Spring Camping Destinations – RV Parks in Death Valley
Spring is the time for many to take out their recreational vehicles and hit the roads. Americas offers numerous RV camping destinations for spring camping and Death Valley is one of them. Located in Eastern California, Death Valley lies within the Mojave Desert. It has driest, hottest and lowest locations of North America. This desert valley is in the Great Basin, near the border of the states of California and Nevada. In fact, it is on the eastern side of Sierra Nevada Mountains. Much of the Death Valley National Park comprised of Death Valley. The national park features three million acres of wilderness and it is the largest National Park in the contiguous United States. Death Valley is around two hours west of Las Vegas, Nevada. A popular RV camping destination, this desert valley features eight park-operated campgrounds. Five of these campground accommodate RV camping. Besides, there are two privately owned RV parks.
Park-operated RV campgrounds
Furnace Creek: This RV campground is centrally located in this national park. Apart from RV camping sites, tenting is also allowed here. Furnace Creek houses a bike path, an abandoned borax mine and hiking trails nearby. It is the only RV campground of Death Valley taking reservations. This facility has 136 campsites with picnic tables, drinking water, a dump station, and flush toilets. Each site comes with a campfire ring or grill. Campers with larger units can opt for the pull-through sites. It also has RV parking facility. Pets are allowed, but must be kept on leash. You need to pay an entrance fee, apart from the regular camping fee.
Texas Spring: This campground allows RV camping on upper level, and only tent camping on lower level. It has around 92 campsites. Each site includes a fire ring and a picnic table. Drinking water is also available. This RV campground is close to Furnace Creek Visitor center. Generators are not allowed in Texas Spring. It also has pull-through sites and can accommodate bigger rigs. Some of the nearby attractions of this facility include Scotty’s castle, Mesquite Springs Dunes, Ubehebe Crater, and the Charcoal Kilns. This is a first come first served camping facility with self-registration.
Mesquite Spring: Located at an elevation of 1,800 feet, this RV camping facility is 3 miles from Scotty’s Castle. Mesquite Spring campground features 30 sites with drinking water, picnic tables, fire ring, flush toilets, and a dump station. Pull-through sites are available, but it does not allow large vehicles. This RV campground allows no more than eight people and one recreational vehicle or two vehicles per campsite. Pets are allowed in Mesquite Spring; however, the maximum limit is four pets per campsite. The Scotty’s Castle and Ubehebe Crater are the only two nearby attractions. It is close to the north entrance and offers easy access to the Eureka Dunes.
Sunset Campground: This RV campground is 190 feet below sea level. Sunset Campground is centrally located to several popular attractions such as Harmony Borax Works, Artist’s Palette, Furnace Creek Golf Course, Artist’s Palette, Golden Canyon, Natural Bridge, Twenty Mule Team Canyon, and Badwater. This facility is open from October through April. There are 270 campsites with drinking water, flush toilets and a dumping station. Fires are not allowed in Sunset Campground. This facility is handicap accessible.
The best time to visit
The best time to visit these RV campgrounds is during the months of fall, spring and winter. It is recommended to avoid summers, as the temperatures are extreme in Death Valley. The RV campgrounds that remain open all-year are Furnace Creek and Mesquite Spring, while Texas Spring and Sunset are open from October through April.
RV camping tips:
Since it is a desert area, carry plenty of water for your recreational vehicle and camping group. Avoid summers, as you are likely to face weather hazards such as wind advisories, flash floods, and heat advisories.