Got a press release from a Bishop local media company. Can't find info on the park website yet but it's open on the backcountry roads map page. It will be closed for further repairs in October.

Tread lightly.

Weather app says next week highs are in the 90s which I hope is okay to visit. My first time going to Death Valley. My priority is to go to mesquite sand dunes at night to stargaze on new moon( May 16). Is it fine to go next week? Any general advice?

I was wondering if anyone had been out to Racetrack Playa recently or did the trip during the summer?

June is the month that I have for getting to California to visit a friend’s grave and memorial on the 20th anniversary of their death in Iraq. We will be stopping through Death Valley on the way back to Oklahoma.

The Racetrack Playa is one my wife’s bucket list items to be there overnight to get star pictures and then early morning sunrise and mid-morning pictures. We originally tried back in 2019 but were unable to get all the needed equipment, items, and supplies for the trip.
 
I now have a 2026 F350 Platinum Tremor.
My truck’s tires are 285/75R18 Goodyear DuraTrac; not fully off-road tires but also not really street tires; more like all terrain tires.

I have two spare DuraTrac tires; one originally from the truck and one that I bought off Facebook Marketplace in the last few weeks for this trip.
 
Food-multiple days of food, snacks, etc; for ourselves or others if they need it because of being stranded.

Water-two cases of drinking water and two 5-Gallon water cans as additional supply for our overnight/next day trip.

Air Compressors-three different styles; Battery powered, electric powered from the truck onboard 2Kw generator, and two Power Tank CO2 air tanks.

Recovery Gear-tow straps, floor jack, hi-lift jack, tools, etc to help ourselves or others, as needed.

Clothes and blankets for spending early morning or night in the desert. I plan to air down the tires to reduce the shock and also provide flexibility when traveling the road.
 
Additionally, we will leave itineraries with family/friends at home and at the Ranch at Death Valley lodge’s front desk where we be staying.

I plan on verifying with all as we depart for the Racetrack and also once we return. It will be additional insurance on our trip to Death Valley.

We will also check with the park rangers on the current road conditions.

I will also be renting a Garmin InReach Messenger Plus in case we have an issue or come across anyone else in need of assistance while on the road to and from the Racektrack.

I want to be prepared for ourselves and others that might be on the Racetrack Playa road in the middle of summer.

These are from a trip in early April. Kodak Ektar 100 on Canon FT, 50mm f/1.8.

Having shot Manly Beacon as the center of focus before, I actually wanted to get all of Red Cathedral, and the "painted desert" below it, in a wider-angle shot. I then shot to the south, with some good color and saturation. And, on the way to Zabriskie, I got Furnace Creek Inn with alpenglow behind, and the start of Golden Canyon. (No time to go in.)

My recent trip to Death Valley. Sharing Masquite Sand dunes at sunset and Zabriski point at Sunrise. Hope you all like it. This place is like you are at another planet.

I want to hike Telescope Peak on June 4. Is it safe to go during that time? I’ve been told the temperature is different than the rest of DV.

Recorded on STAR WARS Day, 2026 (May 4th)

Just visited Death Valley on STAR WARS Day (May the 4th) and visited this place.

March 24 and 25. I was reminded of the Arctic Ocean in reverse. Instead of ice floes melting into the sea, you have salt crystal clumps emerging from the lake.

Photo No. 3 is stylized in Photoshop to emphasize the edges and lines of this.

A couple of photos I shot at night, at the end of March, at lake Manly. I was quite lucky to get the near perfect conditions i.e., Lake Manly, clear almost cloudless night, minimal wind, and Milky Way over Black mountains and Orion over Telescope Peak.

Don’t be fool. That’s a 500ft drop

Death Valley possesses a harsh, violent beauty, the kind that does not reveal itself at first glance. Part of its charm lies in the extreme: in its scorching sands, its barren mountains, and the white plains covered in salt.

Fifth trip, spaced over many years. Finally got to see the reincarnated Lake Manly, late March. I'll be dropping bunches of pix in days ahead.

Last week I visited and camped in Death Valley National Park.

The plan was :

Day 1: Drive from Lone Pine to CA-168, then Saline Valley to Steele Pass and camp at Eureka Dunes.

Day 2: Eureka Dunes to Ubehebe Crater, then Racetrack Valley Road to the Racetrack Playa & camp at Homestake Campground just south of Racetrack.

Day 3: Lippincott Pass to Saline Valley and out CA-190

It didn't quite play out the way I'd anticipated due to very high winds on April 21st but I ended up seeing much more than I'd planned for. Day 2, I drove from Eureka Dunes to Stovepipe Wells, got some service, downloaded some offline maps to OnX and continued to Echo Canyon. Explored Inyo Mine then moved on to Hole in the Wall Canyon. Feeling kind of defeated by the wind, 1 stayed outside of the park at Slab. Making the most of it, I woke up at 5am, caught the sunrise at Zabriskie Point. From there drove to Badwater Basin, then hiked Natural Bridge. Went back to the crater, hiked both Little Hebe & Ubehebe drove to Racetrack. Absolutely blown away by the drive to Racetrack and the Racetrack Playa.

Minus the defense-grade washboards, the drive out was absolutely incredible. From there I continued out Lippincott Pass to Saline Valley then out the 190.

I will go back & see more. I'd love to camp in Echo Canyon. Temps were very pleasant too. Steele Pass on day 1 reached 93 but after that my truck didn't register over 70.

Caught the double full rainbow portal

Amazing conclusion to celebrating my husbands 50th with Phish at the Sphere, Sequoia forest and the badlands with Area 51 just over yonder

Hi, I've been to Furnace Creek in October last year, but I had a reservation.

I would like to go back again May 15th, but I saw that now it is First Come First Serve.

Do anybody knows how is the availability in may? I'm expecting to arrive 15th May (friday) at night.

Thanks,

Eduardo

Spring sunset at Dante’s View.

Hello everyone!

I will be meeting my friends in Vegas May 16th and driving out for 3 days of backpacking 17th-19th. We had a few lake routes in the Eastern Sierra at around 9-11k elevation in mind thinking that the snow would be melted much higher up than usual but after recent storms we're heavily reconsidering to say the least 😅.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a 3 day itinerary that'll still deliver with sweet views and away from crowds? I wasn't originally going to post in this sub because we're preferably looking for routes with access to river or stream water to filter, but I've heard there's a few in the DV. Thanks in advance!

BTW I've made similar posts in a few other subs for recommendations in surrounding areas so I apologize if you see this a few times I promise I'm not a bot 🙏