Death Valley National Park Travel Guide
After our tour of Nevada, we hopped over the border to Death Valley National Park in California.
Read below for all the details or see more in our travel video of Death Valley National Park here.
Death Valley National Park Quick Stats
Size: 3,422,024 acres
Location: Central California against the Nevada border.
Park Established In: 1994
Best For: hiking, driving, cycling, stargazing
WHAT TO DO:
Visit the Amargosa Opera House, which a New York based dancer named Marta Becket restored after discovering the abandoned theatre when she got a flat tire in the nearby outpost.
The theater showcases films, concerts, and stage shows in her honor, and tours are available year-round. A perfect indoor activity that acts a nice, air conditioned break for any tired kiddos.
Another great activity is the nearby ghost town outside of Beatty, Nevada. At its high point, the town’s population grew well into the five figures before being completely abandoned in 1916.
Nearby, the Goldwell Open Air Museum shows off a collection of huge sculptures that interact with the desert itself.
WHAT WE DID:
We met up with some friends we met on our very first stop out west.
Then, we found a screw in our tire, which I wouldn’t necessarily recommend.
After we got a patch on our tire, we went to Death Valley National Park and explored the lowest point in the United States, hiked through salt fields that look like snow and taste-tested the natural salt.
Where to Stay:
Camping
The park has nine campgrounds, four of which are free, with others starting at $14. All of them are first-come, first-served, except for the 136-site Furnace Creek (from $22), which takes reservations between October and April.
Hotels
During hotter months, you may want to skip the campgrounds altogether and check into one of four hotels within the park.
When to Go:
Fall: Starting in late October, temperatures range from 50 to 70 degrees. It’s within camping season but before the crowds have picked up, so if you’d prefer fewer people and temperate weather, this is a great time for you!
March to early May is the ideal weather window, with some wetter years even allowing beautiful wildflowers to bloom. This is by far the busiest season, which can make finding a camping spot more difficult.
And there is a reason this place is called Death Valley! I do not recommend going in the height of summer.
WHERE TO EAT:
We pack a great lunch and plenty of snacks. Kids carry their own food and water in their backpacks.
Here’s what we use on every hike.
KID FRIENDLY?
Yes, there are so many benefits to hiking with kids. It’s a great opportunity to teach real life lessons about risk and safety. It also allows them to be in nature, be creative, and to create their own adventure.
There are so many great things to stop and explore, so the kids get to be in charge of what they want to explore. A hike is kind of a kid’s curiosity playground. They get to jump on rocks, play in a puddle, ask tons of questions, etc.
Here’s what I take on every hike.
JR. RANGER PROGRAM:
This is such a great way to get the kids involved and really get excited about the park. You can go on the park website and download all the information and resources and print it beforehand so you can learn about it with your kids before you go. Then you’d turn your booklet into a ranger at the visitors center and receive your Jr. Ranger pins, or you can wait until you get to the National Park (that’s what we do), and receive a beautifully colorful workbook, do the activities while at the National Park, then head back to the visitors center (before they close) and receive the pins.
Either is great! We love the workbook the parks provide, and it means we don’t have to figure out where to get the content printed.
HERE’S WHAT I BOUGHT TO MAKE THIS EVEN MORE FUN FOR THE KIDS
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK PASSPORT STAMP LOCATIONS:
Furnace Creek Visitor Center
Furnace Creek, CA 92328
Stovepipe Wells Ranger Station
Stovepipe Wells is located in the center of Death Valley 24 miles from the Furnace Creek resort area to the south and 80 miles from the town of Lone Pine on Highway 395 to the west.
CATCH UP ON ALL OUR AIRSTREAM ADVENTURES HERE.
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