Death Valley RV Holiday
USA Holiday Destinations

Death Valley is a rugged part of the country that in the past has provided travelers with hardships and misery. It is the hottest and driest of the national parks in the United States. In modern times these harsh conditions are mitigated by our advances in refrigeration and automotive transport. Nearly 800,000 visitors come to Death Valley every year to enjoy the diverse landscape and unique geological features. The area provides an ideal location for an RV rental holiday.

Despite the gloomy name of the valley and several of its monuments (Starvation Canyon, Funeral Mountains), visitors today will find a place of stunning beauty with colorful rock formations and canyons, as well as miles and miles of sand dunes, evaporative salt plains and a diverse range of wildlife and plant life.

Natural features range from sand dunes to snow-capped mountains, multicolored rock layers to water-fluted canyons plus 3 million acres of wilderness. While some adventurous visitors undertake strenuous backcountry hiking and camping this is not appropritate for RV rentals. We recommend you take the well worn path and stay on the sealed roads and developed campgrounds.

The area is steeped in human history and the remains of human habitation can still be found in the area. While mining was the main activity in the area before it was protected in 1933 by Herbert Hoover, several short lived boom towns sprang up during the late 1800s. The first known non-Native Americans to enter Death Valley did so in the winter of 1849, mistakenly thinking they were taking a shortcut to California. They ended up spending weeks stuck there and gave the Valley its name. Fortunately for visitors in our camper rentals this experience will not be repeated.

The valley is situated east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is barren and unpopulated country with desert plains and rocky ridges. Over 130 miles in length the valley is quite narrow at only 12 miles wide, it runs roughly north-south near the border with Nevada. Nearly 550 square miles of the valley are below sea level.

Death Valley National Park is usually considered a winter park, but it is possible to visit here all year. The camping season begins in fall as do the ranger programs which continue until spring. Spring break is the most popular time to visit Death Valley. Visitors enjoy the warm sunny days and the range of outdoor activities. Reservations are recommended during this time. While it is possible to visit during the summer months many people find the area far too hot for outdoor activities. We recommend planning your camper rental holiday for late winter or early spring to avoid the crowds.

The valley provides visitors with a wide variety of outdoor activities.

Hiking Trails

There is a range of easy to moderate hiking trails between 1 and 5 miles which will provide inexperienced hikers with a memorable view of the valley's natural features. Printed guides are available for purchase from the visitor centre. These guides provide information that corresponds to numbered markers lining the hiking trails. One of the most popular hikes is the relatively easy "Mosaic Canyon" which is considered a geologic outdoor museum. The canyon shows evidence of millions of years of geological activity and is extremely beautiful to the casual observer and fascinating to the scientific minded visitor. Many of the hiking trails are easily accessible from the roads, all you need to do is jump in your RV rental vehicle and all the conveniences of home travel right with you.

Backpacking

Adventure climbers love Death Valley for its wide range of challenging hiking trails. One such strenuous 7 mile hike is the Telescopic Peak Trail which climbs the highest peak in the park with a 3,000ft elevation. The vertical drop from the peak to the Badwater Basin is twice the depth of Grand Canyon. The peak gets its name from a climber who said that he could see so far it reminded him of looking through a telescope. Climbing the peak in winter requires an ice axe and crampons but the trail is usually snow free by June. The trail starts at the Mahogany Flat Campground. If you are the adventurous type this would be the campground at which to park your RV rental vehicle.

Biking & Mountain Biking

Bicycles can be used in parking areas and on all park roads that are open to public vehicular traffic. They can also be used on routes that have been designated for bicycle use in developed areas. Visitor guides with details of riding tracks are available from the visitor centre. Mountain bike rental is available from a range of outlets, and you can fit a couple of bikes easily in one of our RV rentals while you are travelling.

Birdwatching

While it might seem counter-intuitive that Death Valley actually has a long list of birdlife that inhabits the area. The reason for this diverse range of bird life is the variations in vegetation which can be observed on the ascent from valley floor, up the canyons to the eventual peaks. The area is also a popular pit stop for migratory birds who during fall and spring can be seen passing through the area. The most productive bird watching areas are Saratoga Spring, Furnace Creek Ranch, Scotty's Castle, Wildrose and High Panamints.

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