Best For
Extremely experienced off-road campers only. Lippincott Pass access makes this one of the most technically demanding campgrounds in the National Park system — it is not appropriate for anyone without serious 4x4 experience.
No
Hookups
None
Toilets
Homestake is the most extreme campground in Death Valley by nearly every measure. Situated at 3,785 feet and accessible only from Saline Valley Road via Lippincott Pass, the park explicitly states this route 'should only be attempted by experienced 4-wheel drivers.' There are no approved toilet facilities and no water — every supply must be packed in and all waste packed out. No reservation analytics exist, and the access requirements mean visitation is inherently limited to a small subset of capable adventurers. If you are fully self-sufficient, experienced with technical 4x4 terrain, and seeking genuine solitude in one of the most remote corners of a massive park, Homestake delivers. Anyone else should stay away.
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.
Address
Inyo County, California
Coordinates
36.6376, -117.5738
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Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Alabama Hills
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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.