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by Wildflower-nut on Fri Sep 09, 2022 9:27 am
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I've a trip planned in November to death valley.  My hope was to go the race track, eureka dunes and other places only accessible by unpaved roads while there with my truck camper.   Not finding park site very helpful as to what is going on.  Anyone have any information?  Some of this like Scotties castle they are saying won't be open until end of 2023.
 

by goldingd on Fri Sep 09, 2022 12:35 pm
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A couple of books to recommend:

Photographing California - Vol. 2: South Paperback – September 7, 2015
by Jeffrey Sullivan (Author)

https://www.amazon.com/Photographing-Ca ... 6261&psc=1

The Photographer's Guide to Death Valley Paperback – March 16, 2009
by Shellye Poster (Author)

https://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Gu ... 088150789X
 

by goldingd on Fri Sep 09, 2022 12:48 pm
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Ans some points:

1. Fuel for your truck in short supply (1 gas station, if open) and expensive (long way to haul in, supply vs demand)
2. Make sure your gas tank is full before approaching the park. Keep it well filled while in the park. Driving distances are huge.
3. Obviously keep plenty water on hand. Even in the fall it is still Death Valley.
4. Get a map, do not trust GPS. Like many south/west remote areas, GPS maps can be very wrong.
5. After recent and previous floods, many roads are closed, the NPS site should provide info on that. Some places not accessible.
6. Read up on those desired locations, some may require four wheel drive, some may eat up tires.
7. Driving from point to point will take longer than you think
8. Oddly people often make one stupid driving error in this park. They navigate from a dirt/gravel road onto the paved road at speed and flip the car. More than a few deaths on that. Come to a stop before driving across the change in road surface.
 

by Wildflower-nut on Fri Sep 09, 2022 3:48 pm
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Biggest issue I'm having is road conditions. NPS site is of very limited help.
 

by E.J. Peiker on Fri Sep 09, 2022 3:48 pm
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On the fuel front, it's more than worth it to drive the 30 miles to Beatty, NV for fuel - less than half the price. Do it at lunch, have some lunch there and come back to the park. You didn't say much about your truck - I would not go to some of the areas you mentioned without a high clearance 4WD (not AWD but true 4WD).
 

by Wildflower-nut on Fri Sep 09, 2022 3:52 pm
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The truck is a ford F-350 (1 ton) 4wd (transfer case high and low range not awd) wench, high clearance, skid plates, protection for differentials, with lockers on front and rear axles, and BFG all terrain KO2 tires
 

by Wildflower-nut on Fri Sep 09, 2022 3:57 pm
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goldingd wrote:A couple of books to recommend:

Photographing California - Vol. 2: South Paperback – September 7, 2015
by Jeffrey Sullivan  (Author)

https://www.amazon.com/Photographing-Ca ... 6261&psc=1

The Photographer's Guide to Death Valley Paperback – March 16, 2009
by Shellye Poster (Author)

https://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Gu ... 088150789X
have them both.  Find Poster book very good.
 

by neverspook on Fri Sep 09, 2022 6:38 pm
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Maybe try phoning the park office for road info?
 

by Brian Stirling on Fri Sep 09, 2022 6:50 pm
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E.J. Peiker wrote:On the fuel front, it's more than worth it to drive the 30 miles to Beatty, NV for fuel - less than half the price.  Do it at lunch, have some lunch there and come back to the park.  You didn't say much about your truck - I would not go to some of the areas you mentioned without a high clearance 4WD (not AWD but true 4WD).
I'd add that a stop at Rhyolite before or after Beaty would make for some additional photo ops.  Also some interesting and historic places north of Beaty such as Goldfield and Tonopah.  

Years ago while driving north on 95 out of Vegas as I was passing Indian Springs I noticed a Predator flying east of 95.  A few miles down the road I noticed it was following me -- training no doubt.  Glad the pilot didn't think I needed a Hellfire!


Brian
 

by Wildflower-nut on Fri Sep 09, 2022 8:25 pm
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neverspook wrote:Maybe try phoning the park office for road info?

I guess I'm going to have to give that a try.  Hate to as I suspect they are being bombarded with calls.
 

by Alan Melle on Sat Sep 10, 2022 10:31 am
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Wildflower-nut wrote:The truck is a ford F-350 (1 ton) 4wd (transfer case high and low range not awd) wench, high clearance, skid plates, protection for differentials, with lockers on front and rear axles, and BFG all terrain KO2 tires


Any truck that comes with a wench is an awesome truck!
Alan Melle
NSN0041
 

by E.J. Peiker on Sat Sep 10, 2022 5:25 pm
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Wildflower-nut wrote:
neverspook wrote:Maybe try phoning the park office for road info?

I guess I'm going to have to give that a try.  Hate to as I suspect they are being bombarded with calls.
They do keep up t date road conditions on their website:
https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
 

by PV Hiker on Sun Sep 11, 2022 9:25 pm
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Here is a recent flooding road conditions in the park with humor adding in. You know there was a recent flooding in the park August 1. Hope the roads get all fixed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn4IJFERCRM

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ro ... -rcna41024

PARK CLOSURES



Multiple Roads Closed due to Storm

Sections of Hwy 190, and North Highway (Scotty's Castle Rd), Lower Wildrose Rd, Dantes View and Badwater are closed due to flooding and debris. It is likely that additional roads are impassable. Closures subject to change with changing conditions.


https://www.nbcnews....flood-rcna41024

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — Some roads in and out of Death Valley National Park have been closed after they were inundated over the weekend with mud and debris from flash floods that also hit western Nevada and northern Arizona hard.

Officials on Sunday provided no estimate on when the roads around Death Valley would be reopened.

Motorists were also urged to avoid Southern California’s Mojave National Preserve after flooding buckled pavement on some roads. The rain also prompted closures of highways and campgrounds elsewhere, but no injuries were reported.

The storms produced torrential downpours and the National Weather Service reported that more than an inch of rain fell in 15 minutes Sunday near Kingman, Arizona, which is close to the state line with California.

220801-death-valley-national-park-se-348The damaged intersection of Kelbacker Road and Mojave Road in the Mojave National Preserve, Calif., on July 31, 2022.National Park Service via AP
Patrick
 

by Wildflower-nut on Mon Sep 12, 2022 8:58 am
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PV Hiker wrote:Here is a recent flooding road conditions in the park with humor adding in.  You know there was a recent flooding in the park August 1.  Hope the roads get all fixed.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn4IJFERCRM

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ro ... -rcna41024

PARK CLOSURES



Multiple Roads Closed due to Storm

Sections of Hwy 190, and North Highway (Scotty's Castle Rd), Lower Wildrose Rd, Dantes View and Badwater are closed due to flooding and debris. It is likely that additional roads are impassable. Closures subject to change with changing conditions.


https://www.nbcnews....flood-rcna41024

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — Some roads in and out of Death Valley National Park have been closed after they were inundated over the weekend with mud and debris from flash floods that also hit western Nevada and northern Arizona hard.

Officials on Sunday provided no estimate on when the roads around Death Valley would be reopened.

Motorists were also urged to avoid Southern California’s Mojave National Preserve after flooding buckled pavement on some roads. The rain also prompted closures of highways and campgrounds elsewhere, but no injuries were reported.

The storms produced torrential downpours and the National Weather Service reported that more than an inch of rain fell in 15 minutes Sunday near Kingman, Arizona, which is close to the state line with California.

220801-death-valley-national-park-se-348The damaged intersection of Kelbacker Road and Mojave Road in the Mojave National Preserve, Calif., on July 31, 2022.National Park Service via AP
Thanks for the information!  Park service has made some progress.  Some of the roads have been repaired according to their web site.  The big question mark is the side gravel roads.

According to their web site open:

[ul]
[li]CA-190 east of Stovepipe Wells
[ul]
[li]Zabriskie Point[/li]
[li]Harmony Borax Works/Mustard Canyon[/li]
[li]Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes[/li]
[/ul]
[/li]
[li]Dantes View Road[/li]
[/ul]

closed:
[ul]
[li]CA 190 west of Stovepipe Wells[/li]
[li]Badwater Road (Artists Drive, Devils Golfcourse, Badwater Basin, Natural Bridge, Golden Canyon)[/li]
[li]West Side Road[/li]
[li]Daylight Pass, Beatty Cutoff, Mud Canyon[/li]
[li]North Highway (Ubehebe Crater)[/li]
[li]Emigrant Canyon Road (Charcoal Kilns, Wildrose Campground, Thorndike Primitive Campground, and Mahogany Flat Primitive Campground)[/li]
[li]Lower Wildrose Road (to Trona)[/li]
[li]Titus Canyon[/li]
[li]Twenty Mule Team Canyon[/li]
[li]Salt Creek[/li]
[li][font=Calibri, sans-serif][font=Arial, sans-serif]Bonnie Clare Road and Scotty’s Castle due to flood recovery work (unlikely to reopen before late 2023)[/font][/font][/li]
[li]Jail Canyon (see the Superintendent's Compendium to learn more).[/li]
[/ul]


Not sure but I may want to postpone until 2023!

Bob Hutson
 

by PV Hiker on Thu Sep 22, 2022 10:58 am
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Death Valley got hit twice more this past month with heavy rain and more road closures / damage. Do your research if you plan to go.

A couple of links to information.

https://www.rvtravel.com/death-valley-t ... rvt-1070b/

https://sierrawave.net/caltrans-continu ... ipe-wells/
Patrick
 

by Wildflower-nut on Thu Sep 22, 2022 11:57 am
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PV Hiker wrote:Death Valley got hit twice more this past month with heavy rain and more road closures / damage.  Do your research if you plan to go.

A couple of links to information.

https://www.rvtravel.com/death-valley-t ... rvt-1070b/

https://sierrawave.net/caltrans-continu ... ipe-wells/
Thanks for the heads up.  Talked to NPS on the phone. I've pretty much given up on the back roads that I was going to do independently after the workshop I'm going to is over.   
 

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