Death Valley travel advice

[Amy]

Have fun, Amy.

I'm heading out to Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia in June and will gladly take any advice from your time there (or from anyone else on here who's been).

I wanted to do Death Valley too, but we're flying in and out of San Francisco and doing a big loop, first up to Redwood, then Crater Lake, then down to Lashen before heading south to Yosemite, Kings and Sequoia. Between the long drive from Sequoia, the June heat and the fact that will be late in our trip, I axed Death Valley. Going to swing by Pinnacles and spend a day in Big Sur after Sequoia before returning to San Francisco.

I don't think I would do Death Valley in June. More stuff will be open in Sequoia and Yosemite, though, than when I am there.I'm a little disappointed by the things still closed but the trade off is not quite as many people.

Did you get your entrance reservations for the parks? I think those are required starting around Memorial Day.

 

[Batman]

I would think the best Death Valley travel advice is don't travel to Death Valley.

Or anywhere with "death" in its name, really.

Always happy to help!

 

[Batman]

A friend of mine traveled east from CA and made it a point to cross Death Valley at night.

Why? Not the heat.

He wanted to look up at the stars - he said it was one of the most amazing experiences of his life. Taking in the universe.

Driving out west some years ago, I slept in the car at an I-10 rest stop 15 or 20 miles outside of Fort Stockton, Texas. It was just a parking area with no lights. Laying in the backseat, looking up at the dark West Texas sky and seeing just how many darn stars were up there was incredible.

 

[SFIND]

I don't think I would do Death Valley in June. More stuff will be open in Sequoia and Yosemite, though, than when I am there.I'm a little disappointed by the things still closed but the trade off is not quite as many people.

Did you get your entrance reservations for the parks? I think those are required starting around Memorial Day.

I jumped online and picked up an entrance reservation the second they went live last month. Yosemite's the centerpiece of the whole trip -- I'd probably just would have said the hell with it if we got shut out of there. Last I checked they still had reservations available for when we're going, so I guess my rush wasn't needed.

Have fun!

 

[da man]

When my kid was in Scouts and I was an ashistant Scoutmaster, we went to summer camp one year at Buffalo Trail Scout Ranch in the Davis mountains in west Texas. The sky was amazingly clear and dark (my kid took astronomy merit badge and I sat in on the clashes 'cause I'm a space nerd).

One night we took a side trip to the nearby McDonald Observatory, which claims to have the darkest night skies in the continental U.S. It was awesome even without the telescopes.

 

[MileHigh]

Have a great trip. I've been to all of those places and they are amazing. Enjoy.

 

[MileHigh]

I would think the best Death Valley travel advice is don't travel to Death Valley.

Or anywhere with "death" in its name, really.

Always happy to help!

You'd be wrong. It's unreal.

 

[da man]

You'd be wrong. It's unreal.

Lighten up, Francis.

 

[Amy]

Have fun, Amy.

I'm heading out to Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia in June and will gladly take any advice from your time there (or from anyone else on here who's been).

I wanted to do Death Valley too, but we're flying in and out of San Francisco and doing a big loop, first up to Redwood, then Crater Lake, then down to Lashen before heading south to Yosemite, Kings and Sequoia. Between the long drive from Sequoia, the June heat and the fact that will be late in our trip, I axed Death Valley. Going to swing by Pinnacles and spend a day in Big Sur after Sequoia before returning to San Francisco.

If you are doing Sequoia/Kings Canyon, skip the 4 mile round trip hike at Mariposa Grove in Yosemite unless you have time to kill. The Glacier Point Road drive is awesome. I did it my last day but kind of wish I had done it my first day because the view from Glacier Point would have helped orient me. I wish Tioga Road had been open. It looks wonderful. Start your days as early as you can. It's crowded. Hopefully the shuttles in the Valley will be running in June. Driving around looking for parking at various sites was a pain. Yosemite is amazing but I was a little overwhelmed by it. I think the crowds were a bit of a psychological shock, after a year plus of not seeing many people and coming directly from the very quiet Sequoia and even quieter Kings Canyon. Don't plan on getting supplies at the market in the main valley area. Every time I went in, the checkout lines out were crazy long. I think more food options will be open in June so maybe those lines won't be as bad. I did lots of unnecessary driving in circles between not realizing where things were and not finding parking. At least I was doing it when traffic wasn't bumper to bumper, like it was in the afternoons over the weekend plus the scenery was always great. Plan your Yosemite itinerary better than I did.

Death Valley was fantastic. Do it on another trip.

I think my Yosemite experience was also colored by two of my dogs being sick the entire time I was there. It didn't sound serious but was unusual, plus one is 14 and the other had been seriously ill last summer so I'm paranoid. Even knowing they were each with a great caretaker, I didn't sleep much worrying about what was going on at home.

 

[MileHigh]

Yosemite is a people nightmare. It's insanely crowded and like you said, much more than Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Tioga is a great drive but usually not open until Memorial Day. Bummer on all the driving around but sounds like a great trip. Hope the pups are doing better.

 

[Twirling Time]

Anything outside of about 50 miles of a decent-sized conurbation should be pretty decent for night viewing.

I live smack on the north end of one and it sucks.

 

[swingline]

New word of the day: conurbation.

Thanks!