NP.GUIDE / FIELD GUIDE / FALL 2026
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Conditions change. Follow signs and ranger orders.
Oct 22 storms closed Ubehebe Road (no crater access), Beatty Cut-off, and Westside Road. Scotty's Castle has no access and no reopening date. Titus Canyon is closed to May 2027. Lower Wildrose is washed out: 25 feet max, high clearance only.
Summer tops 120 F. The record is 134 F. Do not hike low elevations when hot. Best hiking is November to March. Drink at least 1 gallon a day. Water only at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, and Panamint Springs.
Flash floods strike fast with rocks and debris. Never hike canyons in rain or high precipitation risk. Move to high ground at once.
Furnace Creek (gas and diesel), Panamint Springs (gas and diesel), Stovepipe Wells (87-octane, no diesel). No rapid EV chargers in the park. The closest is Beatty, 43 miles from Furnace Creek.
Emigrant Campground is closed indefinitely for water repairs. Texas Springs and Sunset are in seasonal closure. Furnace Creek takes reservations mid-October to mid-April. All other NPS campgrounds are first-come.
Limited to no cell service. Help may be hours away. Leave a trip plan, carry paper maps, and do not trust GPS. WiFi for purchase at the Furnace Creek Ranch hotel.
NPS conditions (large page)
Major places list all five services. Seasonal services may be closed.
Do this: Start here for rangers, maps, water, fuel, and groceries. Plan like a ranger before backcountry trips.
Visitor center open daily 8 to 5. No street address. Furnace Creek Campground takes reservations mid-October to mid-April.
Do this: West-side stop for fuel, food, water, and the ranger station. Dunes and Mosaic Canyon nearby.
Ranger station sells passes and permits. The campground typically opens late fall and closes April 15.
Do this: Walk early or late. Do not attempt the salt flat when hot.
Lowest point in North America, 282 feet below sea level. 17 miles south of Furnace Creek. Passes sold here.
Do this: Come at sunrise or sunset. No formal trail. Carry water.
At Stovepipe Wells, 24 miles west of Furnace Creek. The high dune is 1 mile each way.
Summer estimates without long stops. Traffic, wildlife, weather, and road work can cause delays.
Las Vegas → I-15 → NV160 → Pahrump → Bell Vista and Stateline Roads → Death Valley Junction → CA127 → CA190, about 120 miles and 2 hours
The fastest route from Las Vegas. Top off before the park. Roads are narrow 1930s grades. Most deaths here are single-car rollovers.
Furnace Creek → Badwater Road south 17 miles → Badwater Basin → Artists Drive back to CA-190, about 1.5 hours
The most popular drive. Add Devils Golfcourse on the way down and Zabriskie Point if you continue east.
Furnace Creek → west on CA-190, 24 miles → Stovepipe Wells Village
Pass Harmony Borax Works at 1 mile and Salt Creek at 13 miles. The dunes sit at Stovepipe Wells.
Beatty, Nevada → SR374 west into the park → CA-190 → Furnace Creek, about 45 minutes
Beatty has the closest rapid EV chargers, 43 miles from Furnace Creek. Rhyolite ghost town sits near Beatty.
Emergency: call 911. Tell the dispatcher your location, direction of travel, vehicle, and problem.
Park information: 760-786-3200
This independent guide is not the National Park Service and is not an emergency service.
Private vehicle $30, motorcycle $25, per person $15. Good 7 days with unlimited re-entry. The park is cashless. The annual pass is $55. Buy ahead on Recreation.gov for dirt-road entrances.
Furnace Creek takes reservations mid-October to mid-April on Recreation.gov, up to 6 months ahead. Group sites are reservable. All other NPS campgrounds are first-come. Pay at the kiosk machine with a card.
Free permits are recommended everywhere and mandatory ($10) for Echo Canyon, Hole in the Wall, Cottonwood and Marble canyons, and Greenwater Valley roadside camping. Book mandatory zones online only, up to 6 months ahead. Get free permits at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, or the drop box.
The 26-mile Cottonwood-Marble Loop requires a $10 permit, online only. Elsewhere backpacking permits are recommended but free. Groups are limited to 12 people and 4 vehicles. No backcountry campfires. Carry a stove.
Distances are one way unless marked as a loop. Check trail closures.
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