On March 16 we packed up our camp at Silurian Dry Lake and moved a few miles north to Death Valley National Park. We booked a campsite in the Furnace Creek Campground for 2 nights. It was an easy 94 mile (151 km) drive north on highway 127, with a long downhill section into the valley.
We checked in at the nearby National Park office, and pulled into the Furnace Creek Campground. Our site, 57 was quite small for our RV. The campground rules state that all wheels must remain on the paved parking area. We were able to squeeze our motorhome, dolly and car on the parking pad, but just barely. Fortunately, there were no large rock or other barriers directly behind the pad, so we backed our motorhome in until the back tires were just at the end of the pad, with 10 or 12 feet of motorhome overhanging the ground behind.
When we made the reservation on March 3, our site was the last one available. We booked it not knowing exactly what we were getting and fortunately everything worked out. There were no services in this site, or the others around us, although we noticed further along the road a section of sites that appeared to have full services. I would guess those sites would be in high demand as the summer progresses.
The campground rules allowed for the use of generators between 7 AM and 7 PM. We noticed a couple of nearby sites fired up their generators at exactly 7 AM, and one camper in particular started at 7 AM and let it run continuously for the full 12 hour period. It wasn't that warm out that a person would need A/C, so it was hard to understand why they left their generator running all day. Did they think running from 7 AM to 7 PM was a park requirement?
As the day was still young, we set out to explore Death Valley. We took the road north to Stovepipe Wells. There was a busy little gas station there, with prices that seemed quite high but considering the rising fuel costs in the world and the location it wasn't unreasonable. We filled up our vehicle and grabbed an ice cream bar in the little store. There was a small, mostly empty public campground behind the service station, as well as a little private RV park beside. The public one didn't have services but the private one appeared to be full service - and full.
To the southwest we could see a gravel road heading towards the mountain range, with lots of dust plumes from vehicle traffic. We decided to take a look. It led to a hiking trail to Mosaic Canyon, but unfortunately we came to the sad realization that the national park was not pet friendly. No dogs were allowed on any of the trails in the park - likely the result of too many inconsiderate dog owners who don't pick up after their pets. We turned around and headed back to Furnace Creek.
Just north of Furnace Creek is the remains of an old borax mine. This was the Harmony Borax mine that once led to the television advertising many of us remember about a 20 mule team used to sell their product. All that is left is the remains of the old processing site and some of the old wagons and tanks the mules used to pull.
To the south of Furnace Creek is a long standing resort surrounded by palm trees.
On our second day at Death Valley, we went for a drive south on Badwater Road, heading for the Badwater Basin. About halfway down the road, we detoured slightly to stop and visit the Artist's Pallete, a very colourful area of rock on the edge of the mountain range. The colour in the rocks comes from a wide variety of elements contained in the rocks: iron, aluminum, magnesium, and titanium.
From the Artist's Palette, we continued south to Badwater Basin, the lowest point of land in the Western Hemisphere, 282 feet below sea level. Over the centuries, rain washed down from the surrounding mountains and deposited huge amounts of sodium chloride (table salt), calcite, gypsum and borax in the area. It doesn't look like anything would grow here, and it would be a very hardy species of animal to survive.
From Badwater Basin we headed back north, and took another side road that led us to a place called The Devil's Golf Course, an area heavily encrusted with salt forming a nearly impassible terrain. A warning sign advised to be careful, a fall could result in painful cuts or broken bones.
After returning to Furnace Creek, we decided to drive back south on highway 190, and drove through an area called 20 Mule Team Canyon. This was a short drive off the highway, that traveled through the colourful rock formations and rugged landscape.
After the quick tour through these canyons, we stopped at Zabriske Point. There is a lookout a short climb from the parking lot, but we didn't stay long because the sun was warm and Baxter was stuck in the vehicle - again no dogs allowed on the trail. Since Zabriske Point is a favourite spot to watch the setting sun, we decided to come back later in the evening.
We made the trek back about 2 hours later - about 5:45 PM. While the sunset wasn't spectacular, the views of the canyons and shadows cast was amazing. A great way to close our short but memorable trip to Death Valley - cross another item off the old bucket list.
