National Park · California, Nevada · est. 1994

Death Valley National Park

In this below-sea-level basin, steady drought and record summer heat make Death Valley a land of extremes. Yet, each extreme has a striking contrast. Towering peaks are frosted with winter snow. Rare rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers. Lush oases harbor tiny fish and refuge for wildlife and humans. Despite its morbid name, a great diversity of life thrives in Death Valley.

$30 per vehicle Open 24 hours a day Cashless park 12 campgrounds 2 visitor centersDark Sky Place

Photos: National Park Service / Ronald Gaddis

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active

Gas Pumps at Panamint Springs Resort are Closed at Night

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Alerts

Information
Gas Pumps at Panamint Springs Resort are Closed at Night
Gasoline is available at Panamint Springs Resort from 7am-9:30pm, daily. Gas is available at Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells 24hrs.

Fees & passes

Type	Covers	Cost
Private VehicleAll visitors, including Non-US residents, may purchase and utilize this entrance fee. Purchasing this entrance fee allows all persons traveling in one single private, non-commercial vehicle (car/truck/van/RV/aircraft) to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.	All visitors, including Non-US residents, may purchase and utilize this entrance fee. Purchasing this entrance fee allows all persons traveling in one single private, non-commercial vehicle (car/truck/van/RV/aircraft) to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.	$30
MotorcycleAll visitors, including Non-US residents, may purchase and utilize this entrance fee. Purchasing this entrance fee allows all persons traveling on 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.	All visitors, including Non-US residents, may purchase and utilize this entrance fee. Purchasing this entrance fee allows all persons traveling on 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.	$25
Per PersonAll visitors, including Non-US residents, may purchase and utilize this entrance fee. Purchasing this entrance fee allows a single individual traveling on foot or individuals traveling on one bicycle to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.	All visitors, including Non-US residents, may purchase and utilize this entrance fee. Purchasing this entrance fee allows a single individual traveling on foot or individuals traveling on one bicycle to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.	$15
Non-commercial GroupsNon-commercial Groups (e.g., Scout groups, church groups, etc.) entering in a vehicle with a capacity of 16 persons or more are charged per-person for each person on board, not to exceed $200.	Non-commercial Groups (e.g., Scout groups, church groups, etc.) entering in a vehicle with a capacity of 16 persons or more are charged per-person for each person on board, not to exceed $200.	$15
Education/Academic GroupsNational Park Service regulations allow school groups and other approved national and international academic institutions to obtain a waiver of Park entrance fees, provided that visit is for educational or scientific purposes, and the resources or facilities that the group intends to use, support those purposes.	National Park Service regulations allow school groups and other approved national and international academic institutions to obtain a waiver of Park entrance fees, provided that visit is for educational or scientific purposes, and the resources or facilities that the group intends to use, support those purposes.	Free
Commercial tours · by vehicle capacity
Per Person1 - 15 Passenger Vehicle: $15 per person. In addition to the entrance fees listed below, additional permits are required for commercial groups, special park uses (weddings, memorialization, group events, etc.), commercial film and photography, research, and more.	1 - 15 Passenger Vehicle: $15 per person. In addition to the entrance fees listed below, additional permits are required for commercial groups, special park uses (weddings, memorialization, group events, etc.), commercial film and photography, research, and more.	$15
Mini-bus16 - 25 Passenger Vehicle: $100 In addition to the entrance fees listed below, additional permits are required for commercial groups, special park uses (weddings, memorialization, group events, etc.), commercial film and photography, research, and more.	16 - 25 Passenger Vehicle: $100 In addition to the entrance fees listed below, additional permits are required for commercial groups, special park uses (weddings, memorialization, group events, etc.), commercial film and photography, research, and more.	$100
Motor Coach26 + Passenger Vehicle: $200 In addition to the entrance fees listed below, additional permits are required for commercial groups, special park uses (weddings, memorialization, group events, etc.), commercial film and photography, research, and more.	26 + Passenger Vehicle: $200 In addition to the entrance fees listed below, additional permits are required for commercial groups, special park uses (weddings, memorialization, group events, etc.), commercial film and photography, research, and more.	$200
Passes
Annual Entrance - ParkThis pass allows all persons traveling with the pass holder in one single private, non-commercial vehicle (car/truck/van) or those on a motorcycle to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish for 12 months from the month of purchase.	This pass allows all persons traveling with the pass holder in one single private, non-commercial vehicle (car/truck/van) or those on a motorcycle to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish for 12 months from the month of purchase.	$55

Buy the $80 America the Beautiful pass, not this park's $55 annual pass, unless this is the only park you will see all year. It covers entrance at every federal site for 12 months. Compare the passes

Hours

Death Valley National Park

Daily · All Day

When to go

Month by month, 1979 to 2025 →

March draws the most visits here and September the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.

Bars are the average recreation visits in each month over 2021 to 2025. The line is the average temperature at Stovepipe Wells 1 SW, 8 miles from the park's reference point at 84 feet, station USW00053139 in the NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals. The lower panel is monthly rain from the same station, which publishes no snowfall normal.

See every month and year since 1979.

Campgrounds

Wildrose Campground ↗	Vault toilets	23 sites
Open year round. First-come, first-served. · 23 first-come
Sunset Campground	First-come · Flush toilets · Potable water · Dump station	230 sites
$18 a night · Closed Apr 27 to Oct 14 · 230 first-come
Stovepipe Wells Campground ↗	Flush toilets · Potable water · Dump station	190 sites
$18 a night · Closed Apr 20 to Oct 14 · 190 first-come
Texas Springs Campground ↗	Flush toilets · Potable water · Dump station	106 sites
$20 a night · Closed Apr 13 to Oct 14 · 106 first-come
Furnace Creek Campground	Reservable · Flush toilets · Potable water · Dump station	130 sites
$30 a night · Open year round, but reservations are accepted only from October 15 to April 15. During the summer months, some loops within the campground close.

Show all 12 campgrounds

Emigrant Campground	First-come · Flush toilets · Potable water · Tent sites	10 sites
Closed indefinitely due to storm damage to the water system. · 10 first-come
Mesquite Spring Campground ↗	Flush toilets · Potable water · Dump station	40 sites
$10 a night · Open year-round. Caution: summer months may be HOT, with nightly lows in the 90s Fahrenheit. · 40 first-come
Thorndike Campground (Primitive) ↗	Vault toilets	6 sites
Typically open from mid-April through December, pending snowfall. · 6 first-come
Mahogany Flat Campground (Primitive) ↗	Vault toilets	9 sites
This high elevation campground is suitable for summer and fall camping. It is often closed in the winter due to snowy/icy conditions. · 9 first-come
Eureka Dunes Campground (Primitive) ↗	Vault toilets	7 sites
Open year-round, first-come-first-served. Camping here during summer months is not recommended due to high temperatures. · 5 first-come
Homestake Campground (Primitive) ↗		10 sites
Open year-round, first-come-first-served. · 10 first-come
Saline Valley Campground (Primitive) ↗		15 sites
Closed Sep 16 to Oct 16 · 10 first-come

Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works

Visitor centers

Furnace Creek Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Furnace Creek Visitor Center is the central hub for all things Death Valley. Here you can pay the park entrance fee, speak with a ranger about trip plans or questions, participate in the Junior Ranger program, watch the 20-minute park film, explore museum displays, and browse the park bookstore.
Stovepipe Wells Ranger Station
Talk with a ranger and pay the park entrance fee. Note: This is a contact station, not a full visitor center. Hours vary- not open every day. Please call: (760) 786-3200 for today's hours.

At a glance

Established: Oct 31, 1994
Area: 13,650.3 km² (5,270 sq mi)
States: California, Nevada
Designation: National Park
Coordinates: 36.4875° N, 117.1344° W
Campgrounds: 12
Visitor centers: 2
Visitors (2025): 1,320,134
Phone: (760) 786-3200

Cell signal

Verizon: 4G LTE
AT&T: 4G LTE
T-Mobile: no reported coverage

Outdoor coverage as modeled by carriers in FCC filings as of 2025-12-31, at the park's reference point and its campgrounds. Terrain and trees change everything. This product uses FCC APIs and/or Data but is not endorsed or certified by the FCC.

Official links

All 11 links

Sister site

Campgrounds at Death Valley National Park

Every campground on federal land, whether it takes reservations or is first come.

Open Campsite Atlas →

Sister site

Death Valley Wilderness

Every national wildlife refuge, wilderness area, national forest and BLM monument.

Open Wilderness Atlas →

Built from official data and refreshed daily. This site is independent and is not affiliated with the National Park Service. Confirm anything critical on the official park page before you travel. How the data is built

Explore

Things to do

Explore Wildflowers in Death Valley1-3 Hours
Learn about the different flowers you might be able to see in Death Valley during spring months.
Opens on the Park Service site
Visit the Furnace Creek Visitor Center15-120 Minutes
Stop by the visitor center to speak with park rangers and pay park fees and purchase national park passes. View the exhibits about Death Valley's history and natural wonders.
Opens on the Park Service site
Bird Watching
Roadrunners and ravens and hummingbirds- oh my! With many resident and migratory species, bird watching opportunities abound in Death Valley.
Opens on the Park Service site
Harmony Borax Works Self Guided Walk15-35 Minutes
Harmony Borax Works was instrumental in drawing people to Death Valley in the late 1800s and in the subsequent popularity of the Furnace Creek area.
Opens on the Park Service site
Tour Artists Drive25-45 Minutes
Enjoy a scenic drive through a geologic rainbow! Artists Drive is a one-way, nine mile (14.5 km) drive which passes through eroded, colorful desert hills. Artists Palette (a viewpoint) has the most colorful scenery along the road.
Opens on the Park Service site
Drive Twenty Mule Team Canyon15-30 Minutes
A short scenic drive along an unpaved road through colorful badlands.
Opens on the Park Service site

Show all 12

Experience Death Valley at Night
Death Valley is just as spectacular at night as it is during the day- learn about a few ways you can explore the park after dark.
Opens on the Park Service site
Running in Death Valley
Go for a run in Death Valley! The park can be a very interesting and challenging place to test your road running or trail running abilities. Over 1,000 miles of paved and dirt roads, plus almost endless cross country opportunities await you.
Opens on the Park Service site
Day Hiking
Looking for somewhere to hike in Death Valley? The park has interpretive trails, hiking trails, and unofficial hiking routes, and is open to cross-country travel by foot in most places.
Opens on the Park Service site
Visit Badwater Basin1-2 Hours
Badwater Basin is the lowest elevation in North America at - 282 feet (- 86 m) below sea level. A visit to this otherworldly salt flat will provide you with a unique experience and a landscape that appears to stretch on forever.
Opens on the Park Service site
Hiking/Visiting with Pets
Due to the extreme weather, it is not usually a good idea to bring a pet to Death Valley if you want to do any exploring out of your vehicle.
Opens on the Park Service site
Mountain Biking
Hundreds of miles of dirt roads are available for mountain biking exploration.
Opens on the Park Service site

Films

Superintendent's Welcome · 1.5 min · on NPS.gov ↗

Death Valley Explorer Episode 3 - Sand Dunes · 10 min · on NPS.gov ↗

National Park Service productions, public domain.

Webcams

Devils Hole Pupfish ↗

Camera images load live from the National Park Service and partner agencies

Events

Furnace Creek Water Systems Rehabilitation Project Groundbreaking Celebration10/21
02:00 PM · free
Furnace Creek Visitor Center
Death Valley '49ers Encampment10/29
09:00 AM · runs through Nov 1 · registration required
Stovepipe Wells Resort Death Valley National Park 51880 Highway 190 Death Valley, CA 92328
Star Party11/06
07:00 PM · free
Fiddlers' Campground
Solar Scope Viewing11/07
10:00 AM · free

News

Tours Offered at Scotty’s Castle as Restoration Continues ↗2026-10-08
Visitors will have a limited opportunity to explore the historic grounds of Scotty’s Castle this season while the National Park Service (NPS) continues repairs and restoration work.
Most of Saline Valley Warm Springs Campground Reopens After Fire ↗2026-10-05
More than half of Saline Valley Warm Springs Campground has reopened following a recent fire, while the immediate fire area remains closed due to lingering hot spots and hazardous materials.
Titus Canyon Road closing for repairs October 2 ↗2026-09-28
Titus Canyon Road, one of Death Valley National Park’s most popular backcountry drives, will close Oct. 2, 2026, as work begins to repair and strengthen the road following extensive flood damage.
Backcountry campground in Death Valley National Park partially reopens after fire ↗2026-09-18
The National Park Service reopened a portion of Saline Valley Warm Springs Campground on September 17. The burned area at Lower Springs is closed to public entry by order of the Death Valley National Park superintendent.

Map

Interactive map by the National Park Service

Public land nearby

All of it on Wilderness Atlas →

Wilderness · inside or overlapping

Death Valley Wilderness

NPS3,190,455 acres

Wilderness · 21.9 mi

Surprise Canyon Wilderness

BLM24,433 acres

Wilderness · 24.7 mi

Argus Range Wilderness

BLM65,726 acres

Wilderness · 24.9 mi

Darwin Falls Wilderness

BLM8,189 acres

Wilderness · 30.1 mi

Malpais Mesa Wilderness

BLM31,906 acres

Wilderness · 31.8 mi

Funeral Mountains Wilderness

BLM25,707 acres

Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.

Guidebooks for Death Valley National Park

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Hiking Western Death Valley National Park
Michel Digonnet and Michel J. F. Digonnet, 2023
Find at Bookshop.org
Explorer's Guide to Death Valley National Park
T. Scott Bryan and Betty Tucker Bryan, 2021
Find at Bookshop.org
Death Valley National Park (California) - Wink Travel Guide
2019
Find at Bookshop.org
Moon Death Valley National Park
Jenna Blough, 2018
Find at Bookshop.org
Hiking Death Valley National Park
Bill Cunningham, 2017
Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.

Reference

Wildlife

384

Bird species

Mammal species

Species seen this month

Seen this monthBurrowing Owl 1× · Coyote 1× · American Barn Owl 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist

Full checklist: 384 birds, 55 mammals

Birds

Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Barn Owl · Broad-winged Hawk · Burrowing Owl · Cooper's Hawk · Ferruginous Hawk · Flammulated Owl · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Long-eared Owl · Merlin · Mississippi Kite · Northern Harrier · Northern Pygmy-Owl · Northern Saw-whet Owl · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Prairie Falcon · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Rough-legged Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture · Western Screech-Owl · White-tailed Kite · Zone-tailed Hawk

Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Bittern · American Coot · American White Pelican · Barrow's Goldeneye · Black-crowned Night Heron · Blue-winged Teal · Bufflehead · Cackling Goose · Canada Goose · Cattle Egret · Cinnamon Teal · Clark's Grebe · Common Goldeneye · Common Loon · Common Merganser · Double-crested Cormorant · Eared Grebe · Eurasian Wigeon · Fulvous Whistling Duck · Great Blue Heron · Greater Scaup · Greater White-fronted Goose · Green Heron · Green-winged Teal · Hooded Merganser · Horned Grebe · Least Bittern · Lesser Scaup · Little Blue Heron · Northern Pintail · Pacific Loon · Pied-billed Grebe · Red-breasted Merganser · Red-necked Grebe · Ring-necked Duck · Ross' Goose · Ruddy Duck · Sandhill Crane · Snow Goose · Snowy Egret · Tundra Swan · Virginia Rail · Western Grebe · White-faced Ibis · Wood Duck · Wood Stork · great egret

Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Avocet · Baird's Sandpiper · Black Tern · Black-bellied Plover · Bonaparte's Gull · California Gull · Caspian Tern · Common Tern · Dunlin · Forster's Tern · Franklin's Gull · Greater Yellowlegs · Heermann's Gull · Killdeer · Least Sandpiper · Least Tern · Lesser Yellowlegs · Long-billed Curlew · Long-billed Dowitcher · Marbled Godwit · Mountain Plover · Pectoral Sandpiper · Red Phalarope · Red-necked Phalarope · Ring-billed Gull · Ruddy Turnstone · Sabine's Gull · Sanderling · Semipalmated Plover · Semipalmated Sandpiper · Short-billed Dowitcher · Snowy Plover · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Stilt Sandpiper · Thayer's Gull · Upland Sandpiper · Western Sandpiper · Willet · Wilson's Phalarope · Wilson's Snipe · herring gull

Gamebirds & dovesBand-tailed Pigeon · Barbary Dove · California Quail · Common Ground Dove · Eurasian Collared-Dove · Gambel's Quail · Inca Dove · Mountain Quail · Mourning Dove · Rock Pigeon · Ruddy Ground-Dove · White-winged Dove

WoodpeckersAcorn Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Ladder-backed Woodpecker · Lewis' Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-breasted Sapsucker · Red-naped Sapsucker · White-headed Woodpecker · Williamson's Sapsucker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Hummingbirds & swiftsAnna's Hummingbird · Black Swift · Black-chinned Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Calliope Hummingbird · Chimney Swift · Costa's Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · Vaux's Swift · White-throated Swift

Also on the checklistAmerican Crow · American Dipper · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Redstart · American Robin · American Tree Sparrow · American Widgeon · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Bank Swallow · Barn Swallow · Bay-breasted Warbler · Bell's Sparrow · Bell's Vireo · Belted Kingfisher · Bendire's Thrasher · Bewick's Wren · Black Phoebe · Black Scoter · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Magpie · Black-chinned Sparrow · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-necked Stilt · Black-tailed Gnatcatcher · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Black-throated Gray Warbler · Black-throated Green Warbler · Black-throated Sparrow · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-headed Vireo · Bohemian Waxwing · Brewer's Blackbird · Brewer's Sparrow · Bronzed Cowbird · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-crested Flycatcher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · Bullock's Oriole · Bushtit · Cactus Wren · Canada Warbler · Canvasback · Canyon Wren · Cape May Warbler · Cassin's Finch · Cassin's Kingbird · Cassin's Vireo · Cedar Waxwing · Chestnut-collared Longspur · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Chipping Sparrow · Chukar · Clangula hyemalis · Clark's Nutcracker · Clay-colored Sparrow · Cliff Swallow · Common Gallinule · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Raven · Common Yellowthroat · Connecticut Warbler · Dark-eyed Junco · Dickcissel · Dusky Flycatcher · Dusky-capped Flycatcher · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Phoebe · European Starling · Evening Grosbeak · Field Sparrow · Fox Sparrow · Gadwall · Garganey · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-crowned Sparrow · Golden-winged Warbler · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Gray Flycatcher · Gray Vireo · Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch · Great-tailed Grackle · Greater Roadrunner · Green-tailed Towhee · Hammond's Flycatcher · Harris' Sparrow · Hepatic Tanager · Hermit Thrush · Hermit Warbler · Hooded Oriole · Hooded Warbler · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Hutton's Vireo · Indigo Bunting · Juniper Titmouse · Kentucky Warbler · Lapland Longspur · Lark Bunting · Lark Sparrow · Lawrence's Goldfinch · Lazuli Bunting · Le Conte's Sparrow · Le Conte's Thrasher · Least Flycatcher · Lesser Goldfinch · Lesser Nighthawk · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Long-billed Marsh Wren · Louisiana Waterthrush · Lucy's Warbler · MacGillivray's Warbler · Magnolia Warbler · Mallard · McCown's Longspur · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Mourning Warbler · Nashville Warbler · Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Northern Parula · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Northern Shrike · Northern Waterthrush · Orange-crowned Warbler · Orchard Oriole · Ovenbird · Pacific Wren · Pacific-slope Flycatcher · Painted Bunting · Painted Redstart · Palm Warbler · Phainopepla · Philadelphia Vireo · Pine Siskin · Pine Warbler · Pinyon Jay · Plumbeous Vireo · Prairie Warbler · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Finch · Purple Gallinule · Purple Martin · Pygmy Nuthatch · Pyrrhuloxia · Red Crossbill · Red Knot · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-throated Pipit · Redhead · Redwinged Blackbird · Rock Wren · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Ruby-throated Humming Bird · Rufous-backed Robin · Rusty Blackbird · Sage Thrasher · Sagebrush Sparrow · Savannah Sparrow · Say's Phoebe · Scarlet Tanager · Scissor-tailed Flycatcher · Scott's Oriole · Sedge Wren · Smith's Longspur · Snow Bunting · Song Sparrow · Sora · Spotted Towhee · Sprague's Pipit · Steller's Jay · Streak-backed Oriole · Summer Tanager · Surf Scoter · Swainson's Thrush · Swamp Sparrow · Tennessee Warbler · Townsend's Solitaire · Tree Swallow · Tricolored Blackbird · Tropical Kingbird · Varied Bunting · Varied Thrush · Verdin · Vermilion Flycatcher · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Virginia's Warbler · Warbling Vireo · Wauer 1962 (123336) · Western Bluebird · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Scrub-Jay · Western Tanager · Western Wood Pewee · Whimbrel · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-throated Sparrow · White-winged Scoter · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's Warbler · Winter Wren · Winter Wren · Wood Thrush · Worm-eating Warbler · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-headed Blackbird · Yellow-rumped Warbler · Yellow-throated Vireo · Yellow-throated Warbler · bobolink · olive-sided flycatcher

Mammals

Small mammalsBotta's Pocket Gopher · Brush Deermouse · Bushy-tailed Woodrat · Cactus Deermouse · California Ground Squirrel · Canyon Deermouse · Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat · Crawford's Gray Shrew · Desert Kangaroo Rat · Desert Pocket Mouse · Dusky-footed Woodrat · Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel · Great Basin pocket mouse · Little Pocket Mouse · Long-tailed Pocket Mouse · Merriam's Kangaroo Rat · Mohave Ground Squirrel · Mountain Cottontail · Panamint Chipmunk · Panamint Kangaroo Rat · Piñon Deermouse · Round-tailed Ground Squirrel · Southern Grasshopper Mouse · Uinta Chipmunk · Western Harvest Mouse · White-tailed Antelope Squirrel · black-tailed jackrabbit · deer mouse · desert cottontail · desert woodrat

PredatorsAlleghanian Spotted Skunk · American Badger · Bobcat · Common Gray Fox · Desert Fox · Ringtail · coyote

Hoofed mammalsBighorn Sheep · Domestic Horse · Mule Deer

BatsBig Brown Bat · Big Free-tailed Bat · Californian Myotis · Fringed Myotis · Hoary Bat · Long-legged Myotis · Mexican Free-tailed Bat · Pallid Bat · Silver-haired Bat · Spotted Bat · Townsend's big-eared bat · Western Pipistrelle · Western Small-footed Myotis

Also on the checklistAss · Catamount

Weather & climate

SPRING is the most popular time to visit Death Valley. Warm and sunny days with the possibility of spring wildflowers is a big attraction. SUMMER starts early in Death Valley. By May the valley can be scorching hot. AUTUMN arrives in late October, with warm but pleasant temperatures and generally clear skies. WINTER has cool days, chilly nights and rarely, rainstorms. With snow capping the high peaks and low angled winter light, this season is especially beautiful for exploring the valley.

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to enter Death Valley?

Entrance is $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bike. All visitors, including Non-US residents, may purchase and utilize this entrance fee.

Source: National Park Service

Which passes work at Death Valley?

The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Death Valley-only annual pass is $55.

Source: Is the pass worth it

Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?

No. Death Valley takes cards only at the entrance.

Source: National Park Service

When is entrance to Death Valley free?

Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.

Source: Free entrance days

Do I need a reservation to enter Death Valley?

No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Death Valley. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.

Source: National Park Service

Is Death Valley open year-round?

Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.

Source: National Park Service

Can I camp in Death Valley?

Yes. The Park Service lists 12 campgrounds in Death Valley: Wildrose, Sunset, Stovepipe Wells, Texas Springs, and Furnace Creek, and more. 1 takes reservations through Recreation.gov; 2 are first-come, first-served.

Source: Every campground, on Campsite Atlas

Which Death Valley campgrounds have showers, hookups, or a dump station?

Dump station: Sunset, Stovepipe Wells, Texas Springs, Furnace Creek, and Mesquite Spring. Electric hookups: Furnace Creek.

Source: Campgrounds

Do camping fees at Death Valley include the entrance fee?

No. Camping is charged per night on top of the entrance fee or a pass; Sunset is $18 a night.

Source: Campgrounds

When do Death Valley campgrounds close for the season?

Sunset is closed Apr 27 to Oct 14, Stovepipe Wells is closed Apr 20 to Oct 14, and Texas Springs is closed Apr 13 to Oct 14; 1 more have posted closures.

Source: Campgrounds

Is anything closed at Death Valley right now?

1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Gas Pumps at Panamint Springs Resort are Closed at Night.

Source: Alerts

How busy is Death Valley?

1,320,134 recreation visits in 2025, number 62 of 387 units that report visitation.

Source: Most visited parks

Follow this park

Alerts feed (RSS): Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
Add dates to your calendar (.ics file): Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.