A no-nonsense guide to help you enjoy a safe visit to Death Valley National Park

CLICK HERE FOR THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE DAILY WEATHER AND ROAD REPORT

Death Valley National Park is situated in eastern California.
From Las Vegas Nevada take Highway 160 (Blue Diamond RD) north to the beautiful town of Pahrump, turn left on Belle Vista road and continue to Death Valley Junction, turn right and then make a quick left on to Highway 190 which leads down to Furnace Creek.
From Los Angeles California, you can take either Interstate 15 north to the town of Baker, then head north on Highway 127 this takes you through Shoshone, you can either make a left turn on Highway 178 which takes you into the southern end of the Park or you can continue another 25 miles to Death Valley Junction, making a left turn on to Highway 190, which will take you to Furnace Creek. The other popular route is to take Interstate 15 north to 395 (just before Hesperia) 395 north through Ridgecrest,Trona and the Panamint Valley, then on to Stovepipe Wells. 
From Western  U.S. locations such as San Francisco or Yosemite Valley, Death Valley is reached from Highway 395. Take 395 to Highway 190 in Lone Pine. Highway 190 will take you to Stovepipe Wells, via the Panamint Valley.
Always check road conditions before you travel. During the winter and spring months, many roads that cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains are closed, and don't open until late spring, or early summer.
Severe weather, although an infrequent occurrence in Death Valley can render roads impassable for days or even months. Flash floods, wash out of canyons at great speeds, never enter a canyon when a storm or heavy rain clouds are in the area. A storm can be miles away and still cause a flash flood in a dry area.

HEAT!

Death Valley is a very safe place to be, as long as you don't do anything STUPID!

From May until October, Death Valley is very hot. If you have never been to the park in the summer months, chances are that you have not experienced heat at this level before. Daytime temperatures can approach 130 degrees Fahrenheit (52C) in the shade, (and there is very little shade!) I have personally experienced 110 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit at midnight in July. It's very important that you not under estimate the climate here in the summer. The air is so dry that it may appear as if you are not sweating, but in fact, under these extreme conditions, the human body will lose huge amounts of water, and you can get into real trouble, very quickly. Some tourists visit the park in the summer months with the intention of doing some kind of heroic hike across the Salt Flats, or in some fashion, challenging the desert, this is foolish at best. Every summer it seems, several people do this and they usually pay the ultimate price. There is a pattern to these losses of life. They are usually European, male and intent on long walks on either the salt flats, sand dunes, any of the numerous canyons, or hiking up into the mountains. These tragedies usually occur on days that are hot, but not extremely hot by Death Valley standards, around 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Every year around a half a dozen people lose their lives this way. If you or a friend are contemplating such a thing, please think a second time.

There is also a popular myth that the desert is cold at night even in the summer, this is not so, summer night time temperatures only drop by 15 to 20 degrees from the days high.

WATER!

Always carry plenty of water to drink, at least one gallon of water per person per day. Carrying a gallon or so for your vehicles cooling system is also a good idea. If you must hike in the summer months, make sure you plan your walk well, know where you are going and how to get back. Locate a visual reference point in reference to your vehicles location to help you return safely. As many times as I have hiked in the park, I always locate my Jeep to a noteworthy part of the landscape, so when I return to it, I don't have to look for a small speck, but rather a large visual reference that will take me in the right direction, and ultimately back to my vehicle.

TRANSPORTATION

Make sure before you travel to Death Valley that your vehicles systems are checked by a competent mechanic, pay particular attention to the cars cooling system. It should be in perfect condition. If your car should start to over-heat, turn off the air conditioning and turn the heater on, the heater will act as a second radiator and maybe keep you out of trouble. If your vehicle boils-over, don't remove the radiator cap until it has substantially cooled off. Removing the cap while the car is still hot can cause a burst of scalding water.

If you do break-down, or get stuck, don't panic. It's probably not as bad as you think and losing your ability to think rationally will not help. This may not make sense, but believe me, it's a natural first reaction in such a place. Chances are good that someone will be along shortly and they will either help you, or get help for you. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR. If you should break down, your car can offer valuable shelter and even water if things should get desperate. Even the most desolate roads in Death Valley are fairly well traveled and your chances of survival are greatly increased by staying with your vehicle.

Where not to take your Rental Car

There are several places in Death Valley, where you do not want to take a Rental Car, The Race Track is one, 30 miles of rocks and heavily rutted road are not the place for a Ford Taurus, Chevy Malibu. I have seen cars with their oil pans punctured and renters looking at $1000.00 towing bills to get them out of there. Stripe Butte Canyon is another, four Germans tried it in August of 98,  they got stuck and they all died! Titus Canyon is another one to avoid.

Gasoline

Gasoline is available from four locations within the Park:  Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Scotty's Castle and Panamint Springs Resort. Visiting the various attractions within the Park can require driving great distances with minimal services. Don't take chances, keep your gas tank full and always plan your visit well.

         ATM Machines:

• At Furnace Creek Ranch in the Registration office.
  

• At Stovepipe Wells in the Motel building.

  Service Stations:

  Furnace Creek Chevron 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  Stovepipe Wells 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (gas is cheapest here)
  Scotty's Castle 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

  BNC 24 hour Towing/Repair in Beatty Nevada  1 775 553 2181

  This is the best place to call if you need assistance in the Park, Bob is an excellent mechanic and their rates are reasonable. If you call after hours, you may get an answering machine. If you do, don't hang up, leave a message and someone will get back to you.

  Handy Phone Numbers:

  General Information 760-786-2331 (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a real person)
  Park Rangers, EMERGENCIES 760-786-2330. or 911.

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For a daily report on road and weather conditions from the National Park Service click here

The National Park Service can be reached by phone at 760-786-2331. 

On the Internet, they can be reached at: http://www.nps.gov/deva//

*Information courtesy of the Park Service.

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