Tag: Death Valley

Texas Springs Campground is another large campground, primarilyy for RV and trailer camping within Death Valley National Park. The campground a mile of the Furnace Creek Ranch Resort and the Furnace Creek hotel. The campground is located in the hills above Furnace Creek and offers great views, sunsets and star gazing opportunities.

The campground is quite popular and despite its size, it can fill up. There is little under growth, and the camp sites proximity to each other can leave one to feel exposed.

Close to a lot of amenities in Furnace Creek, such as a store, borax museum & gas station, this campground offers a central location to scout out and explore Death Valley. This campground is located about 87 feet below sea level which and one of the lowest campgrounds in the world.

This campground is seasonal and only open from October to April each year. The high desert heat which can measure over 125F, would make this an unbearable location to camp in the summer months. The campground is maintained and operated by the National Park Service.

Campground Summary

Name	Texas Springs Campground
Location	Furnace Creek, Death Valley, California
Latitude, Longitude	36.459830, -116.856782
Elevation	-87 feet below sea level
Number of Sites	92 Total 26 Tent Only
Amenities	Water, flush toilets, picnic tables, a dump station and fire pits.

Texas Springs Campground Map

References

• NPS

Sunset Campground is another large, flat parking lot campground primary for RV camping located near Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park, California. The Campground is with a mile of the Furnace Creek Ranch Resort and the Furnace Creek hotel.

Although close to a lot of amenities in Furnace Creek, such as a store, borax museum & gas station the camping experience is like camping in a parking lot. The campground rarely fills to capacity and this is probably due to its layout and almost a complete lack of vegetation.

The campground is a large, flat, gravel clearing. The campsites are marked off and numbers by chalk. Earlier reports had the campground at 270 sites which is now marked down to 230. undoubtably to make it seem more open. This location is best suited for RV and trailer camping. This is a wonderful location for sky gazers who seek a clear night sky with little light pollution.

Sunset campground contains 230 camp sites. There are two group fire rings in the camp. No personal fire grates or charcoal grills are allowed. Gas burning stoves are permitted.

Campground Summary

Name	Sunset Campground
Location	Furnace Creek, Death Valley National Park, California
Latitude, Longitude	36.461059, -116.863386
Elevation	-160 feet below sea level
Sites	230
Amenities	Dump station, flush toilets, water availale

Sunset Campground Map

References

• NPS.gov

Stovepipe Wells Campgound is located in Stovepipe wells just off the 190 highway in Death Valley National Park. Located about 25 miles away from Furnace Creek, Stovepipe wells contains a restaurant, gas station, gift shop and reasonable nice amenities for the area.

The campground itself is more suitable for RV and Trails and has the feeling of a large parking lot, which does not offer much in a remote camping experience. However, it does contain some tent sites along the northern edge of the campsite. For tent campers, the campsites leave much to be desired, in my opinion. I prefer not to be surrounded by a sea of land yachts running generators.

The tent sites are the only locations which allow fires and since you are on the edge of the campground you can get the feeling of isolation provided you are looking North. High winds and sandstorms at night are frequent. On my last visit a powerful wind guest hit while I was returning from the restroom. I was greeted with the sight of a tent flying at a high rate of speed with about 100 feet in altitude above the desert floor. Several minutes later a camper came walking by, and when asked I told him “It went that away” pointing out into the desert.

There are some nice hikes nearby which include the local sand dunes, Mosaic Canyon, Nemo Canyon and Grotto Canyon.

Additionally, the Mesquite Flat Sand dunes located just to the east of the camp ground offers a nice area to explore, if the weather cooperates.

The gas in here is very expensive, and the only place I know you can get 85 octane fuel. It is cheaper than the gas prices at Furnace Creek.

Campground Summary

Name	Stovepipe Wells Campground
Location	Stovepipe Wells, Death Valley, California
Latitude, Longitude	36.60611, -117.14556
Elevation	-23 feet below sea level
Sites	190 Total 28 Tent only
Amenities	Water, Fire Rings, Tables

Stovepipe Wells Campground Map

Eureka Dunes Campground is near a small localize sand dunes formation with Death Valley National Monument. Eureka Dunes Dry Camp is located next to the Eureka Sand Dunes in the Eureka Valley.

The valley is is an enclosed basin locationed at about 3000 feet above sea leval. The sand dunes in this remote valley in the north western portion of Death Valley are the tallest dunes in California. Some of the dunes measured are almost 700 feet tall above the valley floor. The dunes themselves are contained in a relatively small 3 square miles.

At first glance, these islands of sand within Eureka Valley appear inhospitable to life. This however is not the case. These dunes receive the most rainfall of any within Death Valley due to their location within the park.

Due to the extreme isolation there are five known types of endemic beetles which make their home in the sand. Three plant species, Eureka Dunegrass ( Swallenia alexandrae ), Eureka Dunes Evening Primrose ( Oenothera avita eurekensis ) and Shining Milkvetch ( Astragalus lentiginosus micans ) and known to only exist in this three mile by one mile island of sand.

With roughly four sites and only a vaulted toilet, Eureka Dunes campground offers solitude for the back country traveler.

Campground Summary

Campground Name	Eureka Dunes Dry Camp
Location	Death Valley National Park, California
Latitude, Longitude	37.111773, -117.680898
Elevation	2890
Number of Sites	4
Amenities	Restrooms, tables

Eureka Dunes Campground Map

References

• NPS.gov