Re: Death Valley Racetrack in April - How to get there?
I go out there regularly. I know that people are going to write and tell you to go ahead and drive the mini-van or the sedan out there. While it is possible, I don\'t recommend it. You have a 55 mile round trip on a God awful washboard gravel road.
Renting one of the 4WD vehicles from Furnace Creek is a fine option. The road isn\'t technically hard to drive - so I don\'t think you probably need to have someone else drive unless you are very uneasy about driving gravel roads - and the rental Jeep is more than enough vehicle for this road. The main issues with the road are the washboard surface and the gravel. It doesn\'t really require 4WD in normal conditions - it is more that better ground clearance and good tires are important.
First week of April is a good time to go usually. But this year do keep an eye on the conditions since if the current rainfall pattern continues, the playa could be wet - and it is a very, very bad idea to walk on the playa when it is wet or muddy. (Footprints last for many, many years.)
Re: Death Valley Racetrack in April - How to get there?
I go out there regularly. I know that people are going to write and tell you to go ahead and drive the mini-van or the sedan out there. While it is possible, I don\'t recommend it. You have a 55 mile round trip on a God awful washboard gravel road.
Renting on of the 4WD vehicles from Furnace Creek is a fine option. The road isn\'t technically hard to drive - so I don\'t think you probably need to have someone else drive unless you are very uneasy about driving gravel roads - and the rental Jeep is more than enough vehicle for this road. The main issues with the road are the washboard surface and the gravel. It doesn\'t really require 4WD in normal conditions - it is more that better ground clearance and good tires are important.
First week of April is a good time to go usually. But this year do keep an eye on the conditions since if the current rainfall pattern continues, the playa could be wet - and it is a very, very bad idea to walk on the playa when it is wet or muddy. (Footprints last for many, many years.)
Dan
Jan 03, 2011 at 08:42 AM
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