Death Valley Road Conditions

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Furnace Creek, CA
Death Valley Road Conditions

Death Valley has over 1,300 miles of roads from paved highway to rocky two-track. Conditions can and do change without notice.

Never rely on your GPS or cell phone in Death Valley. Check with the Visitor Center for additional advisories. This page is dedicated to the over 1,000 miles of roads in Death Valley. We generally see comments from 4x4 enthusiasts, canyoneering clubs, and seekers of wilderness solitude. Most of the famous viewpoints and activities can be reached via paved highways where conditions do not typically

change. To learn more, please see the main page for the park. https://www.facebook.com/DeathValleyNP/?ref=bookmarks for more information.

03/22/2022

Temperatures are predicted to be in the upper 90s in the valley this week and may even reach 100 F (38 C)! Are you prepared to drive in Death Valley’s backcountry in the heat? Be sure to take extra water for everyone in your party (at least 1 gallon/person/day) in addition to extra water for your vehicle. Are you ready to change a flat tire or fix other vehicle issues? Cell service in the backcountry is mostly non-existent and help can be hours away. Be sure to have a plan for self-rescue, tell someone outside the park where you are going and when you plan to return, and consider filling out a free voluntary backcountry permit: https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/wilderness-permits.htm

Adventure, solitude, and great memories await the prepared Death Valley backcountry traveler!

📍: Saline Valley Road
📷: Yellow diamond road sign reads: Pavement Ends. Blue sign below reads: Next Services 126 mi. Blurry mountains and brown vegetation in the background (NPS Photo)

01/04/2022

Heading to Saline Valley this week? Road conditions at South Pass are snowy but are passable with 4WD and careful driving. Note that ice is likely at night and in the early morning, so use extra caution. 2WD vehicles have been getting stuck and are not advised.

📷: A snow covered dirt road winding through desert shrubs to a sunlit ridge. (NPS photo)

12/15/2021

It's raining and snowing in the mountains in Death Valley! Unfortunately, this winter weather has closed Titus Canyon Road. Check the park alerts page: https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/conditions.htm or call: 760-786-3200 to find out when the road reopens.

📷: Rain falls on blue mountains beyond a bare rocky desert (NPS/Neal Nurmi)

11/30/2021

Attention Death Valley backroads lovers: Thinking about driving Titus Canyon this weekend? You may want to time your trip to avoid a running event taking place in the canyon on Saturday, December 4th from 7:30am - 3:30pm. The road will remain open to vehicles, but please use extreme caution and be courteous when passing the many runners who will be on the road.

📷: (NPS/A. Boyer) Runners gather on a desert dirt road next to a sign which reads: Caution runners on the road.

08/01/2021

It's monsoon season, and Death Valley has had localized flooding several times recently. Any road not listed below as closed is open, but be careful due to debris on roads and washed-out shoulders.

Beatty Cutoff: CLOSED due to flood damage (Mud Canyon route is open to Beatty)
Emigrant Canyon: CLOSED due to flood damage
Lower Wildrose: CLOSED due to flood damage
Titus Canyon: CLOSED due to flood damage
Twenty Mule Team Canyon: CLOSED due to flood damage
Salt Creek: CLOSED due to being a soggy mess
Scotty’s Castle Road: Grapevine Canyon section CLOSED; no access to NV 267/US 95.

Photo: Brown water is flowing from left to right, crossing a paved road. Buildings can be seen in the background.

07/31/2021

ROAD CLOSURES as of 7/31/2021:

Scotty’s Castle Road: Grapevine Canyon section CLOSED; no access to NV 267/US 95.

Beatty Cutoff: CLOSED

Salt Creek: CLOSED

Titus Canyon: CLOSED

Twenty Mule Team Canyon: CLOSED

Lower Wildrose: CLOSED

07/28/2021

Following some rain this past week, many dirt roads have been impacted. Currently Titus Canyon, 20 Mule Team, Salt Creek, and Beatty Cutoff roads are closed due to flooding and debris. Expect wash-outs, mud, debris, and other potential hazards on dirt roads throughout the park!

A full list of closures can be found on the Conditions page of our website (https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/conditions.htm). We will update this page as things reopen, so please refer to this as your primary source of information.

Pictured here is Mustard Canyon, which was impacted but remains open.

📸:NPS/E. Letterman

03/29/2021

Hello Backcountry Roads Enthusiasts! It's springtime in Death Valley and although there aren't many wildflowers this year, there have been some awesome wildlife sightings, especially along Titus Canyon Rd. Recent sightings include a herd of bighorn sheep (at least two lambs were spotted) and this American Badger! Titus Canyon is in its standard condition: the first 8 miles have a lot of wash board, there are rutted out sections with steep grades and large rocks right before Leadfield, and there are sharp turns after Klare Spring. As always, high clearance is needed on this steep, bumpy, one-way road. Have you been to Death Valley recently? Do you have any animal sightings or road condition updates you would like to share? Please tell us in the comments below!

📷: Badger surrounded by dry grass and gray shrubs. NPS photo.

03/12/2021

Spring rain showers at Furnace Creek means snow at higher elevations. This week's storms have closed the road from the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns to Telescope Peak Trailhead. Rangers reported 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) of snow yesterday on the road to Hunter Mountain, with probable additional accumulation during today's storm. Snow is visible on many of the peaks in the Grapevine Mountains, and may be present on Titus Canyon Road. If you plan to explore high elevation backcountry roads this weekend, be prepared for challenging conditions.

Image: Clouds and gray sky over the snow-capped Panamint Mountain Range. NPS/J. Gray

01/25/2021

After last week's warm spell, winter weather has returned to Death Valley. Titus Canyon Road and the road from the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns to Telescope Peak Trailhead are closed due to snow. Snow is actively falling in many areas of the park, with more storms in the forecast for later in the week. Use caution, especially when travelling in the backcountry, as road conditions can change quickly. For the most up to date road conditions, please visit our park website: https://www.nps.gov/deva or call the Furnace Creek Visitor Center: 760-786-3200.

Image: Storm clouds and rain falling on the Panamint Mountains with salt flats in the foreground

NPS Photo

12/28/2020

Wintry weather has arrived! Today brought rain to most areas of the park, and snow as low as the 4,100' mark. At this time Wildrose Road is closed at the kilns and Titus Canyon closed due to slippery conditions.

The most timely source of closure information is our park website alerts, as there is staff available 7 days a week to keep this updated (https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/conditions.htm).

12/06/2020

Following the new State of California Stay at Home Order for the Southern California Region, Death Valley is temporarily closing all campgrounds including: Homestake (Racetrack), Eureka Dunes, and Saline Warm Springs. These closures will begin at noon on Monday 12/7. Please check our website: https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/conditions.htm for the most recent updates. Both frontcountry and backcountry areas of the park, including roads, trails, vistas, and restrooms remain open. Thank you for respecting these closures and helping us protect Death Valley's spectacular backcountry.

Image: A metal fire ring and picnic table at Eureka Dunes Campground with the dunes in the background. Credit: NPS/M. Clark

Address

PO Box 579
Furnace Creek, CA
92328

Telephone

+17607863200

Website

https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

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