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Photo: NPS/J.GrayMahogany Flat Campground (Primitive)
Death Valley National Park · Inyo County, California
🏔️Mountain Views🌲Forest SettingOpen Meadow
Photo: NPS/J.GrayBest For
Hikers targeting Telescope Peak and campers who want the park's highest-elevation camping in a pinyon pine and juniper forest. This is a destination campground — the drive and terrain filter out casual visitors.
No
Hookups
Vault
Toilets
At 8,200 feet, Mahogany Flat is the highest campground in Death Valley National Park, set in a pinyon pine and juniper forest with sweeping views down into the valley below. It's free and first-come, first-served, positioned just steps from the Telescope Peak trailhead — the highest point in the park at 11,049 feet. Dirt road access requires a high-clearance vehicle and often 4x4. No reservation data exists for this site, but its appeal to peak baggers and its difficult access keep it from overwhelming. Expect cold nights year-round at this elevation and be prepared for snow from November through May. This campground has no equivalent elsewhere in Death Valley — it's the choice for anyone with the vehicle and desire for true mountain camping within the park.
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
36.2300, -117.0684
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Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
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.