Last Minute Death Valley trip, Dec 27-31 (2 Viewers)

[linuxgod]

(Mods feel free to move this thread or just delete it after Jan 1)

My son Gabe and I are exploring Death Valley for a few days. Arriving tomorrow (12/27) probably around 1pm, and leaving early AM on the 31st. We’re staying at the Atomic Inn in Beatty, NV and have a rental Jeep… we flew into Palm Springs so no land cruiser this time, unfortunately. We had plans to meet up with a couple people but that seems to have fallen through.

If anyone is within a few hours and wants to explore the park with us, give me a shout on here or message me.

 

[TheIcemanCometh]

Have fun ... Definitely go high (Telescope Peak) and low (Bad Water). Visit the Skidoo mine site - if not closed off and ya have a good light wander down some of the mine shafts.

 

[LCH21]

To really enjoy Death Valley, you have to get off the beaten path. The south end of the West Side Road is open and that will give you easy access to Warm Springs Road. That will take you by a number of large talc mines and the Warm Springs mine camp. Further up, you will get into Stripped Butte Valley. It is a beautiful valley, has the Geologist's Cabin and Carl Mengel's cabin. That drive is an all-day affair, about 25 miles, one way, of class 2 to 3 (rating from 1 to 5) single track from the West Side Road. Salt Creek is unfortunately, destroyed, as is Darwin Wash Road and Titus Canyon road. Ubehebe Crater and the Race Track are fun. Also a full day. Lippencott road, from the Race Track road can be a real bear, class 3 to 4, depending. Fun drive into the Saline Valley but the road can border on the impassible to all but highly modified vehicles. I drove it a few years back in my Tundra with a mild lift and large tires and was scraping the cliff on the inside with the outside tires on the very edge of the road. I had to have the wife walk in front as a spotter for a mile or two. Saratoga Springs is a nice place to go also. It is worth the hike out to the Mesquite Flat sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells. Depending on your likes, the town of Darwin is mildly interesting but nothing open the last time I was there. Panament Springs, the restaurant can be hit or miss. At Badwater, the walk out on the salt flat is worth it. Go out a mile or so to really get a feel for it. Visit Rhyolite, it is worth the visit. Echo Canyon to the Inyo Mine is nice. You will only have enough time for a few of these but they are generally my favorites. There are many other places to go if there is more time. As mentioned above, the Skidoo mine is interesting.

 

[TeCKis300]

Great time of year for a trip out there. I would definitely consider but I'm out on vacation with family.

It'll be interesting to hear any contrast between jeep and cruiser post trip. I just remember how slow the Jeeps we're in washboards. With the distances involved in Death Valley, it was good to have a nicer riding (faster) rig.

 

[linuxgod]

Great time of year for a trip out there. I would definitely consider but I'm out on vacation with family.

It'll be interesting to hear any contrast between jeep and cruiser post trip. I just remember how slow the Jeeps we're in washboards. With the distances involved in Death Valley, it was good to have a nicer riding (faster) rig.

Yeah the Gladiator I rented is an amazing bit of engineering. I’ve never driven a vehicle that is both abusively rough on every bump AND overly floaty like a Cadillac on marshmallows. I miss the cruiser but we’d have lost 5 days on the round trip drive

 

[turbo8]

A neat place south of Beatty is Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, the turquoise springs and Pupfish are a strange thing to see in the middle of the desert. You can also stop by the Armagosa Dunes and see how well the Jeep does.

 

[Boston Mangler]

DV is one of my fav places and been probably close to 35-40x, true story. Mainly the off the beaten paths, DEEP In the park

We usually spend the WEEK between Christmas and New Years there. This is the first year in almost a decade we havent.

Having said that, i still havent seen the whole thing, thats how massive it is.

PROTIP: Go on their website and check what roads and such are open.

Went 2 years ago with the fam, and a bunch of the nice dirt roads that get ya access to the more remote, cooler less traveled areas of the park, were closed, as well as access to many of the main attractions, and it made for a disaster of a trip. with very limited access to ANYTHING

They often close roads recently due to flooding and wash out, a few of them are main corridors to get around the park so it can get messy fast!

Do your research on current conditions to save a ton of time.

Get a good paper map and plan accordingly, some of the detours can add multiple hours to usually quick jaunts

CUT AND PASTED FROM THEIR OFFICIAL SITE JUST NOW:

CLOSED:​

Note that road closures listed below apply to ALL motorized vehicles, including motorcycles.The roads were completely washed out in places and entry will cause tire tracks and braided roads in wilderness as users try to locate what was once the road. Thank you for your patience as we work to reopen these locations. Bicycles are permitted except on Titus Canyon Rd.

Only major roads are listed for reference below:

• Northern entrance of West Side Road - Due to a deep cut in the road. Construction starts November 4, 2024.
• Lower Wildrose Road (aka Trona - Wildrose Road, connects Wildrose to Panamint Valley)- completely impassable due to a 9-foot deep cut across the road. Likely to remain closed until Summer 2026.
• Darwin Falls - Road is completely gone in many places. It will need either extensive import of road fill (expensive) or "mining" of gravel from the nearby wash (this would require thorough environmental review). Likely to remain closed until Summer 2026. Hikers can park on the shoulder of CA-190 and walk in.
• Salt Creek - Flooding destroyed the boardwalk, restroom and parking area. Will not open before June 2025.
• Titus Canyon Road - Due to flood damage. Bicycle use is prohibited in Titus Canyon for safety reasons. Impassable. Not likely to open before 2026. Lower Titus Canyon to the Fall Canyon Trailhead is open.
• Cottonwood Canyon Road- Closed final 1.6 miles due to water.

 

[LCH21]

DV is one of my fav places and been probably close to 35-40x, true story. Mainly the off the beaten paths, DEEP In the park

We usually spend the WEEK between Christmas and New Years there. This is the first year in almost a decade we havent.

Having said that, i still havent seen the whole thing, thats how massive it is.

PROTIP: Go on their website and check what roads and such are open.

Went 2 years ago with the fam, and a bunch of the nice dirt roads that get ya access to the more remote, cooler less traveled areas of the park, were closed, as well as access to many of the main attractions, and it made for a disaster of a trip. with very limited access to ANYTHING

They often close roads recently due to flooding and wash out, a few of them are main corridors to get around the park so it can get messy fast!

Do your research on current conditions to save a ton of time.

Get a good paper map and plan accordingly, some of the detours can add multiple hours to usually quick jaunts

CUT AND PASTED FROM THEIR OFFICIAL SITE JUST NOW:

CLOSED:​

Note that road closures listed below apply to ALL motorized vehicles, including motorcycles.The roads were completely washed out in places and entry will cause tire tracks and braided roads in wilderness as users try to locate what was once the road. Thank you for your patience as we work to reopen these locations. Bicycles are permitted except on Titus Canyon Rd.

Only major roads are listed for reference below:

• Northern entrance of West Side Road - Due to a deep cut in the road. Construction starts November 4, 2024.
• Lower Wildrose Road (aka Trona - Wildrose Road, connects Wildrose to Panamint Valley)- completely impassable due to a 9-foot deep cut across the road. Likely to remain closed until Summer 2026.
• Darwin Falls - Road is completely gone in many places. It will need either extensive import of road fill (expensive) or "mining" of gravel from the nearby wash (this would require thorough environmental review). Likely to remain closed until Summer 2026. Hikers can park on the shoulder of CA-190 and walk in.
• Salt Creek - Flooding destroyed the boardwalk, restroom and parking area. Will not open before June 2025.
• Titus Canyon Road - Due to flood damage. Bicycle use is prohibited in Titus Canyon for safety reasons. Impassable. Not likely to open before 2026. Lower Titus Canyon to the Fall Canyon Trailhead is open.
• Cottonwood Canyon Road- Closed final 1.6 miles due to water.

This.

Best to hit the Visitor's Center at Furnace Creek. The rangers there can give you the latest full skinny on what is or ain't plus current road conditions / difficulty.

The remnants of Hurricane Hillary made a mess of things, but the recovery has been good.

Forgot to mention, on the south end of the West Side Road, the Queen of Sheba and Carbonate mines are a fun visit. The road is bumpy but doable.

 

[Boston Mangler]

This.

Best to hit the Visitor's Center at Furnace Creek. The rangers there can give you the latest full skinny on what is or ain't plus current road conditions / difficulty.

The remnants of Hurricane Hillary made a mess of things, but the recovery has been good.

Forgot to mention, on the south end of the West Side Road, the Queen of Sheba and Carbonate mines are a fun visit. The road is bumpy but doable.

Yes. But.. Sometimes just getting to Furnace Creek itself can be an ordeal with the closures. I usually avoid it, unless it’s a needed stop

Also, Their direct website click “alerts” is updated hourly I believe and has never steered me wrong

 

[linuxgod]

We got updates from the ranger, pretty much what @Boston Mangler noted above. Since we got to Stovepipe Wells around 1:30 we just hit the sand dunes, artists drive, and zabrisky point before heading into Beatty to get dinner and check in.

Not yet sure what we’ll do tomorrow.

Deciding whether or not I feel brave enough to air down and take the rental Gladiator to the Racetrack on Sunday or Monday… I have a spare but no patch kit or air compressor.

Artist’s Point was pretty about an hour before sunset.

 

[Boston Mangler]

We got updates from the ranger, pretty much what @Boston Mangler noted above. Since we got to Stovepipe Wells around 1:30 we just hit the sand dunes, artists drive, and zabrisky point before heading into Beatty to get dinner and check in.

Not yet sure what we’ll do tomorrow.

Deciding whether or not I feel brave enough to air down and take the rental Gladiator to the Racetrack on Sunday or Monday… I have a spare but no patch kit or air compressor.

Artist’s Point was pretty about an hour before sunset.
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If you have limited time, I personally wouldn’t bother with the race track. It’s been so vandalized and over crowded the last few years, it’s almost upsetting to see it now.

That and it’s a pretty horrible LONG slow drive in and out. It’s 30ish miles each way, but regardless of what you’re in and how nice your suspension is, it just sucks anyway ya look at it

So much else to see, I’d skip racetrack personally

Look up the charcoal kilns, they’re rad, but there is also all sorts of other cool stuff along the way to them that most people pass right by

 

[sdnative]

I nominate @Boston Mangler to be our guide next DV trip.

I actually enjoyed the race track. We went to ubehebe crater, tea kettle junction, racetrack, then up and over hunter mountain down to panamint valley. Stayed at the resort a couple nights, visited Darwin and out to the 395.

Probably the highlight of our trip was mengel pass, buttle valley and warm springs.

Don't discount the visitor center. I actually enjoyed the visit

Bring as much fuel as you can, it is crazy expensive in the park.

 

[OGBeno]

Skip the truck. Ride bikes.

 

[Boston Mangler]

I nominate @Boston Mangler to be our guide next DV trip.

Ha…. Nah…

The new generation of folks with their tablets that, and their Gaia this, app this and ham radio bla bla bla all day aren’t my thing.

Last few times I’ve tried to do group trips they turned into tech geek fests and nothing but electronica. Not even remotely my thing.

Those type of folks are always in a rush and racing the clock to get to the next pre determined location asap rather than enjoying all the side quests.

If a few folks can leave all their electronics at home and want to use some paper maps, I’d probably be interested.

But zero interest in a tech fest with folks being spoon fed “locations” and blabbing on radios all day.

#crankyoldman #getoffmylawn

 

[Boston Mangler]

Skip the truck. Ride bikes.

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Yes Sir

Bikes are fun in DV too:

Circa 2015 or so

 

[dudemancool1904]

Ha…. Nah…

The new generation of folks with their tablets that, and their Gaia this, app this and ham radio bla bla bla all day aren’t my thing.

Last few times I’ve tried to do group trips they turned into tech geek fests and nothing but electronica. Not even remotely my thing.

Those type of folks are always in a rush and racing the clock to get to the next pre determined location asap rather than enjoying all the side quests.

If a few folks can leave all their electronics at home and want to use some paper maps, I’d probably be interested.

But zero interest in a tech fest with folks being spoon fed “locations” and blabbing on radios all day.

#crankyoldman #getoffmylawn

You are 100% correct. I watch trailerecon or TSTN on YouTube and while I’m a dude and love gadgets, the whole point of going out to the middle of nowhere is to explore and be “in the moment.” Not bring $100k worth of tow rig and trailer so you can watch YouTube via starlink while you’re baking cinnamon rolls and taking a dump in a cassette toilet.

 

[Boston Mangler]

You are 100% correct. I watch trailerecon or TSTN on YouTube and while I’m a dude and love gadgets, the whole point of going out to the middle of nowhere is to explore and be “in the moment.” Not bring $100k worth of tow rig and trailer so you can watch YouTube via starlink while you’re baking cinnamon rolls and taking a dump in a cassette toilet.

Literally spot on Sir

Also, I’m a Land Surveyor by profession, so actual maps and navigation are kinda my thing…

 

[clrussell]

Ha…. Nah…

The new generation of folks with their tablets that, and their Gaia this, app this and ham radio bla bla bla all day aren’t my thing.

Last few times I’ve tried to do group trips they turned into tech geek fests and nothing but electronica. Not even remotely my thing.

Those type of folks are always in a rush and racing the clock to get to the next pre determined location asap rather than enjoying all the side quests.

If a few folks can leave all their electronics at home and want to use some paper maps, I’d probably be interested.

But zero interest in a tech fest with folks being spoon fed “locations” and blabbing on radios all day.

#crankyoldman #getoffmylawn

Sign me up.

 

[TeCKis300]

That and it’s a pretty horrible LONG slow drive in and out. It’s 30ish miles each way, but regardless of what you’re in and how nice your suspension is, it just sucks anyway ya look at it.

That was my favorite part. The 200 aired down eats these roads like a paved highway, Baja rally style. In contrast to the Jeeps I was passing that looked like they were being rattled apart.

Disappointing to hear of the racetrack getting vandalized.

 

[Boston Mangler]

Sign me up.

That was my favorite part. The 200 aired down eats these roads like a paved highway, Baja rally style. In contrast to the Jeeps I was passing that looked like they were being rattled apart.

Disappointing to hear of the racetrack getting vandalized.

Yeah. About 3 years ago, friend and I went in middle of night for some Milky Way photos and literally witnessed 2 dudes taking the “moving rocks” and putting them in their SUV.

Got their plate and reported it to ranger and gave him my contact info.

Few days later Ranger called me and let me know they caught them in the park the next day with the rocks and a bunch of other stuff as well…

Yeah…