Pulled in late, well after dark and after a long and somewhat harrowing drive in from the north. Read on the NPS website that of the three area campgrounds (all within a mile and very easy access), Furnace Creek is most popular (so we cruised past it), Texas Springs most scenic with mountain views (true), and Sunset rarely fills (because it’s a big gravel parking lot).
Our stay was mid-week in October, so even rolling in after 9pm, there were only a few sites occupied. It’s a little tricky to find the loops, as the only signage is “slow,” with no numbered directionals, but so wide open it quickly makes sense. We found a spot right in the middle of the lower loop, no one around us, easy bathroom access. Electronic self pay station back at the entrance was a breeze. Realized after the fact there was also a kiosk by the lower bathroom, so we wouldn’t have had to go to the entrance.
No power or water (expected), but the bathrooms were clean and I liked the dishwashing sink setup - outdoors with three taps and one big trough basin, several stations throughout the campground.
Arrived after dark, so waking up to a desert mountain sunrise was a treat. StarLink worked perfectly under unobstructed sky for morning virtual meeting. Bonus points to NPS for their sense of humor in decorating the phone booth - and for having a phone booth. Dumpster, recycling, and propane drop all on the way out, super convenient.
Only downside? It’s SO quiet that with low occupancy and desert acoustics, you can hear a tent zipper from 50 yards away. I imagine in busier season you might be all up in each other’s stuff.
Cruised in here just after dark without a reservation - was trying to book as we were driving and then lost reception and went in anyway. Park-like, well-maintained campground in upper loop, didn’t get to the lower loop but bookmarked it for the next time - walkable to the beach from those sites. Several sites available, and there was a WiFi connection at the check in board that made the required online reservation easy. Camp host came out to make sure everything was working okay, even though it was technically after hours for her - super nice. Our spot was a little tight for negotiating a 20 foot van, anything larger would be a challenge but we saw those there too. Great bath/shower setup with restrooms on one side, 4 separate showers on the other. Park staff was friendly and helpful. Only downside was proximity to 101 - truck traffic with air brakes went on intermittently until about 10pm and started up again before dawn. The campground sits pretty much under the highway by location - visually you wouldn’t know it, but the audio is a reminder. Not a big deal at all given all the other positives. Great spot.
Dry camping. There are dumpsters for trash, pit toilets that looked abandoned, so we just avoided and can’t comment. Four star review is for the view and the quiet, can’t beat it. This is about as remote as you can get on the 1 - the northernmost coastal terminus - and there aren’t a lot of options. Check in instructions are a little confusing as there are several camping areas and payment must be made at the office, which is in the middle section, from what we could tell. Once we figured out that location, park host was friendly and got us squared away. Will be five stars once the road construction just to the north is done - there’s currently a one-lane situation with traffic and alert lights that are on 24/7 and detract just a bit from the dark sky effect.
This was some “glamping” for us. We’re in a van with no consistent onboard power or water, so we do a night or two out and a night at a site with more amenities. This was a perfect stop driving south on the 1 after the previous night remote on the coast and a planned need for StarLink with power source. Park is clean and well-organized, if tight, and the bathrooms are super clean and door-coded, with included hot showers. Right on the marina, fun if you enjoy harbor/boating scenery, and good food within walking distance. No way - that I found - to reserve online, but a phone call at 9am on a Saturday was returned within 10 minutes and got it done. Range of big rigs to camper vans, easy access and enough room to negotiate into spots. Very welcoming, safe, laid back environment.