Nestled in the mountains just west of Death Valley this campground is a cool (both temperature and vibe) place to stay. I camped here in late March just before temperatures got outrageous. It’s about a 45 minute drive from Stovepipe Wells (which has gas, food and other services), but the elevation and thus cooler temperatures are well worth the extra time and gas. I had come for a short weekend trip to the park and didn’t spend too much time at the campsite beyond sleeping. The sites are nice and quiet surrounded by desert sage brush which doesn’t offer too much privacy. The campground has 23 sites pit toilets, potable water, fire rings and picnic tables. It’s first-come first serve but I had no problem getting a spot despite the fact that I arrived after sunset. The best part of this campground is that its FREE!!! I’ve stayed at much worse campgrounds that cost $25 + a night.

The road to the campground was filled with wildlife so do drive carefully. Many animals also darted towards the car as I drove in so please drive slow. I was also stuck behind a wild burro for a while as it was using the road too :p

The park was rather warm for March reaching well over 100ºF. The wildlife seemed rather hot as there was both a roadrunner and a coyote resting in the shade at the visitor’s center. I was able to see quite a lot of the park in the weekend. It wasn’t very crowded despite being there at a more popular time of year though the park is rather large. I was also there during a meteor shower which was amazing. The sky in the park and at this campground are very dark and the star gazing was particularly spectacular.

Overall this was a great campground in one of the nation’s most iconic desert landscapes. I would highly recommend!! For more info click here.