Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Trip Location Advice & Meet-ups | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2015 · Death Valley advice

  
 
khurram1
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Death Valley advice


Despite all of my trips to the Southwest, i've never made it out to Death Valley.

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

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

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

Is a 4WD necessary for some of these locations and how much time should be allotted to get out to each location.



Mar 02, 2015 at 11:09 AM
Greg Campbell
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Death Valley advice


I often encourage people to 'have a go' at roads like Titus, West Side, Racetrack, etc. when others may urge more caution. BUT in this case, IMO, you need to be VERY cautious. Simply renting a 4x4 and driving off into the desert is likely to end 'poorly' for you. Suggest you contact the park and ask about road closures. (I think Titus is closed during the summer, although you may be able to make special arrangements and borrow a gate key.) I think Racetrack stays open, but I'd definitely ask about the frequency of back-road patrols. In the summer, a car breakdown becomes an immediate, life threatening emergency. If you're going to do this, file a plan with the rangers and bring at least TEN one-gallon containers of water. (Enough to keep you alive for two or three days.)

DV's summer climate is nothing like that found in Arizona or New Mexico. Only occasionally does the Southwest Monsoon waft significant blobs of moisture as far NW as Vegas and DV. You can expect a few dozen total days with elevated humidity, and a handful of summer storms, but for most of the the season the weather pattern brings deadly dry heat. Don't count on the monsoon to bring any relief during your visit.

That said, you CAN have a good time in DV during the summer. Explore the lower elevation sights in the VERY early morning. Under a bright moon, a pre-dawn hike of the Stovepipe Dunes or Zabriskie/Gower/Golden bandlands can be a superb experience. (Again, let someone know where you are going!) By 9am you should be on your way out of the valley, or headed back to the hotel room. The higher, cooler Emigrant and Wildrose Canyon areas have a number of worthy destinations including the Charcoal Kilns, Aguereberry Point, Skidoo, the Rogers / Telescope Peak trail, and more.

Edited on Mar 03, 2015 at 03:53 PM · View previous versions



Mar 02, 2015 at 12:29 PM
Greg Campbell
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Death Valley advice


Regarding motels, I don't know if there's much to choose between Furnace and Stovepipe. Both provide adequate food and a cool room. What more does a photographer need? DV is a large park. You'll save a bit of driving if you split your trip between the two.

If you have three full days, consider a side trip to the Bristlecone Pine trees, a few hours to the north. Depending on which direction you're coming from, a night at Panamint Springs (see also 'Darwin Falls') or Big Pine might make sense. http://goo.gl/maps/sWTKw



Mar 02, 2015 at 12:38 PM
gdanmitchell
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Death Valley advice


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.



Mar 02, 2015 at 08:22 PM
Greg Campbell
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Death Valley advice


Pleasant if primitive camping to he had at Mahogany Flat, WAY up in the Panamint mountains at ~8000 ft elevation. You'll enjoy trees (shade!) and vastly reduced temperatures. The road condition is rather variable and may or may not be passable in a typical auto. A high clearance vehicle (4x4 not really required) wouldn't be a bad thing to have.

Camping on the valley floor in August is insane. The heat will keep you awake 'till ~3am...



Mar 02, 2015 at 09:45 PM
gdanmitchell
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Death Valley advice


Greg Campbell wrote:
Camping on the valley floor in August is insane. The heat will keep you awake 'till ~3am...


And reawaken you at 3:30.



Mar 02, 2015 at 10:09 PM
khurram1
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Death Valley advice


Thanks Greg and Dan for the all of the helpful advice!! I guess i'll save he info for a future trip and skip Death Valley in the summer.

Looking back, i guess i should have tried to do it in December. We ended up cutting our southwest trip short, because of a blizzard in Bryce. In hindsight, that would probably been a better choice for Death Valley, but i was fixated in trying to get red rock i snow shots. The problem was that the 3 or 4 day window i had was a forecast of solid snow with low visibility.



Mar 02, 2015 at 11:56 PM
Lightsearcher
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Death Valley advice


I visited DV the last week of August and it was hot, very hot..!! Walking the sand dunes we had 120 degrees, we returned at my car after 20 minutes almost dying.

I rented a car (sedan) in Las Vegas and I visited multiple places. It is a beautiful park with so many photography options, my favorite place was the Basin Badwater at sunset. Many places are accessible by a regular sedan but if you are planning to go to Racetrack Playa you will need a 4x4.

Good luck and enjoy the trip with out putting yourself at risk.


http://marcelobarrera.zenfolio.com/img/s7/v160/p667868425-5.jpg

Enjoy your trip.



Mar 04, 2015 at 09:39 AM
gdanmitchell
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Death Valley advice


The road to the Racetrack Playa, at least in normal conditions, doesn't require four-wheel drive, though it does call for high ground clearance and good tires.

If the conditions are bad — e.g. rain, etc — all bets are off.

Dan



Mar 04, 2015 at 03:09 PM
psmoore
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Death Valley advice


Another spot to visit in DV is Scotty's Castle. It's pretty neat.


Mar 04, 2015 at 10:05 PM
Greg Campbell
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Death Valley advice


Zabriskie Point has re-opened after work to repair damage caused by the thundering herds...




Mar 07, 2015 at 01:08 AM





FM Forums | Trip Location Advice & Meet-ups | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.