Places to stay near Death Valley

When we are not on the water, we are here in Pahrump. Furnace Creek in Death Valley is about 1¼ hours from the ranch, and a lot of stays are built around that drive. This is our Death Valley lodging, the whole house in Pahrump, and we are in it whenever we are home.

The ranch is in Country View Estates, minutes from Highway 160. Fill the tank in town before you leave. There is no gas between Death Valley Junction and Furnace Creek. Maverik and the Smith’s fuel center are both on Highway 160.

The drive we use

Head to Bell Vista Avenue and drive west. It becomes Bell Vista Road, then Ash Meadows Road / State Line Road, and reaches Death Valley Junction. Turn onto CA-190 west, which takes you past Zabriskie Point down to Furnace Creek. It’s paved. Don’t trust GPS for the park’s back roads. The park says the same: carry a map, and don’t depend on the car’s GPS alone. NPS directions

If you still need a pass, Death Valley Marketplace in Pahrump sells the $30 vehicle pass and sits on this road, at 3280 W. Bell Vista Ave. The Charles Brown Store in Shoshone sells one too.

• Zabriskie Point about 1 hr 10 min
• Furnace Creek Visitor Center about 1¼ hr
• Badwater Basin about 1 hr 40 min
• Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes about 1 hr 50 min
• Dante’s View about 1¾ hr
• Ubehebe Crater about 2¾ hr

Times are approximate, from OpenStreetMap routing from the ranch. Inside the park, Badwater is about 18 miles and 30 minutes south of Furnace Creek. The Artists Drive entrance is roughly 8 miles north of Badwater (approximate).

A day in the park

November through March is the season for a full loop. In summer, do not hike the low elevations after 10 am. The park measured a world-record air temperature of 134°F.

We leave early for sunrise at Zabriskie Point, then stop at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center for the road report and water. Badwater Basin is the salt flat at 282 feet below sea level. Artists Drive is a 9-mile one-way scenic loop. Skip it in a big RV or a long trailer. If the air is kind, Golden Canyon is about 3 miles round trip to Red Cathedral. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, near Stovepipe Wells, are the sunset stop. Harmony Borax Works, just north of Furnace Creek, is a short walk.

Carry at least a gallon of water per person per day, plus extra in the car. If the car breaks down, stay with it. The crash that hurts people most often is a single-car rollover, so slow down on curves and on gravel. Gas inside the park is at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells (regular only), and Panamint Springs. There are no rapid chargers in the park. The nearest are in Beatty. NPS safety · sightseeing · conditions

The pass

The park is cashless. A private vehicle is $30 for 7 days, a Death Valley annual pass is $55, and an America the Beautiful annual pass is $80 for U.S. residents. The fee page also lists a $250 non-resident annual pass. In 2026, October 27 and November 11 are entrance-fee-free days for U.S. citizens and residents. Official fees. Check NPS for current conditions.

On the way

Death Valley gets the headlines. Some of our favorite days are the places in between. Times are estimates from the ranch. The other direction, toward Las Vegas, is on A whole-house rental near Las Vegas.

What is on around Pahrump this month, including the night sky, is in the Pahrump Guide. November’s calendar is on events.

Not affiliated, details change, check before you go.