Death Valley Overlanding

[Gizzard Stone]

Planning a Death Valley trip for spring break with my wife and two boys. Route is Mesquite Spring to Ubehebe Crater to Race Track, to Lipencot Road to Saline to Steele Pass to Eureka Dunes. Here's the map.

Only thing I'm not sure of is Fuel. If I come in from 95 (from Reno) then Tonopah is the last fuel. That puts me close to empty by the time I get to Big Pine, CA. I don't have any fancy bumpers or racks yet for fuel cans. Best I have is a Yakima Rack where I'm thinking of mounting a RotoPax.

Any ideas on fuel until I can gear up with a fancy bumper with fuel racks?

Here's the vehicle.

-M

 

[digitaldelay]

Scotty's Castle is closed indefinitely, so you may as well push on to Beatty and fill up there. From there do Rhyolite, Titus Canyon, then up to Mesquite Flats Campground.

Jason

 

[nwoods]

Come a little farther south on pavement, to Beaty, fuel up there, take the wonderful Titus Canyon route back to the main park road (skipping past Scotty's) and up to Mesquite. Continue heading north to Crankshaft Junction, then head over to Eureka Dunes and Steel Pass. Titus takes maybe an hour, and the road from the end of Titus to Crankshaft is about 20-30 minutes if you drive fast enough to float over the washboard.

Titus Canyon:

The road north to Crankshaft Junction:

Eureka Dunes:

 

[Gizzard Stone]

I like the Titus Canyon plan. What's Leadfield Ghost Town Like?

-M

 

[v_man]

I carry my Rotopax on my roof rack all the time , I also carry them in the car strapped down. Just close them tight , you'll be fine.

I second Titus canyon as well....

 

[Gizzard Stone]

Scratch that. I LOVE the Titus canyon idea. It only cuts 30 miles off my trip, but adds a day of cool stuff to see!

-M

 

[t-rex grrr]

Although not ideal, I carried two Scepter fuel cans (plastic) in my car during my last trip to DV. The caps closed tightly and there was no trace of vapor. Just be sure to strap them down if you go that route.

 

[nwoods]

IWhat's Leadfield Ghost Town Like?

-M

Not sure. I don't think I've ever been there. I've been to Rhyolite, which is just east of the entry point to Titus (you drive past it when heading west out of Beatty).

The artist that lives in Rhyolite is an interesting dude.

 

[stingray1300]

Make your gas stop in Furnace Creek. Good gas there right near the Info Center.
.
Was there a few weeks ago, Scotty's is closed. Racetrack Rd. is serious washboard (broke my front coilover shock), but it's a painfully long road if driving slowly. Homestake Dry camp was a real neat area. Very peaceful. After breaking my shock, we did Lippencott the next day. It's rated "moderate" in difficulty. Most of it can be done in a car though :/
.
Can't wait to go back. But we'll avoid taking my long wheelbase truck on South Park trail to Briggs Cabin next time. :sombrero: Bear in mind, it's already hitting the 90's down there. Take more water than you think you'll need.
.

 

[digitaldelay]

Not sure. I don't think I've ever been there.

Leadfield is the one you go through just before Titus Canyon narrows. Not much to see there, imo, but you go past it anyways.

Jason

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

 

[nwoods]

Leadfield is the one you go through just before Titus Canyon narrows. Not much to see there, imo, but you go past it anyways.

Jason

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

Oh right, I recall that one. Very small. Mostly just a few tailing piles here and there. Only had a post office for a very short time if I remember right.

 

[Gizzard Stone]

Trip is a Go

After some hemming and hawing, the trip is a go!

Route: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zEAG04KCpxu0.kWjDw0zIvazY&usp=sharing

I will be making a multi episode video of the trip for my YouTube channel. Check it out if you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSlgSaVBYozZ7X1GqzIiNDg

And posting images to Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/thegizzardstone/

Will follow up with a trip report.

-M

 

[hmmar]

Great images shared by the travelling freaks here. I like it and now I want to go like this destination for having fun and enjoying some holidays with my family, so Grand Cynon will be best or nor? Share with me souggeations. I will wait for it here.

 

[Gizzard Stone]

Funny, I just googled Death Valley Overlanding again and found this thread again. I'm not good at keeping track of my own stuff.

Anyway: The trip last year was awesome! We had 2 3rd gen 4Runners, 3 kids, 2 dogs and 4 adults. We went to Titus, Ubehebe, Racetrack, Lippencott, Saline Hot Springs, Steele Pass and Eureka Dune.

If you're interested, I made a 3-part video series of the trip and you can find that here on YouTube.

We are in the early planning stages of another Death Valley Adventure for this spring, possibly president's day weekend. Any suggestions on things we missed that we should hit this time?

What's your favorite off-the-grid camping spot or destination in Death Valley?

-Mike

 

[justrom]

We enjoyed coming in Harry Wade Road from the south - Saratoga Springs is off the grid, quiet, and not on the tourist track. We continued into the Striped Butte Valley, past Warm Springs Camp, and camped at one of the old ranches (Russell Camp) since Geologists Cabin was already occupied. We chickened out on going out west through Mengel Pass and Barker Ranch, but if you've done Steel Pass already then you might be comfortable with it.