Lone Pine, CA to Stovepipe Wells, CA 136 / 190

[Mike_Taverniti]

Want to travel thru Death Valley by this route. Pulling a 30 foot 5 th wheel. Any suggestions / comments. Will be doing this in July. Staying at Stovepipe Wells RV Park.

[oldchief7155]

We just moved to Satellite Beach, Florida from Clifton Forge, VA. Lived there ten years after I retired from CHP. Love Williamsburg.

If you get down here give a shout.

Where are you headed now? Best way out of Lone Pine is down to Kramer Junction then 58 to Barstow if headed back east. The grade going north toward Vegas out of Baker is long but nothing compared to the climbs in DVNP. Evening is best but still turn off a/c when climbing the long desert grades. I worked Barstow for a while too.

[Camorhino]

The road to Hawthorne from Lee Vining is easy single lane, no major grades. There is a big parking lot at the El Capitan Casino you can overnight in. At Hawthorne you pick up the 95 south down to Coaldale and Tonopah. Larger fuel stop in Hawthorne is at the Shell station is on the north end of town, along with the grocery store and the mickey d's. Tonopah south puts you thru Goldfield, which is interesting in a desert ghost town sort of way. There is a nice little museum and the old Goldfield Hotel.

[coolbreeze01]

Mike Taverniti wrote:
How about CA 167 / NV 359 to Hawthorne ? Will be leaving Lee Vining and want to stop at Death Valley. Eventually to Las Vegas. Everyone advises not to cross DV in July and I agree. Thanks for the advice.

Called the Pole Line Rd and its a nice drive.

[profdant139]

We were just in Lone Pine and met several German tourists who were excited about going to Death Valley precisely because it was so hot!

Mike, is there any way you can cruise the Eastern Sierra on 395 before going to Nevada?? It is spectacular, especially the stretch between Lone Pine and Bridgeport.

[fireman93514]

120 is a good road like camorhino says there are some serious dip in the road. watch out for them. You can pick up hwy 6 in Bishop also. It would be quicker than going to Lee Vining.

Good choice avoiding Death Valley. I worked for Caltrans for twenty years over there and have seen RV's on fire from overheating on Townes pass in the summer.

[Lauren]

oldchief right on the money.

Been there, driven that - with the TV and not mid summer.

Good decision, Mike, GOOD decision.

[Mike_Taverniti]

How about CA 167 / NV 359 to Hawthorne ? Will be leaving Lee Vining and want to stop at Death Valley. Eventually to Las Vegas. Everyone advises not to cross DV in July and I agree. Thanks for the advice.

[Camorhino]

120 isn't too bad, will be an uphill pull from 395 for a ways, then south along a pretty flat 2 lane, but watch out for the whoops in the road (dips) so don't drive fast just because it is straight. Then down a short grade into Benton. CA-6 will be uphill from there all the way to Montgomery Pass, when you break over the pass, watch your downhill speed, and wild horses along side the road. At Coaldale, the NV-95, it will be flat for a ways, then a long gradual uphill to Tonopah. July in that country will be pretty warm anywhere you go in NV, unless you get a little altitude at night for it to cool off. There is an old historic sawmill on the left when you are coming up off the 395, with a nice, big turn out. They hauled all the lumber by rail up to Bodie for the mines from there. If you're leaving Lone Pine, any reason you don't take the 6 out of Bishop?It will cut out Sherwin Grade, which will be a kicker when it is hot, but it will cool off up by Mammoth and north. Or, are you south bound?

[Mike_Taverniti]

Hey Oldchief. Leaving Williamsburg June 13. Will be passing thru Clifton Forge on I-64. I' ll give the horn a honk. You probably won't hear it though being in Florida.

[Mike_Taverniti]

I'm now looking at CA 120 from Lee Vining to Benton and then US-6 to Tonapah NV. Anyone familiar with this route. We also love Williamsburg, have lived here 34 years and no plans to move

[oldchief7155]

We just moved to Satellite Beach, Florida from Clifton Forge, VA. Lived there ten years after I retired from CHP. Love Williamsburg.

If you get down here give a shout.

Where are you headed now? Best way out of Lone Pine is down to Kramer Junction then 58 to Barstow if headed back east. The grade going north toward Vegas out of Baker is long but nothing compared to the climbs in DVNP. Evening is best but still turn off a/c when climbing the long desert grades. I worked Barstow for a while too.

[lanerd]

Excellent decision.

Ron

[Mike_Taverniti]

Great advice. Will not be going that way. Thank you so much.

[oldchief7155]

A little background here, so take it for what it's worth. I was the California Highway Patrol sergeant for the Lone Pine/Death Valley resident post for two years so I know the roads, weather, conditions VERY WELL.

What shape is your tow vehicle in, especially drive train, brakes and tranny?

Are you comfortable driving in mountains in EXTREME heat?

The grade down to Panamint Valley is long, remote with some pretty good drop offs.

The grade from Panamint Valley up to the summit is VERY STEEP, LONG and known for destroying vehicles not in TOP CONDITION.

From the summit down to Stovepipe Wells is pretty straight once you get out of the few easy curves near the summit. The descent is VERY DECEIVING. You will build up SIGNIFICANT speed going down because it looks almost flat. IT IS NOT FLAT AND ABOUT 11 MILES TO STOVEPIPE.

There is ZERO shade at Stovepipe Wells. It is a big open gravel lot.

The temperature will be over 100 degrees 24 hours a day and probably over 115 during the day.

Should you break down, STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE. WANDER 50' FROM IT IN THAT HEAT AND YOU WILL DIE! Sit tight, stay in the shade, drink lots of water and be patient. It is patrolled by NPS, CHP and sheriff. Not hourly, but somebody will eventually come by and stop.

Count on zero cell service except around Furnace Creek. DVNP is huge. The largest national park in lower 48 and bigger than a Rhode Island.

Sorry you asked now?

Not the place to go from about late May to October.

If you decide to try it, turn off your dash air or you WILL overheat pulling out of Panamint Valley. A tow from Lone Pine was $600 and am sure it has gone up. Fuel in the park is probably $6.00 a gallon for gasoline at either station, Stovepipe or Furnace Creek.

Lone Pine to Stovepipe about 85 miles and 106 to Furnace Creek.

Fill your water tank too in Lone Pine.