Photo: NPS / P.TaylorFurnace Creek Campground
★4.4(1,914 reviews)
High DemandDeath Valley National Park · Death Valley, California🚛Big Rig FriendlyRiver Access
Photo: NPS / P.TaylorBest For
Anyone who wants the most central, full-featured base camp in Death Valley with the security of a guaranteed reservation. Essential for RV campers needing 50-amp hookups and the only real option for those unwilling to risk a first-come, first-served campground.
129
Sites
Partial
Hookups
Flush
Toilets
Furnace Creek is the crown jewel and the bottleneck of Death Valley camping — it is the only NPS campground in the park that accepts reservations, and with 1,914 reviews and a 4.4 rating, it earns its reputation. The campground offers 129 sites across five categories including standard nonelectric, walk-to, 50-amp electric, tent-only, and group areas, with a maximum vehicle length of 107 feet. Demand is Very High Wednesday through Saturday and High every other day, with zero available site-nights in the next 14 days. The reservation window runs October 15 through April 15, and 16.8% of October bookings and 15.1% of February bookings were placed 6+ months in advance — the highest long-lead rates in the park's dataset. Only 17.8%–28.7% of peak-month bookings were last-minute, meaning walk-up chances are slim at best in winter. If you don't have a reservation, first-come, first-served sites at Furnace Creek do exist but fill rapidly on weekends and holidays. Book at the six-month mark for any dates in November through March.
Content from Death Valley National Park park guide
November through March is peak season for Death Valley camping, with March alone generating 2,783 reservations in our dataset — the busiest single month. February drives early bookings from wildflower hunters, with 15.1% of February reservations placed 6+ months in advance. Summer months (May through August) see dramatically lower demand — May and August each hit 87.5% last-minute booking rates — but temperatures regularly exceed 110°F, and only heat-prepared campers should attempt the valley floor.
Death Valley covers more than 3,000 square miles and has no internal shuttle system — a private vehicle is essential for accessing any campground. Many of the more remote campgrounds (Eureka Dunes, Thorndike, Mahogany Flat, Saline Valley, Homestake) require high-clearance 4WD vehicles, and some roads close seasonally due to snow or flash flood damage. Plan driving distances carefully: Mesquite Spring in the north and Saline Valley to the west are each well over an hour from Furnace Creek.
Total reservations in October 2023: 956
Address
Death Valley, California
Coordinates
36.4631, -116.8678
Very high demand - sites typically fill up immediately when the booking window opens. Plan to book the moment reservations open.
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
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Death Valley National Park
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Death Valley National Park
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The park entrance fee is $35 per vehicle and is valid for 7 days. The America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers the entrance fee for the pass holder's vehicle and is valid at all federal fee sites — a strong value for anyone visiting multiple parks in a year. Furnace Creek Campground charges a nightly fee (varies by site type); first-come campgrounds including Emigrant, Thorndike, Mahogany Flat, and Wildrose are free. Fee-based first-come campgrounds like Texas Springs, Stovepipe Wells, Sunset, and Mesquite Spring use self-pay stations on-site.
The 14-day maximum stay applies at Furnace Creek and most other campgrounds; Backcountry Roadside Camping has a 7-day limit. Cell service is extremely limited throughout the park — download offline maps before arrival and do not rely on navigation apps in the field. The nearest significant supply towns are Beatty, Nevada (approximately 40 miles from Furnace Creek) and Ridgecrest, California to the south; the Stovepipe Wells general store and Furnace Creek Ranch store offer limited supplies within the park. Generator hours and pet rules vary by campground — Texas Springs prohibits generators entirely, while Wildrose allows them 7am to 7pm.