DEATH VALLEY National Park - California

WILLIRoad Trip
Mar 4, 2020
5 min read

Saturday, February 29th - Day 13

We leave our camp quickly for fear of being blocked by the snow that falls at daybreak.

Our route leads us to DEATH VALLEY via BISHOP.

We enter Death Valley National Park through the EAST entrance.

We stop at the Visitor Center where we get the information related to the Park including the detailed map of the Park.

It is our first National Park, we buy our Annual Pass called AMERICA PASS THE BEAUTIFUL (80$). It will be our sesame for the next "National Park".

The reception of the always so sympathetic and warm.

DEATH VALLEY :

the largest park in the United States outside of Alaska
It owes its name to the Europeans who were looking for a passage to California, attracted by the gold rush. "Trapped for several months in a dry valley almost devoid of any animal or plant life, they gave it the name "Death Valley". They survived by burning wood from vehicles, eating their oxen, and finding water sources."

We take the HW136 to enter the Park then the HW190.

We thought we would reach our camp quickly but in fact the road is as breathtaking as it is endless.

It took us almost an hour to reach the first stop with a fabulous view

FATHER CROWLEY Vista Point.

The landscape of dark lava flows and volcanic ash abruptly gives way to the gash of Rainbow Canyon below this viewpoint.

Breathtaking view on PANAMINT DUNES Darwin Plateau.

It is midday. We think to reach our camp quickly and decide to wait for the arrival for the meal. But this is without counting on the steep road that leads us from the plateau to the valley.

Gauthier is at the wheel, he has to take care of the truck and to be very vigilant so that we stay on the road, far from the rocks and the cliffs which fall to the ground.

After the big straight lines, we begin an ascent then a vertiginous descent seen from the cabin of our truck.

The fuel gauge drops in a worrying way and we had not foreseen!

What seems to us fast as the crow flies is in fact very long, we will put more than 2 hours to course the (52Mi/82Km) which separate us from the East Entrance of the Park.

It is relieved that we settle in our reserved place in the RV PARK of STOVEPIPPE WELLS. Village in the middle of nowhere but almost only inhabited place and which posts thus almost complete even in this season! We will not be authorized to prolong our stay and will be able to stay only 3 nights.

Our RV camp is in the middle of the desert. Not a tree, not a sign of vegetation, gravel and dust await us.

Our first camp does not make us dream we already regret our freedom and we align WILLIRoad on our reserved place (N°3) between two RV already installed. In fact of camp, it looks like a fitted out parking lot but we are quite happy to find a little bit of conveniences after 3 nights of Dry camping, and to connect us to the networks of running water and electricity to fill our tanks and to empty the others, to empty our dustbins... .

It is hot, 77°/86°F (25-30°C), we get lost between °F and °C . We test the air conditioning and organize our camp.

The end of the day arriving quickly we leave to discover the place and decide to go to attend the sunset on LAKE HILLS.

Great !

On our return, our camp looks a bit more like a Nomad camp.

Nice atmosphere in the neighboring camp where some people have lit wood fires to cook.

We let ourselves be tempted by a barbecue for the evening but because of the lack of a table outside, we eat inside!

At 9 p.m. all the camp seems to sleep, the silence is overwhelming.

Sunday, March 1st - Day 14

Early wake up... after the sunrise a little too early for our taste.

Departure 7am from the camp to discover the South of the Valley.

We quickly pass in front of MESQUITE FLAT SAND DUNES reserving the visit for the next day and take a rocky road which takes us to discover the treasures of the Park.

We start with

- KEANE WONDER Mine (Old Gold Mine)

We continue with

- HARMONY BORAX Works

- FURNACE CREEK (Village) and the BORAX MUSEUM (Closed) but let's visit the machines exposed outside

- BADWATER /SALT FLAT

- MORMON POINT

- ASFORD MILL (Ruins)

Small break very windy for the picnic of noon.

- ARTIST PALETTE et ARTIST DRIVE

Our road in ARTIST DRIVE

- GOLDEN CANYON that we will not do until the end to our great regret but we must make choices

- ZABRISKIE Point and its magnificent view on the mountain

- TWENTY MULES TEAM et son CANYON Unpaved road +++

- DANTES VIEW ... where we will not see anything because of the weather : very overcast sky!

Back to the camp under the wind and the rain. To say that it falls only 4cms of water / year and we have the chance to be present one of the rare days of rain!

Back to the camp for a very windy evening we are well sheltered unlike the tents of the neighboring Dry camp.

Monday, March 2nd - Day 15

Very agitated night.

Storm, rain and wind on the camp. We postpone the time of rising.

The gas station is closed since the day before in the afternoon. Decidedly!

We leave the camp a little before 9 o'clock for FURNACE and the full tank of the HONDA.

Here the fuel is rare and thus expensive just like the Internet connections.

We take advantage of our return to FURNACE to buy stamps and to plan the continuation of the stages of the journey towards LAS VEGAS.

On the program of the day ... continuation of the visits by

- UBEHEBE Crater (Volcano) and small walk around the crater.

At noon we set out on the difficult to drive track of RACE TRACK.

The road is reserved for the 4X4 but we try our "chance".

We will cross only a handful of vehicles and for good reason, the road is difficult we miss to leave a piece at each detour.

Lunch stop at 1 pm to quickly take the road towards RACE LAKE PLAYA.

MAGNIFICENT, immense and superb.

After the rain of the beginning of the day, the sun will manage to break through the clouds. The temperature will remain quite low. We cross many snowy spaces (vestiges of the winter snow). The icy wind maintains the snow on the northern slopes of the rocks and plants (cactus).

We continue the road to the Home Stake Dry Camp junction. But, after reading the not very encouraging warnings of the Rangers, we give up taking the last section too steep for our vehicle. (In case of problem, no repair is possible, you engage at your own risk!)

We turn back with regret but discover the landscapes with a different luminosity.

We will take again 3 hours to reach the crater of UBEHEBE.

Return to the camp in the night.

Quiet evening, preparations for the next step: LAS VEGAS.

Tuesday, March 3 - Day 16

Early wake up for the departure but the camp is too quiet for a departure at 7 am.

We decide to go by car to see the MESQUITE FLAT SAND DUNES.