Quote:
Originally Posted by caideN
Thanks for the info!
I reserved 2 different sites, 1 per day, at Furnace Creek because there wasn't one site that was available for the 2 days straight.
So far, our plan is to only visit the southern part of DV.
Do you know specifically which trail is 2WD friendly and is 2 miles out that allows boondocking?
I don't really like crowded campgrounds and it seems like Furnace Creek is going to be crowded.
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If you don't have a map yet, see recommendations in this recent thread:
http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...ted-18819.html
Regarding boondocking, the distance is one mile from a paved road or "day use only" dirt road. More info here:
https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/backcamp.htm
FYI, on the DV backcountry map that was provided in a link in a earlier reply, the yellow shading corresponds to where you "can't" boondock.
The closest boondocking legal roads to the Furnace Creek area are the side canyons to the west off of West Side Road. Since these all start on the valley floor the first mile "might" be 2WD. The all eventually turn into 4WD so proceed with caution. I am most familiar with Warms Springs Road and am almost certain you could easily drive a mile up that one. I have ridden them all on a motorcycle but wasn't paying attention to whether they had any good boondocking sites.
Just noticed the dirt road near the Dantes View turnoff is not considered day use only. Its call Furnace Creek Wash Road or Greenwater Valley Rd. Its definitely 2WD, fairly flat and has some side roads if you want to get a few feet off of the main road to avoid dust from passing vehicles (recommended). This might be your best bet for 2WD boondocking.
There are less crowded campsites but they are not near Furnace Creek. During the week Panamint Springs Resort shouldn't be full. Its a private CG in DV and they take reservations. The CG is all dirt and there are many sites that border the desert.
Emigrant CG is a very small free CG in DV. Technically its a tent site camping area, which means no RVs. I've staying in there with a van before and have seen VW campers in there too.
I also like Mesquite CG to get away from the crowds.
On the occasion when I do camp at Furnace Creek, I prefer Texas Springs CG. Yes a lot of it is a parking lot for RV type camping, but I go to the back loop and camp on the north or south sides which border the desert.