Stovepipe Wells Campground — Death Valley National Park

Stovepipe Wells Campground is a wide-open gravel lot on the valley floor, right off Highway 190 next to the Stovepipe Wells village. It’s big (around 190 sites), flat, and short on shade and privacy. Nobody comes here for scenery or solitude. You come for a legal place to park the rig, a toilet, and a few miles of paved road between you and the north end of the park. Sites are first-come, first-served and it’s usually open year-round, though summer heat out here is brutal and most people stay away. Winter and spring are the busy seasons.

This is a solid staging point for Racetrack Valley Road. Ubehebe Crater and the start of the dirt are roughly 30 miles north via Scotty’s Castle Road, so top off fuel, water, and ice before you head up. The village next door has a general store and a fuel pump, but prices are high and hours change. Verify fees, water, and facility status with the NPS before you roll in. Plan on spotty-to-no cell signal. Have a dirty day.

Valley-floor staging camp for the Racetrack run.