Death Valley has a dozen park campgrounds, and the season matters more than the site. From mid-October to mid-April most of them are open and the valley is pleasant. From mid-April to mid-October only a few stay open, and on the valley floor the nights can stay above 90°F. Only Furnace Creek takes reservations; everything else is first come, first served.
Death Valley campgrounds at a glance
| Campground | Elevation | Sites | Price | Booking | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace Creek | 190 ft below sea level | 136 | $30, $44 with hookups | Recreation.gov, Oct 15–Apr 15 | Year-round (41 sites in summer) |
| Sunset | Valley floor, Furnace Creek | 230 | $18 | First come, first served | Late fall to mid-April |
| Texas Springs | Hills above Furnace Creek | 106 | $20 | First come, first served | Late fall to mid-April |
| Stovepipe Wells | Sea level | 190 | $18 | First come, first served | Late fall to mid/late April |
| Mesquite Spring | 1,800 ft | 40 | $20 | First come, first served | Year-round |
| Emigrant | 2,100 ft | 10, tents only | Free | — | Closed (flood damage) |
| Wildrose | 4,100 ft | 23 | Free | First come, first served | Year-round |
| Thorndike | 7,400 ft | 6 | Free | First come, first served | About mid-April to December |
| Mahogany Flat | 8,200 ft | 9 | Free | First come, first served | Summer and fall |
2026–27 season: the park scheduled Stovepipe Wells to open in late October 2026, and Sunset and Texas Springs in mid to late November 2026. Check the park's alerts before you drive in.
Senior and Access pass holders pay half the standard rate at the five fee campgrounds. See our Senior Pass guide for how to get one.
Furnace Creek: the only one you can reserve
Furnace Creek sits by the visitor center at 190 feet below sea level. From October 15 to April 15 every site is reservable on Recreation.gov up to six months ahead (and no later than a few days before arrival), and the campground is full most days, so book early. It has the park's only NPS sites with full hookups (18 of them, 30/50 amp), plus tent-only and walk-in sites and group sites. Stays are limited to 14 days. From mid-April to mid-October it shrinks to 41 first-come sites.
Full details, site types and pass discounts: Furnace Creek Campground.
The first-come campgrounds
Sunset
Best for: arriving without a plan. Sunset is the park's largest campground, across from Furnace Creek, and it rarely fills. It's a gravel lot with no picnic tables and no fire rings; fires only at a few shared fire grates. RVs up to 60 feet fit, generators run 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and there's drinking water, flush toilets and a dump station in season. $18 a night, paid by card at the fee machine.
Texas Springs
Best for: views, trees and quiet. In the hills above Furnace Creek, with picnic tables and fire grates at each site. No generators at all. RVs up to 35 feet, trailers up to 25 feet; 26 of the 106 sites are tent-only. It's usually full on weekends and holidays. $20 a night.
Stovepipe Wells
Best for: the sand dunes and a store next door. At sea level beside the Stovepipe Wells general store, ranger station and a private RV park. 190 sites, narrow and somewhat short; only the 28 tent sites have fire grates. $18 a night. More in our Stovepipe Wells Campground guide.
Mesquite Spring
Best for: the north end of the park, all year. At 1,800 feet, 2 miles off Scotty's Castle Road below Grapevine Canyon. 40 sites with picnic tables and fire grates, drinking water, flush toilets and a dump station, open year-round. Summer nights can still stay in the 90s. $20 a night.
Free high-country campgrounds
The three campgrounds in the Panamint Mountains are free, have vault toilets and no drinking water: the nearest water is at Stovepipe Wells, 31–39 miles away. Wood fires are banned from June 15 to September 15 and in high fire danger.
- Wildrose (4,100 ft, 23 sites): open year-round, windy. The road up is limited to 25 feet total vehicle length.
- Thorndike (7,400 ft, 6 sites): forested, high-clearance vehicles no longer than 25 feet, 4x4 may be needed. Typically open mid-April through December, snow permitting.
- Mahogany Flat (8,200 ft, 9 sites): pinyon and juniper near the Telescope Peak trailhead, high clearance and often 4x4. Usually closed by snow and ice in winter.
Remote primitive campgrounds like Eureka Dunes (2,880 ft), Saline Valley and Homestake are also free and first come, first served, but reachable only with high clearance, and Homestake has no toilet.
Camping in summer
From mid-April to mid-October, plan around the heat:
- Valley floor: Furnace Creek (41 first-come sites) and Mesquite Spring stay open. Expect nights that may not drop below 90°F.
- Higher and cooler: Wildrose year-round, much cooler than the valley floor; Thorndike and Mahogany Flat once the snow is gone, which can be 30 degrees cooler.
- Summer campgrounds are unstaffed: occupy a site, then pay by credit or debit card at the kiosk.
Rules for all park campgrounds
- 8 people and 2 vehicles per site, or one RV with a tow vehicle.
- Stay limit: 14 days a year at Furnace Creek, 30 days a year elsewhere.
- Generators 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. unless posted (none at Texas Springs). Quiet hours 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Fires only in NPS fire grates; no wood gathering. Stoves and grills must burn gas.
- Pets: up to 4 per site, on a leash no longer than 6 feet, never left alone.
- Check-out at noon. Keep food away from coyotes and ravens.
Backcountry roadside camping
Death Valley allows free roadside camping along many of its dirt roads, the park's version of dispersed camping:
- At least one mile from any paved road or day-use-only dirt road. Never along paved roads, in pullouts or in parking lots.
- More than 100 yards from any water source; park right next to the road and don't drive off it.
- Closed to camping: the valley floor from Ashford Mill to 2 miles north of Stovepipe Wells, Eureka Dunes, Greenwater Canyon, historic mining areas, and day-use roads such as Titus Canyon, Mosaic Canyon, Wildrose and the first 8 miles of Cottonwood Canyon.
- A free permit is recommended. A $10-a-night permit, booked online, is required for 4x4 roadside camping in Echo Canyon, Hole in the Wall, Cottonwood/Marble Canyon and Greenwater Valley.
- Groups of up to 12 people and 4 vehicles.
Private campgrounds and RV parks
Three private campgrounds inside the park take reservations: Fiddlers' Campground at The Ranch at Death Valley (new, opened October 16, 2026), the Ohyü RV Park at Stovepipe Wells, and Panamint Springs Resort. See Death Valley RV parks for hookups at each.
Where to stay if you'd rather not camp
Rooms inside the park are at Furnace Creek (The Inn and The Ranch at Death Valley), Stovepipe Wells Village and Panamint Springs Resort, which also has tent cabins. Book ahead for the cool season, when the campgrounds fill too.
Entrance fees
Every camper also pays the $30-per-vehicle entrance fee (good for 7 days), or uses an America the Beautiful pass. The park's own pay points don't take cash.
