Stovepipe Wells Campground is a big gravel campground at sea level in the middle of Death Valley, right next to the Stovepipe Wells general store, ranger station and a private RV park. It's first come, first served and open only in the cool season.

Stovepipe Wells at a glance
Sites 190 (28 of them tent-only, with fire grates)
Price $18 a night; $9 with a Senior or Access pass
Booking First come, first served; pay by card at the fee machine
Season Late fall to mid/late April; the 2026–27 season opens in late October 2026
Elevation Sea level
Amenities Drinking water, flush toilets, dump station (all seasonal)
Next door General store (ice and firewood), ranger station, Stovepipe Wells Village
Stay limit 30 days a year

Sites and RVs

The park puts no length limit on RVs here, but it also warns the sites are very narrow and somewhat short, so long rigs and slide-outs can be a tight fit. There are no hookups. The dump station is open in season.

Only the 28 tent-only sites have fire grates. Everywhere else, cook on a gas stove. Charcoal grills aren't allowed.

If you want hookups in the same place, the Ohyü RV Park run by Stovepipe Wells Village next door has 14 full-hookup sites (30/50 amp) that take reservations. See Death Valley RV parks.

Paying and passes

Pick a site first, then pay at the automated fee machine at the campground entrance with a credit or debit card. The park doesn't take cash.

  • $18 a night standard.
  • $9 a night for Senior Pass and Access Pass holders.
  • The $30 park entrance fee (7 days) is separate. Pay it at the Stovepipe Wells Ranger Station during business hours, online, or with an America the Beautiful pass.

Services next door

The campground shares Stovepipe Wells Village's services:

  • General store with ice and firewood for sale.
  • Pool and shower passes for campground guests, sold by the village.
  • Free wifi at the hotel, open to campground guests.
  • The ranger station sells entrance passes and free backcountry permits.

Rules

  • 8 people and 2 vehicles per site, or 1 RV with a tow vehicle, or 4 motorcycles.
  • Generators 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., never left running unattended. Quiet hours 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
  • 30 days a year maximum stay. No holding or saving sites. Check-out at noon.
  • Fires only in the NPS grates (tent sites); no wood gathering, no trash in the fire.
  • Waste water, dishwater included, goes into the dump station only.

Camping nearby when it's closed or full

  • Roadside camping isn't allowed on the valley floor from Ashford Mill to 2 miles north of Stovepipe Wells, so there's no free camping right around the village. Mosaic Canyon Road and Wildrose Road are day-use only. See the backcountry rules in our Death Valley camping guide.
  • Emigrant, the tent campground southwest of Stovepipe Wells at 2,100 feet, has been closed since late August 2025 after flood damage.
  • Wildrose (4,100 ft, free, 23 sites) is open year-round; the road up is limited to 25 feet total vehicle length. It has no water: bring it from Stovepipe Wells.
  • Furnace Creek is the only park campground you can reserve. See Furnace Creek Campground.