Furnace Creek Campground – Death Valley National Park
Furnace Creek Campground is a developed campground located near the visitor center in Death Valley National Park, sitting approximately 190 feet below sea level. It is the only National Park Service campground in the park that accepts reservations and offers full RV hookups in addition to dry RV and tent sites.
Open year-round, Furnace Creek is the most popular campground in the park due to its central location and amenities. Reservations are strongly recommended for stays between October 15 and April 15, when demand is highest.
Campground Details
| Number of sites | 136 (reduced to 41 in summer) |
| Site types | Tent, RV, Mixed Use |
| Electric hookups | Yes (select RV sites) |
| Potable water | Yes |
| Toilets | Flush toilets (year-round) |
| Showers | None |
| Dump station | Yes (year-round) |
| Amenities | Picnic tables, fire grates, trash/recycling collection, amphitheater (seasonal), camp store nearby |
| Internet connectivity | No |
| Cell phone reception | No |
| Reservations | Yes (Oct 15–Apr 15); First-come, first-served in summer |
| Reservation Website | Recreation.gov |
| Fees | Paid via Recreation.gov (reservation season) or onsite in summer |
| Staff on site | Yes (seasonal) |
| GPS Coordinates | 36.4639, -116.8669 |
Campground Overview
Furnace Creek Campground sits on the valley floor at one of the lowest elevations in North America. Its location makes it an ideal basecamp for exploring nearby highlights such as Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point, Artist’s Drive, and the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
The campground offers a mix of full-hookup RV sites and standard dry camping sites suitable for both tents and RVs. Flush toilets, potable water, and a year-round dump station provide a relatively comfortable camping experience compared to more primitive campgrounds in the park. Fires are permitted only in provided NPS fire grates, barbeque grills are prohibited, and gas-burning stoves are allowed.
Trash and recycling collection are available year-round. A camp store is located nearby in the Furnace Creek area, though firewood and ice are not sold within the campground itself. There are no showers at the campground.
Due to its below-sea-level elevation, Furnace Creek experiences extreme summer heat. From mid-April through mid-October, daytime temperatures regularly exceed 100°F, and overnight lows may remain above 90°F. During this period, the campground reduces to 41 sites and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. The most comfortable camping conditions typically occur between November and March.
Campers should follow all National Park Service regulations, including observing quiet hours from 10 PM to 7 AM, keeping food secured, and ensuring fires are maintained only within designated grates.
For information on other campgrounds in the park, check out our comprehensive Death Valley camping guide.
