Video TR: Death Valley National Park

[FirstTracks]

It's the hottest, driest place in North America, and the lowest elevation in the Western Hemisphere. Yet if you look hard enough, you can spot signs of life everywhere in Death Valley, life that has adapted to this harsh climate.

While we're not the biggest fans of national parks, we loved Death Valley, and Episode 77 is our most ambitious video undertaking yet. Just by leaving asphalt, you can easily leave the crowds behind and have a solitary experience in this spectacular desert landscape. We camp at the luxurious Nevada Treasure RV Resort in Pahrump, Nevada while we visit Dante's View, Twenty Mule Team Canyon, Furnace Creek, Badwater Basin, Artist's Palette,Titus Canyon, Leadfield and The Racetrack in Death Valley National Park to see the famed Sailing Stones, as well as the ghost town of Rhyolite and wild burros in Beatty, both outside the park:

https://youtu.be/IqpF9_Pqxmo

[ppine]

Death Valley and the surrounding areas have plenty of steep faulted mountains with a lot of relief. If you come from the west you have to go up and down thousands of feet several times. Even with a diesel and a 6,000 pound trailer, I usually pull over and cool out the brakes and trans several times making the crossing. Easier to pull from Lone Pine or Rhyolite. I like the dirt road approach from the north best, but it is not good for RVs.

[pnichols]

Roy&Lynne wrote:

pnichols wrote:

Roy&Lynne wrote:
I love Death Valley but I would bypass it in a heart beat if I had to take Hwy 190 in. Not happening AGAIN. Once was enough. Also, I don't think I'd go in dead of summer either. We went in April and it was 118 degrees.
Lastly don't under any circumstances run out of gas. Its always 4 or 5 dollars more a gallon down there.
But I think I've gone 3 or 4 times and loved each time

What's up with Hwy 190 into Death Valley?

Its just one of those mountain roads that look down to oblivion, tight curves and for me it was scary has heck. As I was coming down, I took comfort that there was this little VW behind me. I felt that at least if I went over the side, someone would report it. When I got to the bottom I pulled over and waited for the VW and they never showed up. I worried all day about them, but when I hadn't heard there was an accident, I relaxed some. As you can tell, I'm not a fan of heights.
You Tube

I looked at the video and ... I'm sorry, but I don't see the concern with driving Hwy 190 ... but I did watch it in a hurry and could have missed something.

We've been on the road in the Dead Horse Point area in our Class C ... now that was indeed "over the top" (no pun intended). But we have been on even worse than that in our rig. I have the Tow/Haul mode engaged a lot in those kind of situations!

[garyhaupt]

I am looking for that wild burro/jet view boondocking spot and I am seeing Rainbow..or the Jedi Transition. Can't see a way into Rainbow tho. Is there another spot?

Gary

[pnichols]

ppine wrote:
There are plenty of roads in the Park and surrounding areas that you have no business taking a motor home or dragging a trailer. Stay on the main dirt roads. I have been going to DV often for 30 years but have never taken my RV.

If you have a toad you can park somehwere and do day trips. Otherwise you are kind of limited to the good roads which is where all of those people are. Better than not going, but not as a good as traveling by truck.

Avoid President's Day weekend the most crowded weekend of the year in Death Valley.

We don't need to tow because our particular short wheelbase E450 small Class C is kindof "a truck" anyway, with PU type ground clearance everywhere and tremendous dry weather traction on the rear tires from raw weight - that's what we shopped for and found when we bought it.

We've been on several back roads in DV in a small Class C - in both ours and in one of our friend's similar small Class C ... including also to the charcoal ovens in Death Valley. We were out of the crowds most of the time there so we could take the necessary time on rough roads.

I have had a high clearance 4X4 GMC pickup for years and have learned from it what to do and not do with our particular Class C ... although of course my 4X4 GMC truck chassis doesn't have anywhere near the beef of an E450 chassis for the handling of frame twist.

[Roy_Lynne]

pnichols wrote:

Roy&Lynne wrote:
I love Death Valley but I would bypass it in a heart beat if I had to take Hwy 190 in. Not happening AGAIN. Once was enough. Also, I don't think I'd go in dead of summer either. We went in April and it was 118 degrees.
Lastly don't under any circumstances run out of gas. Its always 4 or 5 dollars more a gallon down there.
But I think I've gone 3 or 4 times and loved each time

What's up with Hwy 190 into Death Valley?

Its just one of those mountain roads that look down to oblivion, tight curves and for me it was scary has heck. As I was coming down, I took comfort that there was this little VW behind me. I felt that at least if I went over the side, someone would report it. When I got to the bottom I pulled over and waited for the VW and they never showed up. I worried all day about them, but when I hadn't heard there was an accident, I relaxed some. As you can tell, I'm not a fan of heights.
You Tube

[ppine]

There are plenty of roads in the Park and surrounding areas that you have no business taking a motor home or dragging a trailer. Stay on the main dirt roads. I have been going to DV often for 30 years but have never taken my RV.

If you have a toad you can park somehwere and do day trips. Otherwise you are kind of limited to the good roads which is where all of those people are. Better than not going, but not as a good as traveling by truck.

Avoid President's Day weekend the most crowded weekend of the year in Death Valley.

[FirstTracks]

pnichols wrote:

FirstTracks wrote:
Absolutely remarkable. You wouldn't recognize the place, then. We've only been here 14 years ourselves.

We visit Utah quite often to hunt for rocks and camp. Drycamping in Bridger Bay Campground on Antelope Island is a favorite spot for us when we're in the SLC area.

Our next trip will most likely include more RV exploring and possible overnight boondock camping further South in areas around Dubinky Well.

When you do, Phil, if we can help in any way just let us know.

[pnichols]

FirstTracks wrote:
Absolutely remarkable. You wouldn't recognize the place, then. We've only been here 14 years ourselves.

We visit Utah quite often to hunt for rocks and camp. Drycamping in Bridger Bay Campground on Antelope Island is a favorite spot for us when we're in the SLC area.

Our next trip will most likely include more RV exploring and possible overnight boondock camping further South in areas around Dubinky Well.

[FirstTracks]

pnichols wrote:
Just as a side-note on how it used to be in Utah when we lived there: One summer on the 4th of July while serving at Hill AFB, the DW and myself drove to a Utah State Park for a picnic in the mountains just a short drive from Salt Lake City and ... WE WERE THE ONLY ONES IN THE PARK!!

Absolutely remarkable. You wouldn't recognize the place, then. We've only been here 14 years ourselves.

pnichols wrote:
P.S. Trivia: Have you ever visited the desert site of the underground general store - now covered over by sand - that is somewhere in the desert West of SLC? We picked up green pieces of glass in the sand from it's once fancy chandeliers. Also, have you ever waded in the shallow settling ponds out in the middle of nowhere North of I-80 to see those spectacular small tree (sagebrush?) limbs coated with pink salt crystals?

Yes to the latter (although in a different spot), but the former is completely news to me.

[pnichols]

Just as a side-note on how it used to be in Utah when we lived there: One summer on the 4th of July while serving at Hill AFB, the DW and myself drove to a Utah State Park for a picnic in the mountains just a short drive from Salt Lake City and ... WE WERE THE ONLY ONES IN THE PARK!!

P.S. Trivia: Have you ever visited the desert site of the underground general store - now covered over by sand - that is somewhere in the desert West of SLC? We picked up green pieces of glass in the sand from it's once fancy chandeliers. Also, have you ever waded in the shallow settling ponds out in the middle of nowhere North of I-80 to see those spectacular small tree (sagebrush?) limbs coated with pink salt crystals?

[FirstTracks]

pnichols wrote:
I guess you're currently residing in SLC, UT?

You are indeed correct, Phil, although we were only home for about 2 weeks total from June through late November this year. Wow, you have some great stories (and memories) from your time at HAFB! And thank you for your service.

We come to RVing from a history of backpacking, so we still try to get away from it all with the RV. While Utah's "Mighty 5" have some spectacular scenery, they have indeed become far more crowded even over the 15 years that we've been here. Because of that, and because of restrictions within National Parks, we prefer to set out on BLM land much the way that you used to while you were here. Usually, though, when we're in Utah we're down in the central part (BLM in the San Rafael Swell, etc.), or high up on USFS land in summer when it gets toasty down low.

[pnichols]

FirstTracks wrote:

pnichols wrote:
Our next stop in 4 weeks is Quartzite Arizona, plus into some Arizona Trust Lands in the boondocks along the Colorado River.

Our Episode 79 will be from Quartzsite, boondocking at Dome Rock. It'll air Dec. 26 in time for your next stop.

Mark,

I guess you're currently residing in SLC, UT?

I served at HAFB in the late-sixities/early-seventies. I can't believe that the DW and myself hardly visited any of the great National Parks in UT back then when there were very few folks in them ... what a missed opportunity!

When in the AF, the DW and myself mostly car explored/camped off-highway in remote BLM desert spots West and North of SLC looking for rocks (using our Mustang fastback, no less). We even tent camped once in a boat-access-only campground along the shore at Flaming Gorge. Believe it or not, we also rode double on my off-road motorcycle ACROSS the Great Salt Lake (slowly, on the railroad causeway) to Promontory Point.

Those were the days ... I wish we'd had an RV back then. 😞

[garyhaupt]

Q is on the list too. Maybe we'll be around same time, Phil.

Gary

[FirstTracks]

pnichols wrote:
Our next stop in 4 weeks is Quartzite Arizona, plus into some Arizona Trust Lands in the boondocks along the Colorado River.

Our Episode 79 will be from Quartzsite, boondocking at Dome Rock. It'll air Dec. 26 in time for your next stop.