Established Camping
Furnace Creek Campground — Death Valley National Park
About
National Park Service
Death Valley National Park
Overview
Furnace Creek Campground is the only NPS campground in the park that is reservable. All other NPS campgrounds operate on a first-come, first-serve basis. Advance reservations are highly recommended for Furnace Creek Campground during the reservation window (October 15 - April 15).____ First-come, first-served sites (FF) at Furnace Creek Campground are rare and fill quickly on weekends, around holidays, and in days preceding and just after the reservation season.____ PLEASE NOTE: The actual availability of any first-come, first served-sites (FF) IS NOT reflected on the Recreation.gov website in real time. When arriving without reservations, we recommend tent campers pack camp chairs and a propane stove for cooking as not all campsites in other park campgrounds offer picnic tables and fire rings. Death Valley has a total of 9 National Park Service campgrounds to choose from in this beautiful land of extremes. Six are open year-round. Three others are closed during summer months. __ Please visit our official park website to assist with trip planning and to check out all of our camping options: https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/camping.htm __
Recreation
There are over 3.4 million acres of Death Valley to explore. The popular main attractions are accessible by paved roads and more remote areas of the park will require high clearance, 4wd. Please visit our website for helpful tips when planning your trip: www.nps.gov/deva
Facilities
Furnace Creek has 136 campsites with drinking water, picnic tables, flush toilets and a dump station. Each site has either a campfire ring or grill. A campground kiosk is staffed 7 days/week during the reservation season (Oct 15-April15). Campground Hosts are also available to help during our peak camping season.____ Full Hook-up Pull-through Sites: 67, 68, 69, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77__ Full Hook-up Back-in Sites: 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52__ Tent Only Drive-in Sites: 100-110__(No campervans, pop-ups, or RV's are permitted.) Tent Only Walk-in Sites: 115-150 (No campervans, pop-ups, or RV's are permitted.)____ Tent Only Walk-in Group Sites: 1-4 (No campervans, pop-ups, or RV's are permitted.)____ Please note our Tent Only Walk-in Site area is generator free. Campers reserving sites 115-150 and Group Sites 1-4 may not sleep in their vehicles.__
Natural Features
Despite its morbid name, a great diversity of life survives in Death Valley! In this below-sea-level basin, steady drought and record summer heat make Death Valley a land of extremes. Yet, each extreme has a striking contrast. Towering peaks are frosted with winter snow. Rare rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers. Lush oases harbor tiny fish and refuge for wildlife and humans.____ Death Valley has sunk below sea level through geologic processes over time. It lies within the Mojave Desert and is the hottest, driest and lowest location in North America. Despite its extreme climate, the park boasts a diversity of ecosystems, including colorful badlands, snow-covered peaks, desolate sand dunes, rugged canyons and flat, dry basins called playas. Furnace Creek Campground is located on the valley floor. The terrain is fairly open with sparse vegetation. Some campsites do have trees that provide shade, but most are unshaded. The facility offers a wide mountan views to the east and west, which glow with hues of orange, red and yellow during sunrise and sunset.
contact_info
Between 10/15/2020 and 04/15/2021 this location is staffed. Please call (760) 786-2441 to speak with local staff. From 04/16/2021 to 10/14/2021 this location is unstaffed. Please call (760) 786-3200 for general information.
Nearby Attractions
Explorers of all ages can enjoy educational programs and exhibits at the Visitor Center, just a short walk from the campground. Birders may have luck spotting local and migratory birds around the campground and along Airport Road, especially in the cooler months. Visitors can bike, walk their dog, or run along a one-mile bike path to an interpretive trail from the campground to the Harmony Borax Works, an abandoned borax refinery from the late 1800s. The campground is also within walking distance of the private resort, Furnace Creek Oasis and Ranch.
Charges & Cancellations
Reservation Cancellations & Changes Cancelling a Reservation: Customers may cancel their reservation prior to arrival both on-line and through the call center. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. Depending on when you cancel in relation to your arrival day, it may be considered a late cancellation (see below). Changing an Existing Reservation: When changes are made prior to the cut-off window: If a customer wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee. There is no change fee if a customer extends or shortens a reservation, as long as the change includes dates from the original reservation. If they choose to depart early, they may forfeit the recreation fee for the day of departure. There is no change fee if the customer wants to switch sites that are the same price with the same reservation dates in the same facility. If a reservation is made that includes dates beyond the maximum booking window, that reservation cannot be changed until 18 days have passed from the original booking date. Late Cancellations or Cancellations within the Cut-off Window Individual Campsites: A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows Overnight and Day-Use Facilities: A no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date (or for day-use facilities, by check-in time the day of arrival). Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night___s recreation fee for a campsite. Early Departures If a customer departs prior to the scheduled check-out date, they may be eligible for a partial refund. Please notify staff at the facility if you depart early to allow others to use the site. Customers may notify the call center to request a refund of remaining unused nights. If a customer requests a refund for an early departure after the facility check-out time has passed, the customer will not be refunded for that night and is eligible for a refund on any additional nights that will not be used.
Fee Info
Location
Furnace Creek Campground — Death Valley National Park is located in California
Directions
Death Valley is in eastern California on the Nevada border, 130 miles west-northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada and 106 miles east of Lone Pine, California. Furnace Creek Campground is a half-mile north of Furnace Creek Visitor Center on State Highway 190.
Address
P.O. Box 579
Death valley, CA 92328
Coordinates
36.4630556 N
116.8677778 W
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Stay Connected
- WiFiAvailable
- VerizonPoor
- AT&TFair
- T-MobilePoor
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
- Cabins
Features
For Campers
- Market
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- WiFi
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Sewer Hookups
- Water Hookups
- Big Rig Friendly
Awesome campground
I love that they have separate parts of the campground for RVs and tents so you don’t have to hear generators if you’re tent camping. Our site had some trees that we pitched the tent under for shade. Bathrooms were clean with running water and a dishwashing area too.
Was Full, But Other Options Nearby!
I wasn't able to stay here as it was full, but I did want to let others know of a good option nearby.
There are two other campgrounds pretty close. One is called Sunset and is right across the road. It did not look very interesting, but you could walk from your site to the Death Valley Ranch, which has a saloon, restaurant and nice little oasis like setting for those looking for some shade and to grab things.
I did stay at the Texas Springs Campground, which is just up the hill, about a 3 minute drive away. Was a bit more interesting with the setting amongst the hills, etc. with a bit of a view. It is a first-come-first-served, but seemed to have plenty of spots mid-day, mid-week, beginning of April, if the NPS is full. Also, great proximity to many sites in the National Park. Hope that helps!
Get reservations in advance! Stay in the winter
We stayed in March and it was perfect 👌 very busy so get reservations in advance!
Furnace Creek Campground
Overall, I enjoyed my stay at this campground. Sites have fire rings, picnic tables and level asphalt drives. Rest rooms are not modern but they are always clean. I only gave 4 stars because there are no showers.
Perfect Tent Site
Loved this campground. Trees behind the site provided lots of shade and places for the kids to play. Clean restrooms. Quiet.
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Close to main attractions
They take reservations. Only spot near here with trees Close to main attractions (Zabriskie Point, Dante's View, Bad Water Basin, Golden canyon)
Death Valley Campground
Furnace creek was a great campground to be central to a ton of different places in Death Valley. It was a busy campground with lots of other campers. Great sunset views!
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No generators allowed...unless you're across the street!
Thanks to a SUPER accommodating NPS fella, we got site 111 for a couple of nights during the Dark Sky Festival. It's dry camping, which suited us for the short stay. We were stoked to be next to a little road that led to a nice birding spot and the little airport. Super charming...
Until the generators kicked on! I was bewildered, because I hadn't realized that there's a private campground right across that little road. If you're after a little peace and quiet, book on the opposite side of the campground.
Proximity to the main visitor center is a huge plus, as are the two nearby dump stations. It's not in a particularly beautiful part of the park, which is huge. You'll need a car to explore. We biked to a couple of trailheads, but the park's scale really does force you into car mode.
Drawn to the desert
This campground location was ideal as it was right next to the visitor center. Like most NP camp sites, they are pretty close to one another. Most sites had no or little shade and you’re lucky if you get one with a little bit of brush to hide from the beating sun heat. The picnic tables are metal, which doesn’t make sense to me given everything gets really hot in the desert. Fire pit was also provided, but we didn’t use. There are few bathroom locations within the park, they were cleaned daily and very basic, but with running water. You have to dump your trash all the way near the front of the campground. RVs with generators made a lot of noise and were not separate from tent sites. The stars at night are amazing!
Furnace Creek Death Valley
Spaces were roomy, pull through had plenty of room for our tow vehicle, trailer and another vehicle. Good sized area with picnic table and enough space for a large pop up and tent. Full hookups were nice, be prepared for high temps even in the spring. It was over 100 in April but the overnight temps were very comfortable.
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Nice and breezy in the winter
My brother and I stayed here in January 2022 and loved it! It was surprisingly chilly but the tent only loop was nice and peaceful with only a few other campers there. The restrooms (no showers) were clean and there’s a dish washing sink for camper to clean their dishes with. Camping was cheap (I can’t remember the exact amount but it wasn’t a lot). It was first come first serve though.
Each campsite has a fire pit and a picnic table. Sites are pretty level. There isn’t that much privacy which is to be expected since it is the desert. Either way, very nice campsite! I’d definitely come back
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Central and easy
This is a nice place to start your tour of Death Valley. We stayed in site 85 with our travel trailer which was close to the toilets and wash station. The site was roomy and level. There isn't a lot of vegetation, so you always have other campers in your line of sight. Unless you are a tent camper - those sites have nice trees around them. The site had a picnic table and fire ring, and was pretty easy to back into. You can see beautiful mountains all around, and gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. This campground is walking distance to the Furnace creek visitors center, the golf course and the 19th hole bar and grill. On T-Mobile I had 3-5 bars of 3G (so basic text and email), and I heard my neighbors complain of being on Verizon roaming.
It's important to note that the campsite does not have showers, and does not allow water on the ground at all - so you can't use your outside or solar shower. If you want a shower you need to buy a day pool pass at the Furnace Creek Ranch nearby ($14) or Stovepipe Wells ($5).
I think that the best option if you will be in the area for a while is to book a spot here for one or two days, then move to Texas Springs nearby or the other first come / first served campsites, or boondock areas after you have done some exploring.
Nice and quiet
Was a pleasant stay but always fully booked specially this season
Great location!
The best part about the campground is the location! Super easy to get to all the great sights. We were tent camping in site 14 which has an RV spot, fire pit and a picnic table. We were across the street from the bathrooms and they are flush and have a dishwashing station. The campground was quiet even on New Year’s Eve! Great December camping
Furnace Creek, an Oasis in Death Valley
This campground is right in Death Valley and has low prices but limited facilities as you would expect in the National Parks. There are 136 sites all with picnic tables and fire rings. There are flush toilets, water and an RV dump station on site. 9 back in RV sites have hookups and there are 9 pull through sites with hookups. There is a visitor center and small store within 300' of the campground. There is a gas station a short drive down the highway. There is very little shade. Be sure to have an awning of shade cloth with poles as it gets warm.
My site 055 shares a paved pad with 054. This would be great if you are camping with someone in another RV.
Get up early for sunrise at Zabriskie Point.
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It's a quiet campground even It's full
It's quite and clean campground, but doesn't have trash can inside restroom, those are place close to entrance so we have to drive over there. Water station beside restroom so you can wash your dishes there.
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Great Campground for Exploring Death Valley
Perfect base camp for exploring Death Valley National Park. It's located a quarter mile from the Furnace Creek Visitor Center where you can check in to pay the park fee and ask the rangers any questions. They always post the current weather and encourage visitors to stay safe in the heat. It's about 20 minutes from main attractions in the park including the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Zabriskie Point and Badwater Basin Salt Flats.
Campground Pros: Nice bathrooms and large sinks for dishes (also with potable water), Sizable camping spots, great location
Campground Cons: Very little shade, plan to bring a canopy if you are tent camping, no showers
Overall a great campground - just make sure you're visiting when the weather is decent. Super hot temps can ruin the experience pretty quick - and fill your tank before you drive into the park!
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Quiet but hot
The title says it all
Oasis
Very nice grounds with some connected spots, right in middle of the “town” in Death Valley, pretty close to the more popular exhibits.
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Perfect Campground in Death Valley
Stayed for two nights in a 22’ RV at one of the full hook-up sites. Next time I come back to Death Valley, either RV or tent, I’ll probably stay here.
Location is amazing. There’s a gas station and general store close by to pick up any supplies you’d need. About a 30 minute drive from the Mesquite sand dunes and Mosaic Canyon, about 20 minutes from Artist’s Drive, 25-30 minutes from Badwater Basin, 10 minutes from Zabriskie Point. You’re close to tons of things but we also got killer night skies once we walked a couple minutes away from our campsite.
No wifi, expect limited cell service. You can make reservations online.
Desert life camping
This campsite has a ranger at it which is neat because someone is checking who comes in.. by the way make sure you pay at the pay entrance because if you pull up where without have paying you can get in trouble... we have National park pass so that’s N easy route ALWAYS! Anyway this camp ground has all the things you could need for a campground. Bathrooms, showers, fire rings, bbq grills and trash.
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Nice campground
I've camped here many times and have always liked it here. It is in the center of all the attractions. Can be a little noisy with the crowds and RVs.
We decided to come here one year in early September last year and it was still pretty hot even at night. We were tent camping and it was difficulty to sleep due to the heat. We did a walk in site and there were plenty openings. In the middle of the night there was a sudden dust storm so we had to pack up the tent and equipment quickly. There were 2 or 3 other tent campers and they also packed up. We ended up just sleeping in the car that night, lol. The RVers were fine.
Other than that it's a great campsite. Haha. Close to the visitor center as well. Clean restrooms.
Convenient to popular attractions
I stayed here for a couple nights during Thanksgiving week, and it was pretty full. We made our reservations only a few weeks in advance, so we didnt have the best pick. Though, I cant complain because our site had shade, and I think there were sites that didnt have good shade. We were pretty close to a few other sites, so it was cozy.
It's very convenient to all the popular sights in Death Valley, so I highly recommend it if you want to hit them all up!
Got to do it at least once!
Not much to the campground but your really not there for the campground. We went in January 2018. The weather was great. Lots to see and explorer. Pack well it gets cold at night!! The resort close by allows the campground campers to use their pool and it’s heated!
Crowded and Busy
This is where most people come to stay when they are in the park. Can be corwded and if you are a tent camper you need to pick a site far from the generators of the massive number sof RVs. There are good tent sites with space and protection. But there are also tent sites out in the open with no cover or shade. Choose wisely. The wind can be as much ot=f a factor as the sun.
I am one who like solice so a crwod is not for me.
Positives are that you are near the Furnace Creek Resort so you have access to a store, a restaurant and gas.
Also it is a short walk to the visitor center which allows you acces to the most up to date info on what is open in the park. I always stay a day or two here to cover the sites on the southern end of the valley.
When there is super bloom this is wheer you want to be - easier access to teh bloom sites.
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Great "walk-in" sites
The walk in sites have a lot of sweet camping spots. Great views of the desert and mountains, space between sites (little privacy though), even some scrappy trees for decent shade, and dirt that was very stakable which is necessary for the sometimes high winds. Area is separated from RVs and generators. Walk in is a joke and the walk is close to cars, no problem unpacking. The sites on the outer loops are best, the ones close to drive in sites just have a view of drive in sites. Also, the drive in sites suck. Packed gravel and RV hell.
Sinks for washing are fabulous. Toilets are fine.
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Big skies for stargazing
This is beautiful desert floor campground in a national park with 136 sites & 18 hook-ups, washrooms, water supply & fire pits.
The sites are large enough for big tents but the RV’s are close by so keep that in mind if you are looking for a quiet spot. I found that the sound of the RV’s didn’t bother me too much but I was aware they were there.
The bathrooms and water sources are great! The nearby store is air conditioned and carries ice cream, which is nice in the daytime heat after a beautiful hike through marble canyon or playing on the dunes!
The sky at night is incredible! I’ve been to a lot of places but I have never experienced the Milky Way as incredible as it was in Death Valley! No light pollution really helps!
The ground is hard, so bring a mallet to stake your tent down. We got stuck in a sandstorm at night and ended up hanging out in the tent playing card games till it passed. It was no joke though, we woke up with a layer of sand on us, inside the tent.
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The new Death Valley, May, 2019
My husband and I were at Death Valley 8 years ago (2011) staying in Furnace Creek hotel rooms. This year (2019) we returned with our tents as part of a California National Park tent trip and wow were we surprised! The park has had a major renovation with great shopping and options for your stay. With our senior park pass we get into the parks free and camping is 50% off, so our two night stay was a whopping $16.00. We drove up to the newly remodeled inn that has rooms for 350-600$ a night, and while we were there, someone was arriving via helicopter, truly a luxury resort. We learned that the owner of the LA kings hockey team has purchased the resort and has many improvements planned.
We were reminded how far everything is within the park, you may choose to hike a trail and it may be an hour or two drive away, there is gas in the park, but you may a nice price for it! The main gas station in furnace creek had gas for $5.46 per gallon, however gas at the stovepipe wells was only $4.21.
We choose the hike to zabrieski point for sunrise and sunset, the natural bridge (very rough road) and the 8.5 round trip hike to wild rose peak which was very challenging.
This year, Scotty’s castle is closed until 2020 due to flood damage, so we were happy we had seen it on our prior visit.
We camped at furnace creek campground which is one of the few open after Memorial Day and is first come, first serve, no advance reservations. We arrived around noon and most sites were available, however later that night, most were occupied. The campground has many toilets with running water and flush toilets, and there is a dishwashing station by most bathrooms. There are tent sites and full hookup sites. There are trash dumpsters with areas for recycling and empty propane containers. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring.
There is a golf course, swimming pool, horse riding (closes in May), many nice restaurants and a spa.
Here’s the best deal, for 10$ per person you get a pool and shower pass for all day! The pool is awesome, spring fed warm water. The showers have massive pressure with hot water.
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Up against the rocks
The scenery at the campground is super cool with big rocks right next to some of the sites. The spots are small, really small, and they're stacked up next to one another. I can imagine during a busy time this would be a loud spot.
Clean, organized
We scheduled for the wrong night by accident. The campground was full but they gave us an auxilary spot that's saved for emergencies. The staff was excellent. Bathroom were clean but had no soap.