Death Valley National Park

Overview

PLEASE BE AWARE:

• These are primitive sites that do not offer water, electricity, toilet access, or any amenities. 

• Most primitive roadside campsites require a high clearance vehicle, and 4-wheel drive is highly encouraged. Road conditions can change quickly. High clearance vehicles are defined as a SUV or truck with at least 15 inch tire rims AND at least 8 inches of ground clearance from the lowest point of the frame, body, or suspension. 

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.  

Backcountry Roadside camping in Death Valley provides a primitive backcountry experience in the park's premier wilderness. All of these designated sites are located in remote locations and campers must be self-sufficient. Visit the park's Backcountry Camping page for more information.  

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, 4-wheel drive. Please visit the park's website for helpful tips when planning your trip.

Facilities

Backcountry Roadside Campsites: Primitive roadside camping with your vehicle in designated campsites along rugged backcountry dirt roads.

• These are primitive, roadside campsites which require extra trip planning. Please take the time to plan and carefully prepare your itinerary.
• Roadside campsites are intended for high clearance vehicles only. Trailers, RVs and passenger vehicles will not be able to access most of these campsites. High clearance vehicles are defined as a SUV or truck, with at least 15 inch tire rims, and at least 8 inches of ground clearance, as measured from the lowest point of the vehicle (frame, suspension, body, differential). 

Natural Features

Death Valley National Park contains the largest wilderness in the contiguous United States (over 3,190,400 acres or roughly 93% of the entire National Park!). Nearly a thousand miles of paved and dirt roads intersect the wilderness, providing ready access to all but the most remote locations. 

Backcountry travel in Death Valley National Park can be challenging, but the opportunities for experiencing solitude, sweeping vistas, dark night skies, and awesome geology abound within the three million acres of designated wilderness in the park. There are few established trails in the park, but hikers can follow canyon bottoms, open desert washes, alluvial fans, and abandoned dirt roads to get around. 

Contact Info

Nearby Attractions

Charges & Cancellations

Changes/Modifications

• Changes may be made prior to the day the reservation begins.
• 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 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.

Cancellations

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

Late Cancellations or Cancellations within the Cut-off Window

• A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will have a $10.00 cancellation fee withheld from their refund AND will 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.

Review Rules and Reservation Policies for additional details about changes and cancellations. 

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.

• PLEASE NOTE: The actual availability of any first-come, first served-sites (FF) IS NOT reflected on the Recreation.gov website in real time.

• 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.  

• 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.

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.

Contact Info

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.