Vegas to Death Valley

[jhaig]

is it viable to do a day trip from Vegas to Death Valley? The plan was to enter the park near the west entrance near Beatty and then drive in to the park, hit the highlights, and loop back thru the park back to Vegas. Will this work?

 

[bcla]

Sure. I've been to Death Valley as a day trip from Vegas after Thanksgiving 2013. It was really cold in Vegas, but mid-70s in Death Valley. However, we went straight in through from Death Valley Junction and left through there. It's only about two hours.

Also, Beatty is to the east.

 

[jhaig]

Sure. I've been to Death Valley as a day trip from Vegas after Thanksgiving 2013. It was really cold in Vegas, but mid-70s in Death Valley. However, we went straight in through from Death Valley Junction and left through there. It's only about two hours.

Also, Beatty is to the east.

So how far is Beatty from Vegas?

 

[bcla]

So how far is Beatty from Vegas?

Beatty is about 117 miles. The speed limit is about 70 MPH all the way through so you can get there pretty quickly.

We went through Pahrump and Bell Vista Road. If you're doing a straight shot to the Furnace Creek area, it's a bit over 2 hours. Death Valley is easily doable as a day trip.

I've also been to Death Valley during the summer. It's a far different experience, and there are fewer visitors.

 

[jhaig]

We would plan on going in September so I would guess that crowds wouldn't be too much of an issue

 

[bcla]

We would plan on going in September so I would guess that crowds wouldn't be too much of an issue

I'm looking at the historic visitation numbers, and it actually looks like they traditionally have more visitors in summer. It kind of runs counter to what I was told when I visited in the summer. A ranger said it's really more heavily visited/used in winter when the temperatures are more reasonable. However, I'm thinking that perhaps the ranger was hinting that people actually do stuff there during the winter like hike or camp. Furnace Creek Inn isn't even open in the summer. When I was there in summer there was one other car at the Badwater parking lot. When we visited in early December the lot was close to full and there were lots of people walking out on the boardwalk and onto the desert floor. We also took our kid to a sand dune and there were plenty of people there.

I guess during summer there's more or less a lot of people just driving through to say that they experienced the heat. Then there are the crazy European tourists who want to hike in the summer, and of course there's reports of a death nearly every year.

https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSRepo...y Month (1979 - Last Calendar Year)?Park=DEVA

September is going to be hot. Average highs over 100ºF throughout the month.

http://www.weather.com/weather/monthly/l/USCA0286:1:US

So have fun, be safe, and don't forget to bring lots of water. We forgot and ended up paying $4 for a gallon at the Furnace Creek convenience store. If you have any issue with a vehicle breakdown, you're probably going to need the water to stay hydrated.

 

[jhaig]

Was thinking about a pink jeep tour out of Vegas. Would that be worth it or would we see more by driving ourselves?

 

[StageTek]

You would see more of what YOU want to see by driving yourselves. But on the
Pink Jeep tour you never think about driving and a guide who has a lot of info.
And you do see all the highlights.