours are limited to 15 people and fill up quickly. There is a $1 per ticket non-refundable administration fee for these day long guided hikes.

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Thorndike Campground (Primitive) Campground

List of Campsites

First come / first served primitive, forested campground with no additional fee located at 7,400' elevation. Accessible to high clearance vehicles (no longer than 25'), and 4x4 may be necessary.

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Mahogany Flat Campground (Primitive) Campground

List of Campsites

First come / first served primitive campground with no additional fee located in a Pinyon Pine and Juniper forest at 8,200' elevation. Great views down into Death Valley. Located near the Telescope Peak trailhead. Dirt road access requires high-clearance vehicles, often 4x4 required.

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Eureka Dunes Campground (Primitive) Campground

List of Campsites

Remote campground at the base of Eureka Dunes (the tallest sand dunes in California and home to several endemic plant species). This campground is located at 2,880ft and is only accessible to high-clearance vehicles. Please drive only on existing roads and tread lightly on the dunes to protect this fragile and unique environment.

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Homestake Campground (Primitive) Campground

List of Campsites

Extremely remote campsite at 3,785ft of elevation, accessible only by high-clearance vehicles with all-terrain tires. Access from Saline Valley Road requires navigating Lippincott Pass and should only be attempted by experienced 4-wheel drivers. There are no approved toilet facilities at this location and no water available. Pack in all that you need, pack out all that you bring.

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Saline Valley Campground (Primitive) Campground

List of Campsites

This is a clothing-optional hot spring area approximately 35 miles from the nearest paved road. A high-clearance vehicle and all-terrain tires are necessary to access this campground and road/weather conditions may necessitate 4-wheel drive. This campground is located at 1,375ft, but requires navigating either North Pass at 7,300ft or South Pass at 5,997ft and may be inaccessible due to winter conditions.

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Furnace Creek Campground Campground

List of Campsites

Overview

Furnace Creek Campground is the only NPS campground in the park that is reservable. All other NPS campgrounds operate on a first-come, first-serve basis.

• Advance reservations are highly recommended for Furnace Creek Campground during the reservation window (October 15 - April 15).  
• First-come, first-served sites (FF) at Furnace Creek Campground are rare and fill quickly on weekends, around holidays, and in days preceding and just after the reservation season.  
• PLEASE NOTE: The actual availability of any first-come, first served-sites (FF) IS NOT reflected on the Recreation.gov website in real time.
• When arriving without reservations, we recommend tent campers pack camp chairs and a propane stove for cooking as not all campsites in other park campgrounds offer picnic tables and fire rings.
• Death Valley has a total of 9 National Park Service campgrounds to choose from in this beautiful land of extremes. Six are open year-round. Three others are closed during summer months.  

Please visit our official park website to assist with trip planning and to check out all of our camping options: https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/camping.htm  

Recreation

There are over 3.4 million acres of Death Valley to explore. The popular main attractions are accessible by paved roads and more remote areas of the park will require high clearance, 4wd. Please visit our website for helpful tips when planning your trip: www.nps.gov/deva

Facilities

Furnace Creek has 136 campsites with drinking water, picnic tables, flush toilets and a dump station. Each site has either a campfire ring or grill. A campground kiosk is staffed 7 days/week during the reservation season (Oct 15-April15). Campground Hosts are also available to help during our peak camping season.  

Full Hook-up Pull-through Sites: 67, 68, 69, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 

Full Hook-up Back-in Sites: 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52 

Tent Only Drive-in Sites: 100-110 (No campervans, pop-ups, or RV's are permitted.)

Tent Only Walk-in Sites: 115-150 (No campervans, pop-ups, or RV's are permitted.)  

Tent Only Walk-in Group Sites: 1-4 (No campervans, pop-ups, or RV's are permitted.)  

Please note our Tent Only Walk-in Site area is generator free. Campers reserving sites 115-150 and Group Sites 1-4 may not sleep in their vehicles. 

Natural Features

Despite its morbid name, a great diversity of life survives in Death Valley! In this below-sea-level basin, steady drought and record summer heat make Death Valley a land of extremes. Yet, each extreme has a striking contrast. Towering peaks are frosted with winter snow. Rare rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers. Lush oases harbor tiny fish and refuge for wildlife and humans.  

Death Valley has sunk below sea level through geologic processes over time. It lies within the Mojave Desert and is the hottest, driest and lowest location in North America. Despite its extreme climate, the park boasts a diversity of ecosystems, including colorful badlands, snow-covered peaks, desolate sand dunes, rugged canyons and flat, dry basins called playas.

Furnace Creek Campground is located on the valley floor. The terrain is fairly open with sparse vegetation. Some campsites do have trees that provide shade, but most are unshaded. The facility offers a wide mountan views to the east and west, which glow with hues of orange, red and yellow during sunrise and sunset.

contact_info

Between 10/15/2020 and 04/15/2021 this location is staffed. Please call (760) 786-2441 to speak with local staff. From 04/16/2021 to 10/14/2021 this location is unstaffed. Please call (760) 786-3200 for general information.

Nearby Attractions

Explorers of all ages can enjoy educational programs and exhibits at the Visitor Center, just a short walk from the campground. Birders may have luck spotting local and migratory birds around the campground and along Airport Road, especially in the cooler months. Visitors can bike, walk their dog, or run along a one-mile bike path to an interpretive trail from the campground to the Harmony Borax Works, an abandoned borax refinery from the late 1800s. The campground is also within walking distance of the private resort, Furnace Creek Oasis and Ranch.

Charges & Cancellations

Reservation Cancellations & Changes

Cancelling a Reservation: Customers may cancel their reservation prior to arrival both on-line and through the call center. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. Depending on when you cancel in relation to your arrival day, it may be considered a late cancellation (see below).

Changing an Existing Reservation: When changes are made prior to the cut-off window:

If a customer wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee.

There is no change fee if a customer extends or shortens a reservation, as long as the change includes dates from the original reservation. If they choose to depart early, they may forfeit the recreation fee for the day of departure.

There is no change fee if the customer wants to switch sites that are the same price with the same reservation dates in the same facility.

If a reservation is made that includes dates beyond the maximum booking window, that reservation cannot be changed until 18 days have passed from the original booking date.

Late Cancellations or Cancellations within the Cut-off Window

Individual Campsites: A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.

No-Shows

Overnight and Day-Use Facilities: A no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date (or for day-use facilities, by check-in time the day of arrival). Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date.

No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night’s recreation fee for a campsite.

Early Departures

If a customer departs prior to the scheduled check-out date, they may be eligible for a partial refund.

Please notify staff at the facility if you depart early to allow others to use the site.

Customers may notify the call center to request a refund of remaining unused nights. If a customer requests a refund for an early departure after the facility check-out time has passed, the customer will not be refunded for that night and is eligible for a refund on any additional nights that will not be used.

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Scotty's Castle - Death Valley National Park Ticket Facility

Overview:

Hidden in the green oasis of Grapevine Canyon in far northern Death Valley, Scotty's Castle is a window into the life and times of the Roaring 20's and subsequent financial depression of the 30's. A beautiful Spanish-style house, the Castle was an engineer's dream home, a wealthy matron's vacation home and a man-of-mystery's hideout and getaway. Walter Scott, "Death Valley Scotty," convinced everyone that he had built the Castle with money from secret mines in the area. Albert Johnson actually built the house as a vacation getaway for himself and his wife, Bessie.

The main part of Scotty's Castle is temporarily closed due to a massive flash flood in October 2015, which washed away the road in Grapevine Canyon, the drinking water system, sewer system, and damaged several historic structures. The park hopes to reopen Scotty's Castle in 2019. However, nearby Lower Vine Ranch, which was Scotty's private retreat, is open on a very occasional basis to ranger-guided tours.

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Texas Springs Campground Campground

List of Campsites

Open seasonally starting October 15th at noon. First come, first served campground located in the hills above Furnace Creek. Great views and some trees. No generators allowed. Each site has a firegrate and picnic table. Fee is paid at pay station at the front of the campground.

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Stovepipe Wells Campground Campground

List of Campsites

Open seasonally starting October 15th at noon. First come, first served campground located at sea level. The Stovepipe Wells campground has views of Death Valley proper and of the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. It is adjacent to the Stovepipe Wells general store, ranger station, and a privately operated RV park. Fee is paid at the pay station at the front of the campground.

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Emigrant Campground Campground

List of Campsites

First come / first served tent only campground with no additional fee. Located next to CA 190 at 2100' feet in elevation. Emigrant campground overlooks the Cottonwood Mountains which is a part of the Panamint Range. This is a small campground with 10 sites southwest of Stovepipe Wells Ranger Station. A building with flush toilets is 270 feet down a dirt trail just outside of the campground.

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Wildrose Campground Campground

List of Campsites

First come / first served campground with no additional fee high in the Panamint Mountains. Located at an elevation of 4100 ft / 1250 meters. No hook-ups available. Generators allowed 7am - 7pm. This area is prone to high winds. Sites are dirt and gravel surrounded by Mesquite bushes and rolling hills.

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Sunset Campground Campground

List of Campsites

Open seasonally starting October 24th at noon. First come, first served, large campground that rarely fills. This location has little to no vegetation and is comprised of desert gravels. Car and tent camping is permitted however each site DOES NOT offer a firegrate or picnic table. Campfires are not allowed in Sunset except at a few designated public areas within the campground. Fee is paid at the pay station in the campground.

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Furnace Creek Visitor Center Facility

Furnace Creek Visitor Center is the central hub for all things Death Valley. Here you can pay the park entrance fee, speak with a ranger about trip plans or questions, participate in the Junior Ranger program watch the 20 minute park film, explore museum displays, and browse the park bookstore.

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