This campground is great because it never fills up, does not require reservation, and our group can…read morepark next to each other without issue. There's potable water, dump station, dish washing stations, and flush toilet bathrooms. It's five minute walking distance to the Ranch at Death Valley and a couple more minutes walk to the visitor center. That said, it is essentially a big gravel parking lot. But it's inexpensive and if you don't want generator noise, there's Texas Springs campground. If you have a trailer or RV fill your water tank at the potable water hose by the dump station (north east corner of the campground). Don't try to fill it at the dish washing station and risk damaging the station structure and your rig. There are no showers at Sunset. You can get a shower pass ($14) from the Ranch at Death Valley by going to the registration desk (Town Hall bldg). It's good for the day (8 am to 11 pm), which includes use of the pool. FYI, there are no electrical outlets in the shower/bathroom.

This space was great when we couldn't make a reservation at Furnace Creek. I was worried about…read moredriving all that way when it was first come, first serve but as everyone else said - it's huge. Lots of spots but it really did fill up by Saturday morning. It's nice for groups to all be close to each other and the bathrooms were real clean when needed. Only issues: the row letters, traffic arrows, and site numbers are super hard to see at night and honestly even during the day. And the pay kiosks are terrible, super shotty and need replacing but after a few attempts they got the job done. Overall, the campground fit our needs, people were respectful of the quiet hours, and it's the perfect location.

Nice place, toilets 2 min away, there is just 10 space on this campground so it was pretty quiet…read more This one campground is one of the highest in the Death Valley, in the night the view was amazing! Gas station is about 20 min away from this place, so if you have any emergency situation you can go there, to buy some ice for your drinks ;)

We stayed here the first night of our 3 night camping trip in Death Valley. We came in from the…read morewest entrance of Death Valley, close to Stovepipe Wells. There wasn't any sign for the campground from the west entrance, so we passed it and had to turn back. There was a small tent sign for the campground if you're heading northeast. It's easy to miss if you're not paying attention. It's a little past the bathrooms on the right side if you're heading east, and a little before the bathrooms on the left side if you're heading west. It's a very small campground with only 10 spots for tents only. No RV hookups, which is a plus for us. We came in January, so there were sites available, even though we arrived at 2 am. The biggest pro for this campground is that it's free. The other plus is it's tents only. The con is that there is no bathroom at the campground, you'll have to walk about 200 meters to get to one. But don't worry, they're flushing. Other cons are that there is no potable water, dump station, or a pit for a campfire, and it's very hard to pound the stakes in because the dirt was so hard. What we ended up doing was to put big rocks on the ropes to keep the tent in place. But honestly, I didn't mind any of the cons. I was happy to have a place to set up my tent and get a good night's sleep. I recommend Emigrant Campground if you're looking for a free campground to stay at for a night or two.

Stopped here while on a road trip. It was in July, and that was the wrong time of year! Hot, hot…read moreand more hot! Yet, nice general store, check in to the RV site was a snap, pool to cool off in, flush toilets and showers!!! Only thing, know that Wi-Fi is almost non-existent, but they do let you know that. Awesome staff, friendly! The night sky was so beautiful. Even though we live in a rural area, it has nothing on what we saw that night, nothing, and they keep the lighting down so people can really see the night sky! The only thing that we will think about next time we visit is to go in the Spring or Fall...LOL!

Always a great first stop along our trip to Death Valley. Many folks here are just arriving from…read morewherever they came from. Everton keeps to themselves and many folks here don't make too much noise! Which is great bc snoozing is easy. Great thing about next day is many people are waking up o catch sunrise, have coffee, enjoy the view a d then pack off to their next destination. Wish: more campfire items Pros: always a spot and clean bathrooms!

An awesome free campground. What more can you ask for? It has a bathroom and an information board…read morethat has maps in a small mailbox. The map helped us SO much because this is a dead zone for cell phones.

An amazing little gem in the middle of nowhere in death valley. We came up from Shoshone in Death…read moreValley (the last town before you enter the valley) and trekked up rough terrain for about 3 hours until we finally came to Geologist's Cabin. There were already people occupied there and it was after 10 p.m. at night. At this point we just had to find a place to set up camp. We took the dirt path further for about 20 minutes and came up to an area with an old rusted gate that said "DO NOT ENTER." Of course, we entered. And I am glad we did. The cabin sits at the top of the hill, tucked next to a small water source and some trees. It was empty, clean, and full of supplies from the previous passer-byes. There is a nice main cabin, with a sink, running (trickling) water, a fridge used to store food, a furnace, and table and chairs. There is another cabin but less clean. Outside is a fire pit with grilling grate, some chairs, and plenty of landscape with roaming wild donkeys. Inside the fridge are a number of journals. Travelers have kept a log since about 2003, making entries every 4-7 days. It is fair to say there have been numerous visitors over the years, and all have been kind to clean up after themselves and leave a little something behind. We left coffee, dish and hand soap, a sponge, and some plates. The walls are filled with newspaper clippings and some other items that tell the history of the Andersons. It looks like the cabin was built sometime in the 1920s. The husband died, and Stella remained until she was in her 90s. Special side notes: - There terrain is very rough. I hardly made it in my Honda CRV. I wouldn't do it again. You will need a Jeep or Truck or ATV. - There are other cabins in the area as well that you can find. For instance, Russell's camp is about 20 minutes away on a trail from Stella's Cabin. It is huge with about 5 rooms, but it is not kept up as nice.

This place truly is a diamond in the rough. The location and views are perfect. Camped out there…read morewith some friends and cooked some awesome food while there. It can be a challenge getting here but well worth it. If you plan on staying here I recommend come early before some group claims it.

"Helter skelter in a summer swelter, The birds flew off with a fallout shelter"…read more SO Ive been fascinated by the whole Manson saga for years. Around 1980 I found a copy of the book Helter Skelter: The True Story of The Manson Murders is a 1974 book by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry on my parents book shelves. Being a avid reader I poured through the book. Manson was the pure embodiment of evil and being in Death Valley to spot aircraft, and since on Sunday there are no planes flying, I decided to add this odd piece of history to my itinerary. Lets be very clear however, I came from the Panamint side. If you are coming from Death Valley over the Manly Pass you need a legit off road vehicle and experience. Make no mistake however, coming up the Goler Wash from the Panamint side is also tricky. I did make it in a stock 2016 MDX but it was pushing things to the limits. I also have decent experience off road, had a full set of recovery gear, and food and water for 2 weeks in case something happens (I may be crazy, but Im not stupid) . This trip is not for the faint of heart and there is no cell phone service and if you get in trouble you are on your own. That being said if things do go wrong do not panic and wait. Someone will come by and the offroad community has a esprit de corps seldom found in other hobbies and will always help. Also pay heed and DO NOT GO IN THE SUMMER. Barker Ranch in short was one of the Manson Family hangout spots. It was super remote, and it was where they fled following the murders. It was where they were caught, including Manson (who hid in a vanity). The irony was they were arrested for crimes they did not commit, vandalizing national park equipment, only later to be connected with the heinous murders. The ranch is a bit on the eerie side but I love exploring abandoned things. You can really feel the remoteness and it was eerily quiet except for the wind and swish of trees. Most of the building were destroyed in a fire a while back but enough remains to get a sense of the place. Coupled with the Goler Wash trail its a decent way to spend a day. From the trail head it took me several slow hours to get there. As always please do not take things and level them undisturbed.

Had an eerie feeling coming here but glad we made it out. Got a chance to see the remains of the…read moreBarker Ranch and we also decided to cook some food in the parking area.

We stumbled upon Russell's Camp on a hike from Stella's Cabin. It was only about a 20 minute hike…read more We had no idea such a big cabin existed in the middle of nowhere. It appears to be an old mining camp because there were multiple rooms and other areas surrounding it that had structures at one time. I also noted large steel parts that looked like it would be used for drilling. Russell's Camp is a very large cabin, with one main cabin housing four rooms, and two side cabins. Of all of them, there is a kitchen in the main cabin which is nice with all kinds of cooking utensils, a sink, supplies, an oven (not working) and various historical pieces on the wall. Best part is someone left behind some Glenlivet (12 Age) Scotch. Worst part is the kitchen has mice living in the old oven. There is one room on the far end called the Honeymoon Suite, and that is actually kept up pretty nice. Best place to sleep in the whole camp. There is running water that appears to constantly run from a water run-off. Someone has hooked a hose up to it and it works pretty well. Because of the constant running, there is a little garden that has grown. And it is right next to the firepit area. Probably one of the perks, is someone installed a brand new porta-potty. Special Notes: - There terrain is very rough. I hardly made it in my Honda CRV. I wouldn't do it again. You will need a Jeep or Truck or ATV.

This is a must do hike up to the top of the plateau for a view of the valley below plus interesting…read moreviews of the mining structures. We also saw wildflowers in March that were unique to this elevation such as the desert 5 spot. The short walk up to the base of the wooden derricks is easy, after that point, the grade is steeper but the path is well marked. The ore was hauled up the mountain using a unique cable system and if you hike up the hill for 20 minutes you will be able to see an ore bucket still attached to the cable up the mountain in the distance. This was actually a successful gold producing mine at the time, one of the few in the area. This site is not busy as it requires a ~ 3 mile drive on dirt roads just to get to it, plus a walk/hike to at least the base of the mine, and you can continue to hike up the hill for as far as you like.