Looking for the best RV campgrounds near Darwin? Find the best information on RV campsites and dispersed camping near Darwin, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your RVing experience. Each RV campsite offers quick access to one or more of Darwin's most popular destinations.
$38 - $75 / night
At Lake Olancha RV Park and Campground we offer cabin rentals, 50 RV sites with 50amp and 30amp electrical plugs, and tent sites in our 100-acre RV retreat, settled along a one-mile circumference around beautiful Olancha Lake. From our campsite you’ll find the majestic, snowcapped Sierra Mountains to the West and Furnace Creek and Death Valley to the East. Enter a 400-foot, rock walled entrance to our serene, lakeside surroundings.
$49 / night
Roughing it never felt so good when your adventure begins at Stovepipe Wells Village. Whether you’re looking for a place to hookup your RV or a spot to pitch a tent or throw down a bedroll, you’ll find it here.
Stovepipe Wells Village offers 14 full-hookup RV sites for $40 per night, adjacent to the General Store. Spots fill up quickly so use our online reservations system to search for available dates. The RV fee includes access to the swimming pool and Wi-Fi access in the hotel lobby. Of course, everyone is welcome to join us for great food and beverage options at the Toll Road Restaurant and Badwater Saloon. Please check in at the Front Desk upon arrival.
If you’re looking for an ideal camping experience, the National Park Service operates a rustic campground at Stovepipe Wells Village. The 190 sites are available on a first-come-first-serve basis from October through April for $14 a night. No hookups are available. Shower passes are available to campers for a nominal fee. With this pass you will have access to the swimming pool as well. Please inquire at the Front Desk area for more information.
$40 / night
$35 / night
$35 / night
Whitney Portal Campground is in a prime location within the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains - at the base of Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the continental United States. With hiking trails to Mt. Whitney and the John Muir Wilderness less than a mile away, the campground is a popular home base for hikers, as well as family, RV and tent campers who wish to explore the area's activities and enjoy unparalleled scenery.
Hikers are drawn to the majestic scenery and challenging trails of the Whitney Portal recreation area. Nearby trails lead into the John Muir Wilderness and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. The campground is only 0.5 miles from trailheads to Mt. Whitney, Meysan Lake and other popular destinations. Visitors should be aware that hiking in this area may require a permit. Visitors can also hike, fish and picnic in the area around the campground. There are numerous lakes, streams and a small pond in the area for trout fishing.
The facility is situated in a thick pine forest at an elevation of 8,000 ft. Campers can see striking views of the rugged granite peaks surrounding it. The area is home to abundant wildlife, including black bear, mountain lions, mule deer, pine martin, pika and many species of fish and birds. This campground is especially prone to bear activity.
Campers can enter the John Muir Wilderness, a land of lofty snow-capped mountains, deep canyons and vast expanses of glacially carved terrain, via nearby trails. Mt. Whitney is within the wilderness area and entry is available by lottery for experienced hikers. John Muir Wilderness
For facility specific information, please call (602) 726-1102.
$34 - $95 / night
$10.00 per site per night. No reservations. Open all year. Tuttle Creek Campground offers 83 RV/tent sites, with ten pull-through trailer spaces, maximum recommended RV length is 30 feet. All sites include a fire pit, picnic table and a lantern holder. No hook-up. Potable water is available seasonally. Dump station fee is $10.00, no passes accepted, closed in winter. Closest amenities are 5 miles northeast in Lone Pine. Tuttle Creek Campground SignTuttle Creek Campground siteTuttle Creek Campground equestrian site One group site is available for $30.00 per night. The group camping area is approximately the size of four sites combined, with six picnic tables and four fire pits. Tent camping will accommodate up to 15 people comfortably. RV and trailer space within the group site is limited to approximately four. Adjacent sites may be rented upon arrival. Please call for group site reservations (760) 872-5000. Two horse corrals are available for $10.00 per night, including the associated site. Weed-free hay is required. Reservations accepted. Camping for a period longer than 14 days at any one campground, not to exceed 28 days per calendar year for all Bishop Field Office campgrounds, is prohibited without the written permission from the Field Office Manager. A California Campfire Permit is not required for fires within established fire rings in developed campgrounds. Seasonal fire restrictions may prohibit campfires during periods of high fire danger. Please check the BLMs website for information on current fire restrictions or call the Bishop Field Office at (760) 872-5000. Off Highway Vehicle Regulations Visitors are responsible for knowing area rules and regulations. The regulations are enforceable under U.S. Code of Federal Regulations and violations are punishable with fines up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment for not longer than 12 months. Within the campgrounds, all motor vehicles must adhere to the 10 mph speed limit. No motor vehicle shall exceed 15 mph within 50 feet of any campground, campsite, or concentration of people or animals. Emergency Information: In case of an emergency, call 9-1-1 Inyo County Sheriff (760) 873-7887 Mono County Sheriff (760) 932-7549 Private Lands Surrounding the BLM lands throughout the Bishop Field Office Resource Management Area is land owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power or private landowners. Please obey signs and stay on trails. Please respect the rights of private landowners and signs posted in these areas.
$10 / night
Open seasonally starting October 15th at noon. First come, first served campground located at sea level. The Stovepipe Wells campground has views of Death Valley proper and of the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. It is adjacent to the Stovepipe Wells general store, ranger station, and a privately operated RV park. Fee is paid at the pay station at the front of the campground.
Panamint Springs Resort is a small, rustic, western-style, resort located in beautiful Panamint Valley in Death Valley National Park that provides lodging, camping and RV services, a restaurant and bar, and a gas station with a well stocked general store. Marvelous views of distant sand dunes and the soaring 11,000 foot high Panamint Mountains complete the setting for leisure dining and relaxation. The resort is located near the western entrance to Death Valley National Park on California Scenic Highway 190.
$15 - $75 / night
Fossil Falls Campground is located in along California Highway 365 at the base of the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains.
Fossil Falls Campground contains 11 first-come-first-serve campsites with drinking water, restroom, tables and fire rings. RV sites are available and well suited for medium-sized RVs.
The fee is $6.00 per night and the stay limit is 14 days.
$6 / night
Traveler
Excellent RV Resort! We stayed a night on our way to Yosemite and we found this RV Resort by google search. Marcos at the front desk is very accommodating. There are many facilities including, swimming pool, hot tub, mini mart, gift shop, playground, horseshoes, basketball hoop, kitchen facility, RV dump station, fenced in dog run, laundry, showers, full hook ups, clubhouse, Wifi and more! Great place to stop.
Legend
Came here after "visiting" the other so called RV park in this area. This is a nice place and we were greeted by the friendly maintenance guy as soon as we pulled in.
For overnighters there is a separate area from the long term residents with level pull through sites and full hook ups (20, 30 and 50amp) for $30/night. One of us felt that being secluded away from the main park gave the overnighters area a spooky lonely vibe at night (the other of us didn't feel that way and felt fine).
There is also a self pay drop box (if you need to pay with credit card or want a receipt pay at the office) right outside the fenced overnighter area which also has an easily accessed dump station and potable water for $10 fee if you just need to dump and fill.
The friendly maintenance guy came around to make sure we had everything we needed after we set up. This is right off of Hwy 178 so there is road noise but it quieted down at night. The area is clean and there are dumpsters available as well as a laundry room which is inside the residential area. Laundry was $1.75/wash and $1 for dryer. This park is a good place to stay the night or for a chore day while traveling through.
Good cell service with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, unsure if park has WiFi available.
There's also an RV parts store next door which we did not check out.
Overall a nice clean place, nothing fancy or beautiful but a good place to clean up before heading back into boondocking.
GuideAwesome RV park and amenities if you're going to be in Lone Pine for a while. It's on the outskirts of downtown Lone Pine, but the views are beautiful of the mountains and the RV park is spacious with plenty of room to get your steps in. Complimentary muffins and coffee from 7-9a daily which was very hospitable and kind.
We spent a few days in the Alabama Hills and then came here for full hookups during the week. It was a great combo.
The internet worked pretty well for the most part for work emails and video and live stream. AT&T service was 2 out of 4 bars and worked just fine for us.
The grounds and amenities are very clean and the staff is friendly. The week was quiet, but as the weekend rolled around almost every site was full. It would be even better if we had more space between neighbors, but I'm still giving it a 5 star because it was perfect for the area.
We will definitely be back.
GuideNice and clean. Full hook ups. Clean laundry room. Quiet except hwy 395 noise. Some view of the sierra Site 41 lean a bit to the right. Had to put one layer of pads.
Legend
The Stovepipe Wells Village RV park is a different (and privately owned) RV campground nearly adjacent to the NPS-run Stovepipe Wells Campground.
Open year-round, this is one of the priciest places to stay in Death Valley charging $40 a night for a parking lot drive in site with hookups. There are very few sites here (14 in total) and they do take reservations. The property is managed by the hotel across the road and you have to check in for the RV park there. You also have access to the hotel facilities (ie. pool) if you pay the $40.
Stovepipe wells RV park has air and water at the gas station/market (where the RV park is). Gas here was almost 2$ cheaper than in Furnace Creek (about 25 miles away). There is also a general store minimart with souvenirs here in Stovepipe Wells Village. Beer, water and soft drinks were surprisingly very cheap considering how far removed you are from civilization. A good hub for a sunrise or sunset hike up the sand dunes or an early start at Mosaic Canyon. Not too far from the Artists Drive.
Other than pool access at the hotel, this site doesn't offer much more than the NPS site next door which is only $14. The only reason we considered staying here was that the NPS site is only open during 'season' beginning in mid-October, so it was the only site actually available when we went.
Guide
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.
Legend
So this place is super pretty and green the only thing green in this entire valley it has an actual resort, with hotel rooms, they do have an RV park with hook ups but I would call the resort to inquire, anyway they have a golf course, horseback riding is available which I did as a teenager here, a nice pool, shopping, etc...
When you see the gas station it's right behind that is the Fiddlers’ Campground.
Campsites are $24 per night. NO hookups, no pull-throughs, no sewer or electric... just basic back-in sites.
on their website it states with your nightly rental, guests enjoy the Ranch’s natural spring-fed swimming pool, shower facility, coin-operated laundry which I did check out and is nice, and sports courts including a Tennis Court, Shuffleboard, Volleyball, Bocce Ball, and Basketball Court.
Your nearby to the Ranch’s restaurants and the General Store for camping supplies, groceries, and souvenirs.
I took pictures of the entire park from the camp grounds, the rv park, hotel and the shops. A lot of parking at well.
Scout
A lovely site, both scenic and peaceful. Was very quiet when we stayed. The small lake was ideal for a bit of casual kayaking and nature watching - mostly birds and dragonflies. Charming and spacious, the informality of the site was a refreshing change. Owing to it being quiet, we spent most of our time there in one of the riverside overlooks that provided seating, a table & a grill (as well as being a vantage point for watching nature and launching the kayaks.
The only slight negative was that it was the only one of 10 we used on this trip that offered full hook-ups but no WiFi (5G service was adequate though). Would also benefit with the addition of more than just the single shower/toilet unit (which contrary to another review was of more than adequate size)
Traveler
Sunset campground is one of three campgrounds in the Furnace Creek area. Furnace Creek campground has full hookups for RVs, can be reserved and is often full. Texas Springs campground is more tent friendly, can handle smaller RVs but does not have hookups, and is first come first served. Sunset campground is a large flat gravel lot, no hookups and no reservations. The advantage is that it's really big, with a lot of overflow capacity and so if you can't find a spot at the other two, there's likely an available spot here. It'll be close to other RVs and the campground itself isn't pretty, but it is surrounded by beautiful hills.
We were here in late January, and the lot was probably a quarter full, so our views weren't blocked and we were able to find a spot immediately. Next time I would try Texas Springs first and if that's full (it was most nights while we were there) I'd go to Sunset. You drive in, select your spot and pay at one of the pay station.
The location is central -- it's just across the street from the Ranch at Death Valley (which has a fancy general store and some restaurants, including an ice cream shop). Gas at the filling station was $1.50 a gallon more than at Stovepipe Wells. The campground is walking distance to the Death Valley visitor center. It's pretty central to most of the sights in the area.
Ranger
Decent RV area with large, generally level, sites with vegetation in between. Bathrooms and showers not the cleanest. Friendly staff. Not a ton to do in the area except for Darwin Falls.
Guide
The Stovepipe Wells Campground/RV Park's strength is its location. It's in the middle of Death Valley National Park so you can more easily reach the more remote highlights compared to the Furnace Creek area. However, if you want to be in the middle of the activity, head to Furnace Creek.
The RV area of Stovepipe Wells is just an open field with hook-ups spaced with just enough room for a rig to fit in between. Thus, you are right on top of your neighbors, which is weird since there's so much wide open space here. I think if you didn't need hook ups or had a tent you might be able to spread out more than we did.
While we were there in December 2019, the wifi was non-existent and the power was very intermittent. In fact, we went two days with no power at all, which was really unfortunate since we paid for the hook up. Also, restrooms are quite a walk away from the hook up area, so if you are counting on using the bathrooms, be prepared to walk a bit to either the gas station or across the street to the hotel lobby area.
We were promised a refund for the days we didn't receive the services we paid for but they never followed through and the employees seemed powerless to do anything to help. Kind of a let down. When we return to Death Valley, we'll probably stay closer to Furnace Creek.
RangerSpaces 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.
Ranger$35 per night with full hookups makes this place great for a night or two between longer boondocking stays. The overnighter spots are separate from the permanent resident area, the spaces are level and very clean. Staff in the office is super friendly and helpful. The office for the park is located at the RV parts building. There is also a dump station with potable water just outside the overnighter area with a self-pay station for just $10. Fantastic deal. 10/10 would recommend and will stay here again.
Scout
Had a great experience at Siesta Ranch. The proximity to Alabama Hills and the privacy and convenience of full hookups coupled with views of the Eastern Sierras sold it for me. Would stay again!
TravelerThe campground is part of the Oasis Resort, located by the Ranch. The amenities for the Ranch are included in the campground fees. The actual campground area is a gravel parking lot with 50’ parking areas for RVs.
LegendBest campground in Death Valley. It's still crowded and can be noisey during the day, but pretty quiet at night. Great stargazing! We were lucky enough to get a campsite with trees, provides much needed privacy and shade! Great restrooms, fire pit and table at each site. RV spots as well. Dumpsters and store nearby.
GuideI 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.
TravelerThe 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
Ranger[Internet. There was full 3G signal for Verizon but no service for T-Mobile. Speedtest wouldn’t run. Verizon was usable in that you could download and upload but it took a long time. From my iPhone, I could send photos via iMessage but not SMS.]
[Rig. Mercedes Sprinter. 22 feet]
Dump station? - Yes Water fill? - Yes Clean site? - Yes Clean bathroom? - Yes Flush toilet? - Yes Showers? - No Laundry? - Haha no Dish washing sink? - Yes
We stayed in the massive parking lot side. There is a few full hookup sites that are reservable. The parking lot is first-come-first-served. It serves its purpose as a place to stay near the dunes. Nothing more. The Stovepipe Village is right next to the campground. There’s a general store, a motel and a saloon. The store has some killer Blue Bunny ice cream sandwiches and some comfy rocking chairs outside for when you eat your ice cream.
It’s basic and served it’s purpose well. No red flags. 4-stars
TravelerCampsite not well marked and difficult to navigate. Stop at gas station first to avoid difficulty finding RV sites. Had trouble with electrical hookup. EMS code showed “open ground” so used the site hookup adjacent. Very helpful, informative and accommodating staff even though our paid reservation was not in their system. Middle of no where. No cell No internet.
RangerMy 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.
TravelerThis park is in the middle of nowhere but a fabulous view of the Sierra Nevada's. I had a problem when I pulled into my site getting shore power from the electrical hook up. But I went to the office and I was moved immediately to a better site with a good hook up! Quiet, clean and well landscaped for the desert surroundings
LegendWhat can I say you are in Death Valley where the heat can get so insane you can feel it collapsing your lungs and melting your face but at this campground that can be a lot less of a problem as you are welcomed with the temperature at the visitor's center. Sure it is still hot and miserable most of the time, but what better way to embrace it than to just let it all hang out so you can see it.
I was very interested in this campground just inside of California when I was staying in Nevada over the first part of the year, it had great reviews and looked like a nice campsite. When I arrived I was not disappointed at all it was well kept, offered some shade and had nice even sites for tents or RVs alike.
Unlike my usual desire to have no amenities, I feel like staying in place like this I need a few luxuries just in case. So it was nice to find sites with electrical hook ups and potable water. The electrical hook ups made it nice for having a small fan which didn't rely on batteries which can drain quickly and that made it more than comfortable on the hot evening.
Where my tent was located the short shrubs provided a nice wind break however I did notice in some of the more open spots it can get a little blustery and we noticed several dust devils popping up across the area in the distance, very common for this region.
The campsite does accept reservations however when we were there mid week in late spring it wasn't packed so no reservation was needed.
I did notice that some of the areas were marked with heat warnings which included closure postings during certain times and warnings about temperatures after 10 a.m. I was fortunate in that it wasn't terrible just yet but already it was beginning to get that way despite it being spring. By summer I would not recommend staying here unless you were able to get inside of an RV it would be far to hot for myself in my little tent.
TIPS:
Keep hydrated when staying here or at any of the Death Valley campgrounds.
Obey postings of warnings, they are there for a reason!! We were listening to a ranger in the visitor center and he was telling us some statistics and it was enough to make you want to listen to everything you hear them say!!
Fuel up before getting to 1/4 tank anytime you are entering the Death Valley or Mohave area you never know what will happen and you would rather be safe than sorry in case you are rendered stranded , at least with gas you can rely a bit on your air.
Guide
This site is on Horseshoe Meadow Road about 1/2 mile north of the Tuttle Creek site. There are 3 legal spots with camping signs. First two are level. Third will need leveling blocks. First site is large and was to turn around a larger trailer or rv. The SuperDrive get to spots is getting a large rut go slow and even my Subaru Forester had no issue. The second and third have better views. But the first can offer wind protection from the north. BLM. Carry in and out.
GuideThis 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.
Legend
Campground Review:
This campground lies about 10 miles to the west of its namesake town, Lone Pine in the Owens Valley to the east of the Sierra Nevada range. It is a very popular campground to use as a base camp for climbing Mt. Whitney especially if the Whitney Portal CG is full. which was the case when we were there. If you can't get a reservation or walk in site at Lone Pine CG, then Tuttle Creek, and the Alabama Hills would be your closest places to camp if you're not planning on climbing Mt. Whitney.
Now on to the actual campground! Now since this is a few miles from the actual trail head to Mt. Whitney it has more RV camping sites than tent sites. Campsite range in price from $25-$65 for single tent sites, RV sites, and 1 group site, respectively. Each campground has a large bear proof box to store all of your food and smelly items in addition to a picnic table and a metal fire ring. The campground had potable water spigots and vault toilets spread throughout. You could also purchase firewood from the camp host, which is recommended due to the possibility of spreading pests.
To list all of the activities you can do in this area would take a book so I'm just gonna touch on some of the things we did! Our main goal for the trip was to try and summit Mt. Whitney by the Mountaineers Route. We got pushed back however due to hard route finding and soft avalanche prone snow. We ended going around 10 miles but the regular hiking trail is 13 miles one way! After getting beaten down by the mountain we were able to eat some great food at the Mt. Whitney Restaurant which had Americana and diner food.
Since we stayed at this campground in the middle of June the temperatures weren't too hot but I would really try to camp higher up at the portal if you plan on coming here in July or August as it could be really hot and there wasn't a ton of shade. Also be doubly sure to book your campground ahead of time as I doubt there will be any sites if you show up after 3 or 4 without a reservation.
Product Review:
Being a Ranger for the Dyrt allows us to test and review gear from time to time! This time we were testing out the Adjustable Neck Gaiter from Eclipse sun protection. This was honestly one of my favorite pieces of gear I've been able to test for the Dyrt!
Pros:
Cons:
Other than that one con I would say this is an amazing product that helps keep you from spending 100's on a temporary sunblock and helps keep all those nasty chemicals out of nature, the waterways, and the oceans! I definitely think we'll be trying out the sleeves for fishing as my fiances arms can get pretty burnt sometimes.
Traveler
Forest Fire 2 years ago did some damage resulting in the water spigot being intermittently operating, boiling or filter a must. Spacious, sparsely used, remote tent or car camping, some space for RV but NO hookups. 20 mile dirt road for access. Fire restrictions usually "extreme" so probably not a spot for a campfire. Rattlesnakes common, use caution with kids and pets.
RV camping near Darwin, California offers a unique blend of scenic beauty and convenient amenities, making it an ideal destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
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