Located at 4000 ft on the west side of the Panamint mountains of Death Valley National Park, Wildrose campground offers up to 30 days free camping with pit toilet, trash, WATER, fire pits, and picnic tables.
Looking SW down Wildrose Canyon.
Make no mistake, this is primarily a tent campground as the road has a 25' length restriction. The campground lists generator hours as 7am to 7pm. We stayed 3 nights during peak camping season and were the only RV. There were never more than 4 other tents set up either. The road can be steep, narrow, and winding in spots. The campground is 21 miles from California highway 190 west of Stovepipe Wells down the paved Emigrant Canyon Road.
6 miles beyond the campground up a partially paved road is the best representation of charcoal kilns I've ever seen...
Beyond the charcoal kilns are hiking trails, once of which scales the tallest point in the park, 11 thousand 49 foot Telescope Peak.
According to the National Park Service official map of Death Valley National Park, the Wildrose Canyon Road is closed due to wash out. We drove down the road with no problems in our Jeep but... The road edges have been washed away in spots but many have orange cones placed by them. The road has been run over in a couple spots by gravel and rocks, so a high clearance vehicle is needed, but not a difficult trip, the road is used often obviously by the track, and it will take you to Ballarat ghost town...
If you go this way, you likely will pass near Panamint Springs. You can get a very pricey burger with chips, no fries, and there is an RV park for those that are looking for that sort of thing. I've never seen a bar like the one here. The top is Redwood, and the base is Sequoia root according to the bartender...
While on our trip we saw some wildlife, and the burros woke us up one night passing through the campground. They certainly weren't interested in being quiet! The lizard was at least 2' long...
We drove the 9 miles out to the Skidoo townsite. There isn't much left other than this sign, the prospects, and roads...
If you don't hike to the top of Telescope Peak, the very best view available in our opinion in Death Valley National Park is from...
This overlook is 1000 feet higher than Dante's View on the east side of Death Valley. Though pictures don't do it justice, the view spans from the Sierra Crest to the west, to the Spring Mountains in the east...
The wild flowers were spectacular on our trip, and the 4x4 exploring was great too. If you don't have a Jeep, you can rent one.
We recommend you head to Wildrose!
Looking SW down Wildrose Canyon.
Make no mistake, this is primarily a tent campground as the road has a 25' length restriction. The campground lists generator hours as 7am to 7pm. We stayed 3 nights during peak camping season and were the only RV. There were never more than 4 other tents set up either. The road can be steep, narrow, and winding in spots. The campground is 21 miles from California highway 190 west of Stovepipe Wells down the paved Emigrant Canyon Road.
6 miles beyond the campground up a partially paved road is the best representation of charcoal kilns I've ever seen...
Beyond the charcoal kilns are hiking trails, once of which scales the tallest point in the park, 11 thousand 49 foot Telescope Peak.
According to the National Park Service official map of Death Valley National Park, the Wildrose Canyon Road is closed due to wash out. We drove down the road with no problems in our Jeep but... The road edges have been washed away in spots but many have orange cones placed by them. The road has been run over in a couple spots by gravel and rocks, so a high clearance vehicle is needed, but not a difficult trip, the road is used often obviously by the track, and it will take you to Ballarat ghost town...
If you go this way, you likely will pass near Panamint Springs. You can get a very pricey burger with chips, no fries, and there is an RV park for those that are looking for that sort of thing. I've never seen a bar like the one here. The top is Redwood, and the base is Sequoia root according to the bartender...
While on our trip we saw some wildlife, and the burros woke us up one night passing through the campground. They certainly weren't interested in being quiet! The lizard was at least 2' long...
We drove the 9 miles out to the Skidoo townsite. There isn't much left other than this sign, the prospects, and roads...
If you don't hike to the top of Telescope Peak, the very best view available in our opinion in Death Valley National Park is from...
This overlook is 1000 feet higher than Dante's View on the east side of Death Valley. Though pictures don't do it justice, the view spans from the Sierra Crest to the west, to the Spring Mountains in the east...
The wild flowers were spectacular on our trip, and the 4x4 exploring was great too. If you don't have a Jeep, you can rent one.
We recommend you head to Wildrose!
Off pavement,
You have given the final clue as to why the Trona-Wildrose road was signed closed when we were there in March.
With a narrower than usual, eroded roadway and wash-ins I can see how the N.P. Service would want to limit their liability.
We have camped there since the 70's, preferring the slightly higher elevation when getting close to or away from summertime. We are usually the only RV in sight but several tents. UP until this March you could get there in a regular passenger car with care. I'm not sure now what is happening, but in the day we could camp at the end of road on the way up to Telescope @ about the 9K foot elevation. Not much flat ground, but in the pinion/Juniper forest with a cooling breeze. Many mountain climbers have perished on the winter approach to Telescope with it's immense sloping ice field the last couple miles with a tremendous run out to the West . We've bagged the peak in September or October after the ice/snow has melted and before the next winter snows.
Thanks for the report. You have provided us with some closure now.
jefe
You have given the final clue as to why the Trona-Wildrose road was signed closed when we were there in March.
With a narrower than usual, eroded roadway and wash-ins I can see how the N.P. Service would want to limit their liability.
We have camped there since the 70's, preferring the slightly higher elevation when getting close to or away from summertime. We are usually the only RV in sight but several tents. UP until this March you could get there in a regular passenger car with care. I'm not sure now what is happening, but in the day we could camp at the end of road on the way up to Telescope @ about the 9K foot elevation. Not much flat ground, but in the pinion/Juniper forest with a cooling breeze. Many mountain climbers have perished on the winter approach to Telescope with it's immense sloping ice field the last couple miles with a tremendous run out to the West . We've bagged the peak in September or October after the ice/snow has melted and before the next winter snows.
Thanks for the report. You have provided us with some closure now.
jefe
