More Death Valley info

[dthomas]

I am also planning to go to Death Vally on presidents weekend. Coming down from eastern Oregon to meet my sisters there, they are coming from southern cal. never been there and NPS wont pick up their phones. can you just drive in and find a place to camp? we will coming in from the west.I have a dodge 2500 with Hawk they will have truck/tent camping any suggestions on where to stay, what to see. The main pupose of the trip is to see each other, so something on the west side would be good? any advice??

 

[dorocks]

When I went there I was told in most, not all places, you could camp two miles off the main roads. So as you can see we went in a couple miles and just parked. They do not want folks messing up the view from the roads, I presume. A good idea.

http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Vacation-Photos/Death-Valley-Day-Two-2011/15906737_wKNZ5z#!i=1192927792&k=Gn5qM

http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Vacation-Photos/Death-Valley-Day-Two-2011/15906737_wKNZ5z#!i=1193008940&k=ZoeQA

This was not true at the Racetrack. They had signs saying you could not camp there. We never stayed at a regular camp. The one we saw near the Visitor center looked like a parking lot. I saw no reason to pay, especially since it was blissfully quiet in our primitive "sites."

Here are the official sites listed.

http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/camping.htm

 

[generubin]

Prez Weekend is the annual softball game between the Palm Springs and the Lower Springs at Saline Valley Hot Springs. If you visit DV often, you'll end up being a fan of the Springs. So you might as well save time and just head there straight away. As I always remind everyone, 4x4 or not, unless you plan on spending an extended stay at the Hotsprings, you better bring a set of tires chains just in case. http://forum.salinepreservation.org/