gdanmitchell Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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khurram1 wrote:
Is late July to late August a good time for Death Valley I know it will be hot, but given monsoon season in the Southwest, is it a good time to do the drive in for the Racetrack, Mesquite dunes, Zabriskie Point and Badwater Salt Dunes
Most people who photograph the place a lot are going to tell you that July and August are not great times to go to DEVA, especially for photography. It is ungodly hot and dry, to the point that there are objective risks if you are not very experienced in those conditions. Most people would also regard it as seriously unpleasant.
An exception is those folks who want to, I suppose, be able to say that they lived through the experience.
I photograph their regularly, and I wouldn't go near the place in July and August.
If i only have 2 or 3 days, what would be the best locations to prioritize for the trip and which locations are best for sunrise/sunset
For a short visit like that, I would begin by hitting the well-known iconic locations: Zabriskie, Mesquite Dunes, Badwater, various canyons, Dantes View, etc. Much of DEVA runs in a north/south direction, so you can figure out the morning/evening prospects by considering that. Zabriskie is most often a morning thing. Mesquite can be either — though at that time of year I'd go in the morning. Badwater can be late afternoon. Canyons work a bit later in the morning and earlier in the afternoon.
Is there a good central location to stay at I read Furnace Creek is best option for Badwater Salt Dunes, but not sure about other locations. Is there other places to stay that are better options
If you are staying in motels, the choices are somewhat limited. In the park you are either at Furnace Creek or Stovepipe Wells, with the former being more developed and with more services. (If you stay at Stovepipe you'll be sleeping beneath my photographs.) Over in Panamint Valley there is a little place. You can also stay in Beatty, Nevada and save some money on gas, food, and lodging... at the expense of a longer drive.
I find it hard to imagine wanting to camp that time of year.
Is a 4WD necessary for some of these locations and how much time should be allotted to get out to each location.
Many attractions are along main roads and don't require special vehicles — Zabriskie, Mesquite Dunes, many canyons, Badwater and vicinity, Salt Creek, Devils Golf Course, Scotty's Castle, etc. Some gravel roads are smooth enough to be driven in normal suburban vehicles. Others are best done in higher clearance vehicles with good tires, and a few require 4WD and experience with 4WD driving.
You can rent jeeps in the Furnace Creek area.
Bottom line: If you really want to enjoy DEVA, I don't recommend summer.
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