Enthusiast II
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US Southwest Springtime in Death Valley
- Thread starter PortageBay
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- us southwest
TheViking
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Member I
Getting Prepped now, we should be there about Feb 25th. But First, Mojave Road.
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LOTS of options. Too many really. I'll start you off with Titus Canyon and Echo Canyon. Both feature easy to moderate drive and ghost towns/mines to explore. Echo Canyon also allows dispersed camping, just make sure you check out the rules to disperse camp.... have fun and if you are in the park between 1/5 and 4/15 stop by Texas Springs campground (in the Furnace Creek area) and say "hi"!
Member III
We just did a short 2 1/2 day trip that included Titus Canyon about 3 weeks ago, right before the second Covid shut down. It was an awesome drive & I highly recommend doing it. There was a stock Jeep Grand Cherokee & a stock Subaru Forester on the trail to give you an idea of difficulty level, although recent storms could certainly change things. With a short stop in the Rhyolite Ghost Town for lunch & a quick stop at the Leadfield Mine, along with a few photo stops, it took us about 3 1/2 hours to complete the 27 mile 1-way drive. We can't wait to go back, spend a week or more & see some of the other sights.
PortageBay, Thanks for the offer! You can't beat local knowledge, especially in an area as big as Death Valley. I'm pretty sure we'll be back in February/March. I'll definitely touch bases once we have some dates & we'll be sure to stop by.
PortageBay, Thanks for the offer! You can't beat local knowledge, especially in an area as big as Death Valley. I'm pretty sure we'll be back in February/March. I'll definitely touch bases once we have some dates & we'll be sure to stop by.
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Enthusiast II
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Current Update: 1/2/21 Due to State of CA shutdown, all campgrounds, both front country and backcountry are closed for at least another month. Dispersed camping (the kind we like!) IS available. Gas stations ARE open. Be sure to understand the dispersed camping regulations as to where and how you can camp. You still need an entry permit for the park but the dispersed camping is free....
I miss death valley! I had a great time there a couple years back. My wife and I had a rented KIA that we toured around in for just under a week ( we stopped off at "hammer town" to watch the every man challenge of king of the hammers on our way to Joshua tree after during my 2 week vacation). Its not something I get to do very often and even less now that right after this trip my wife found out she was pregnant lol. As a Canadian the desert is cool to me and I love traveling through the canyons and valleys. I hope to get back there at some point but for now I'll look back on old pictures lol.
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Enthusiast III
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Is the Butte Valley area open for Disbursed Camping right now? We're thinking of heading down in the next few days...
Enthusiast II
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Traveler III
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Hey, Bob! Thanks for the info. I wanted to do a trip to Death Valley this winter and your offer sounds perfect. Please confirm that you are indeed available 1/5/21 (In the detail tab it says 1/16). My window is 1/8 to 1/18.
Enthusiast I
Yes, hello PortageBay, the wife and I are heading out that way tomorrow or the next day. We plan to disperse camp and are tentatively planning on entering the park from the Ballarat area, down through Mengel and camping in Butte Valley on the first night. In your posts I’ve seen you mention proper dispersed camping protocol. Could you shed a little more light on any specific rules and regulations beyond the pack-in/pack-out and portable toilet systems. I want to make sure I’m respectful to the park.
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You can see all of the information here: Backcountry Camping - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
My daughter and I plan on heading down Tuesday and spending Wednesday night in Butte Valley. Later on we will be heading to the Mojave Road... We'll be in the bright white Lexus LX470
Enthusiast I
Thanks so much RAMf1! That’s precisely the info I was looking for. Not sure yet where we’ll be camping on Wednesday but I’ll definitely keep my eyes peeled for your white Lexus! Thanks again and safe travels!
Enthusiast I
Hi RAMf1, I hope you enjoy Butte Valley as much as we did! We stayed at the Geologist’s Cabin. Jeff and Kathy Oldham if your reading the sign-in book
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Contributor III
I am think about my first trip to the area In February or March. Thanks for the pointers on 2 good places to start out. I will put these two canyons on my list to start mapping things out. I will try and stop by to HI as I pass by.
Member III
We met up with PortageBay (Bob McNamara) who is volunteering at the Texas Springs Campground. He spent some time with us going over a map of the backcountry area and suggested some trails to do and some places to disperse camp. We will be hitting those next trip.
If you're in DV anytime up until April 15th, be sure to stop in and see him. He's a great guy & really knows the whole DV area, as he's been coming here for 40 years.
If you're in DV anytime up until April 15th, be sure to stop in and see him. He's a great guy & really knows the whole DV area, as he's been coming here for 40 years.
OutbackInTheWild
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Spring is the best time to visit Death Valley. I work for the National Park Service as a volunteer and will be here from 1/16/21 to 4/15/21. With 40 years of playing in this desert I can help you out with maps, GPX files and suggestions for adventure. Come on out!
HI, any updates on Saline Valley pools being reopened?
