death valley do's and don'ts in california

Death Valley on a Budget in 2021

/ Lifestyle, Travel

Do you ever feel an urge to on an adventure during a long weekend or when you end up having a few days off in a row? You try to find something that will work in your budget but after countless hours of trying to decide where to go, you cant make up your mind. I know that feeling, I have been there plenty of times, sometimes planning the trip ends up being so much work I decide to just stay home. This year I have been inspired to take these little adventures all while staying on a budget and I want to share with you guys just how I made it happen. This week we are going to talk about how I went to Death Valley National Park in 3 days on a budget and had a wonderful time.

Therese standing in front of Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park

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xx Rachlemorgan

Day 1: Where to stop on your way.

We ended up leaving later in the afternoon after work from Morro Bay, California, we packed a lot of our own food, this is especially important especially for a National Park like Death Valley. This park is a little more secluded and there are not many food options. We drove for about 220 miles to Red Rocks Canyon State Park. This a beautiful low-cost campground that is on the way to Death Valley and a really great place to stop outside of Death Valley. The campground was clean and very quiet, we even saw a lot of wildlife around the canyon walls.  

A Beautiful morning in Red Rocks Canyon State Park

Day 2: What to expect at Death Valley

The next morning, we got an early start and headed straight to Death Valley only about 100 miles. It was Incredible! The road ends up turning a beautiful deep red color as you get closer and closer to the park. Once you enter there is a nice little gift shop and convenience store. There is a $30 dollar fee to enter the park and this gives you access for 7 days. Right when you enter the park you are greeted by breath taking sand dunes called the Mesquite Flats. We stopped here to soak up the warm dessert sun; we needed a rest after being in the car all morning.

My partner Kirsten Luna soaking up the sun at the Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes

We really wanted an immersive Death Valley Experience, so we decided that instead of staying in campground for the two nights, we wanted to hike into a spot for one night. We went to the visitors center and registered for a backpacking permit for a short canyon hike called Fall Canyon (WARNING: Be sure to connect with a ranger about the forecast when getting ready to hike in Death Valley especially when hiking in a canyon because during the spring flash floods are prevalent). We loaded up our backpacks with food and ALOT of water, this made our backpacks so heavy! But luckily, we were going to only be hiking for 3 miles so we could manage it.  We found an beautiful camping spot immersed in a canyon it was much more primitive then any of the campgrounds and was also FREE! 

Our primitive camping spot tucked away at Fall Canyon
Therese with her backpack loaded up and ready for an adventure

Day 3: Death Valley Weather

The next morning, we started early, this is very important. Even in the springtime Death Valley can get really warm in the afternoons so by starting early, we felt like we could conserve more energy so that we could spend the rest of the day, exploring the park! After making it back to the park we headed to one of the biggest attractions at the park.. the Badwater Salt flats. Badwater was so beautiful, it is truly something you have to see for yourself. This area in the park can get very crowded so we decided that starting there early would be best.

Therese at the Badwater Salt Flats

Next we took a scenic route called Artists drive. This shows the beautiful canyons of death valley and a palette of colors, it’s a great place to eat lunch and take in the view. Perfect to just explore, there are multiple places for you to pull your car over and go check the awesome canyons.

The Jeep parked along Artists Drive

At the end of the scenic drive you are greeted by a beautiful attraction called, Artists Palette; one of Death Valley’s prized sites. Depending on the time of year you go the colors can change based on the oxidation of metals in the soil of the desert. The photo really does not do the overlook much justice, you will really have to check it out for yourself!

Artists Palette

After this beautiful drive we found a camping spot at a campground Furnace creek, out of all the camp grounds we liked this one the best because it was closest to a lot of the main attractions and had a great view of the valley. This campground also had clean bathrooms and a lot of sites to choose from. It was also close to the resort so we stopped and bought a much needed popsicle from the convenience store. We ended up roasting weenies by the fire for dinner that evening while watching a beautiful desert sunset; it was a great end to a wonderful day in the desert.

Out Sunset view at Furnace Creek Campground

Overall this was one of our favorite trips because everything at the park was really close together so I didn’t feel like I had to spend to much time in the car throughout the day to see what we wanted. I would definitely love to spend some more time at this park and see attractions like Dante’s View , The Ubehebe crater and much more . Thank you for taking the time to read this post and go on an adventure to Death Valley National Park with me!

About The Author

Therese Watkins is a recent graduate from Arizona State University. In her free time she goes on many adventures. Whether she is snowshoeing, backpacking and hiking around her home town Boise, Idaho or in the canyons of Death Valley. She is a freelance blog writer, she writes about many different adventures she has taken all around the Pacific Northwest. If you are interested in reaching out to Therese for your freelance needs, you can contact her at watkinstherese@yahoo.com.

Disclaimer: Rachlemorgan has her BSW from Saint Louis University, and is currently working on classes towards medical school. Everything written by Rachlemorgan and guest authors is solely opinion. Although we link to reliable sources we are not licensed professionals and our articles are solely to provoke thought, and express our opinion. If you or someone you know is in need of professional help please check out this reference sheet.

xx Rachlemorgan

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