Can anybody recomend lodging and training routes in Death valley area?
2 friends from the rain forrest are contemplating a dry out training adventure there.
Open water Swimming would be great but not esential . Mostly looking for
long interesting rides in 70 + weather and trail runs .
There are only a few places to stay within the park: Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells and Panamint Sprints. Stovepipe and Furnace Creek are of equal conveniece and pretty much equal quality. Since it is a National Park they are all run by the same company so the standards are the same. Panamint is a little cuter but has fewer services. They do have a great little cafe that makes killer smoothies.
There is one main rideable road that goes through the park. Hard to miss it. Great riding. Big climbs and wide open roads. There are some roads that go out of the park from different exits but I haven’t explored those much. Think about riding the Badwater course. Starts at Badwater, lowest point in the Wester Hempishere, and goes up over 2 passes that are killer. Don’t try the whole thing because it is 135 miles but you can do the 2 major climbs.
Tons of trails for running. You have to be SUPER prepared. There is no water, anywhere, for all of the run trails and with the dry air you will need more than you think. Carry about 2x as much water as you think you will need. If you are going in the summer make that 4x.
70+ degrees and you better go now. It starts to get hot really fast. http://www.desertusa.com/dv/du_dvpmap.html
Open water in Death Valley? Are you kidding?
Open water in Death Valley? Are you kidding?
HAHahhahhhahahahahhahhaha awesome.
Here are some pictures to give you some perspective. DV is one of my favorite places on the planet. I’ve been there 3 times, 2 times in the highest heat of the summer and once in Feb when the temp is perfect. It is an incredible place but you have to know what you are getting into. There are 40 miles between services in some locations, further in other places.
I did a marathon there and here are parts of the course. There were only 4 aid stations because there just wasn’t anywhere to put them.
(We came out of a canyon in those mountains)
Jen ,
Thanks for the info.
Do any of the lodges have a pool ?
Where would you recommend we stay if we want to experience DV bottom and explore
through Whitney portal . Main point is a couple 80 - 150 mile rides that are warm dry
and interesting. Particular trails to run?
Are any of the roads busy with car traffic?
Not a pool worth swimming in, just a family pool. I hesitate to even call them resorts because that makes them sound far more sophisticated than they really are. This place is VERY remote. The closest town with a Starbucks or real grocery store is an hour and a half away.
Fly into Vegas and rent a car, it is a 2.5 hour drive to the eastern entrance. You will come into Furnace Creek which is kind of the “home” of Death Valley in that it has the National Park offices there. It is also where the official temperture readings are done. Badwater, which is the lowest point at -282 feet, is 17 miles south of Furnace Creek. Stovepipe Wells is about 35 miles north of Furnace Creek. There is nothing but sage brush and some sand dunes between FC and SPW. That would be a nice round trip 70 mile ride. FC up to SPW, grab something to eat and drink, then ride back.
Past SPW you really enter desolation. You do a tough climb up Townes Pass that peaks at 4000’ then down into Panamint Valley at 1650’, where it is incredibly flat and you can see the road in a straight line in front of you. On the other side of the valley is Panamint Springs. SPW to Panamint Springs is around 30 miles of nothingness. After Panamint you climb up Father Crowley’s to 5000’ then back down into a valley and on to Lone Pine, the major town outside the park on the West. Between Panamint and LP is 50 miles.
That leaves you with a few options. Out and back from Furnace Creek either north to Stovepipe Wells and up Townes Pass or you can go south to Badwater basin and beyond. Once you go past Stovepipe you have to commit to another 30 miles to the next aid unless you turn around before that.
That is the route I know best. There are other options such as riding up to Scotty’s Castle in the northern part of the park. A crazy old guy built this fabulous house out there and lived there for many years. Really neat place and worth a stop. I’m not sure of the mileage from FC but it is farther than SPW.
If you go at the right time of year and have respect for the harshness of the environment you’ll love it.
I think I’ve lived in the desert for far too long when I look at those pictures
and think:
That looks so cool. I’d love to run there.
For those who aren’t used to it.
- Wear more clothes than you think is reasonable
- Take more water than you’ll ever need. It might be enough.
Thanks a bunch for the pictures. My wife will probably hate you when I
decide to go on a vacation in Death Valley because it looks so fantastic.
-Jot
I love it there and am headed back again this summer. Here are some more pics taken during various trips.
