Forum Discussion
11 Replies
- We've been down the West Side Road and Warm Springs Road (to warm springs and over Mengal Pass)twice this spring so far... Death Valley NP is our playground!
West Side Road - This is a well maintained gravel road. It has plenty of washboard the first couple miles on the north end, and can be dusty. IMO - some of the best views from the bottom of Death Valley are from this route. To us it's more scenic away from the valley walls. You could do a giant loop down the West Side Road 40+ miles to the asphalt near the Ashford Mill ruins, then back to Furnace Creek on the paved road. You can do this road in an RV if the road is dry, and you don't mind a LONG gravel road! When we go, it's in our Jeep with tires aired down to 15lbs.
We've seen rental RVs at Warm Springs, so yes it can be done. It is another of Death Valleys LONG gravel roads. The Warm Springs area is interesting to explore with an old house with swimming pool (the pool was full of water the last time we were there!), several other housed/building still open, and old mining equipment. You will see running water in Death Valley if go there. Again, we always go with our Jeep with low tire pressure for the rocks and comfort!
If we didn't tow our Jeep and was going in our Class C, I'd consider the West Side Road, skip the Warm Springs Road, and make sure not to miss Ubehebe Crater (Scotty's Castle too when it opens back up), otherwise I'd rent a Jeep and see both those roads in a day trip or two, three, four, or more. There are over 700 miles of back country roads to explore in the park. The roads will be a real "shaker" for your rig no matter what speed you try. - You wouldn't want to drive an RV on either of those roads but a Jeep or trail bike would be fine.
- Heading there this weekend in our Class C, thanks.
Any advise about roads? I see varying opinions about the suitability of West Side Road and Warm Spring Canyon Rd for RV. Any recent experience would be helpful! - On my way in a couple of days...
- Great pic :C
- We were there for the last super bloom. We saw it on the national news and changed our plans the night before departing. This was either 2003 or 04 because the wife was still teaching and she had a March spring break. It was one of the most amazing things we've ever seen. It was a sea of flowers the color and type were dependent on the elevation. The whole park smelled like a florist shop. People were lined up to photograph a rare flower in front of the headquarters. If we didn't have reservations in the Tucson area, we would jump ship and go there on the way home.
- Was there last week also, sea of yellow everywhere you look.
- wow
- I'd really like to visit DV again in the semi-cool season. Summers, no surprise, are unbearable. I'll have to wait for the wife to be able to get off work for long enough. Maybe Christmas break next year.
