A timelapse of driving our RV, a Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome, 169 miles from Death Valley, California to Yermo, California.
Death Valley NP
Travel from Death Valley to Yermo, California
We drove our coach 169 miles, about three hours of driving, from Death Valley, California to Yermo, California.
Here’s the map route, heading south:
Interactive map, showing our stops:
Leaving the campground:
Leaving Death Valley:
Paladin sleeping:
Paladin in an unapproved place; he was freaking out a bit; sometimes he forgets about travel days:
“Thanks for Experiencing Your National Park”:
Bumpy road:
Motorcycles:
The sign could use a refresh:
A roadside stop for a break:
Interesting hills:
A straight road; using a high zoom really emphasizes the bumps:
Lunch stop in Baker, with a nice big truck/RV parking area; always appreciated:
The World’s Tallest Thermometer:
We had lunch at the Mad Greek Cafe:
The Thermometer again:
EddieWorld, apparently California’s largest gas station (looks pretty small compared to Buc-ees in Texas, but we haven’t actually visited either):
Ghost Town Road:
Our destination:
Death Valley Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and Stovepipe Wells
We took a short hike in the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley.
On the road:
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, another Star Wars filming location, where R2-D2 and C-3PO were lost in the Tatooine desert in A New Hope:
Heading to the Father Crowley overlook:
Stovepipe Wells:
Interesting lighting:
Death Valley Badwater Basin hike
Badwater Basin is a salt flat in the lowest point in North America, at 282 feet (86 m) below sea level.
A sign high on the cliff indicating sea level:
An info sign listing the lowest places on Earth:
But it’s a dry heat…:
Boardwalk and path:
282 feet below sea level:
Path to the salt flat:
Selfie:
Beard attack:
Death Valley Star Wars locations driving tour
Death Valley contains several filming locations for the Star Wars movies (episodes IV and VI).
Death Valley is the driest national park… so of course it was rainy:
Twenty-mule Team Canyon, where R2-D2 and C-3PO traveled to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi:
Dantes View, where Ben Kenobi and Luke Skywalker looked down on Mos Eisley, the Tatooine spaceport, in A New Hope:
A little foggy:
Very hidden:
A break in the clouds:
Artists Palette, the backdrop for R2-D2’s journey through the desert canyon right before Jawas captured him:
Desolation Canyon, where the Tuscan Raiders attacked in A New Hope:
Death Valley Zabriskie Point
Death Valley Furnace Creek Visitor Center and The Ranch
Our campground in Death Valley National Park was right next to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center:
Near the Visitor Center is The Ranch, an oasis with a hotel, shopping center, and restaurants:
Buffet at the 1849 Restaurant:
Nice gardens:
Death Valley Furnace Creek Campground
We stayed at Furnace Creek Campground within Death Valley National Park, California. (Campground Reviews listing.)
The first time we’ve ever stayed inside a national park in our coach.
Dates:
- Check in: 2023-03-20
- Check out: 2023-03-23
- 3 nights
Weather:
- Partly sunny, a couple days of drizzle
- High temps ranging between 61-73°F, lows around 43-50°F
- Wind gusts to 37 MPH
Noise:
- No road or train noise
- Some neighbor kid noise, not too bad
Site:
- #69, pull-through, asphalt
- Didn’t need to disconnect toad; parked behind and in front of coach
- Level
- Large site: about 95 feet long by about 50 feet wide
- Picnic table, fire pit, gravel
Utilities:
- 50 amp power, conveniently located
- 55 PSI water, conveniently located
- Good sewer connection, conveniently located (1 10-foot pipe needed)
Internet (in usage priority order):
- Starlink: 43-148 Mbps down, 11-23 Mbps up, 29-40 ms ping
- T-Mobile: no service
- AT&T: no service
- Verizon: no service
- Campground Wi-Fi: none
Amenities:
- Garbage dumpsters
- National Park!
- Visitor center
- General store
- Restaurant
Our review on Campground Reviews:
Great campground in the heart of Death Valley NP
There are two things I wish about this place: 1) That they had more full hookup sites, and 2) that we’d gotten to stay longer. We originally booked a dry camping spot but were lucky enough to snag a cancellation for a full hookup and I’m so glad we did. I would have stayed here either way, as it’s truly the best place to stay in or near the park. The pull-through sites are incredibly long and every site is large so you’re not cramped against your neighbor, which is appropriate when staying in the largest National Park in the contiguous 48 states. It’s also very convenient to all the “must-see” places in the park. If you need internet while staying here, you must have Starlink. Cellular data was non-existent for any carrier. There is WiFi at the Furnace Creek Ranch. We camped at Furnace Creek in a Motorhome.
Tip for Other Campers: Gas in Stovepipe Wells was quite a bit cheaper than at Furnace Creek and the food was better at the restaurant there, too.
Interactive map:
The campground map:
Death Valley National Park is interesting in that it is mostly below sea level. The campground has an elevation of -190 feet:
Our site:
Death Valley is the hottest and driest national park… so of course it was cool and rainy:
Entrance:
Dishwashing station:
Other sites:
Video: Las Vegas, Nevada to Death Valley, California motorhome travel timelapse
A timelapse of driving our RV, a Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome, 121 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada to Death Valley, California.