Death Valley National Park Fees & Reservations

Entrance fees to Death Valley National Park are very reasonable indeed, considering how much park you get for your money.

Private vehicles only have to $20 (including passengers) for a full 7 day pass, that means you can leave the park and come back as many times as you like within the 7 day period, or just stay there.
Individuals entering the park only have to pay $10 each for 7 days – that means people walking, cycling or entering Death Valley National Park on a motorbike. Motorcycles carrying two passengers do have to pay $10 each.
For only $40 you can have a pass to Death Valley National Park for a whole year. That includes any friends or family you take with you, as long as they are traveling either on foot or in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle.

Commercial vehicle entrance fees to Death Valley National Park are very reasonable too. It all depends on the size of the vehicle you’re traveling in.

Vehicles with a capacity of up to 6 people must pay $25 for the vehicle, plus $10 per person.
Vehicles with a capacity of between 7 and 15 people must pay $75 for entrance to Death Valley National Park.
Vehicles with a capacity of between 16 and 25 people have to pay a $100 entrance fee.
Vehicles which carry more than 26 people need to pay $200 for entrance to the park.

Death Valley National Park Tour Fees

Scotty’s Castle is one of the main attractions in Death Valley National Park. Luckily for visitors there are three tours available which offer a real glimpse into life in the Roaring 20’s followed by the 30’s Depression.

Living History Tour – a guided tour of inside Scotty’s Castle. This tour lasts for approximately 50 minutes and costs $15 per adult, and $7.50 for children. Children under the age of 5 go free.
Underground Tour – a tour into the basement beneath Scotty’s Castle, this tour lasts about 1 hour (it’s separate from the Living History Tour) and also costs $15 per adult, $7.50 for children and is free for children under 5 years of age.
Lower Vine Ranch Tour – this is a tour of Scotty’s home, not Scotty’s Castle (in which Scotty didn’t actually live). This is a hiking tour (the ranch is generally closed to members of the public) and there’s a limit of only 7 – 15 people (depending on how many staff are available). The price of this tour is $20 for adults, $10 for children and free for the kids under the age of 5.

Camping at Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is a great place for a camping trip. There’s so much to see and do, miles of hiking trails and old mines to explore, there’s little wonder that many visitors to the park decide to stay for a few days. There are a number of campgrounds at the park, only one, The Furnace Creek Campground accepts advance reservations in the winter season – this campground plus the rest are on a first come, first served basis for the rest of the year.

Campgrounds at Death Valley National Park

Furnace Creek Campground – is open all year round, with reservations accepted during the winter season. The campground is located at 196 feet below sea level. There are 136 sites with water, tables, flush toilets and firepits. There’s also a dump station. The cost of camping at Furnace Creek is $18 per night for the winter season (you can make reservations up to 6 months in advance), and $12 per night during the summer (first come, first served).
Sunset Campground – is open between October and April. Located at 196′ below sea level, there are 270 sites for a price of $12 per night. There is water, flush toilets and a dump station, but no tables or firepits. Sites are first come, first served.
Texas Spring Campground – is open between October and April. Located at sea level there are 92 sites available on a first come, first served basis. The price is $14 per night, for which there is water, flush toilets, tables, firepits and a dump station.
Stovepipe Wells Campground – is also at sea level and opens between the months of October and April on a first come, first served basis. There are 190 sites at a cost of $12 per night. Facilities include water, flush toilets and a dump pit – some of the sites also have tables and firepits.

Mesquite Spring Campground – is open all year round, at an elevation of 1800 feet above sea level. There are 30 sites for a charge of $12 per night each. Facilities include water, tables, firepits, flush toilets and a dump station.
Emigrant Campground – this tents only campground is situated at 2100 feet above sea level. There are 10 sites which are free for use – but remember, it’s first come, first served. There is water, flush toilets and tables but no dump station.
Wildrose Campground – is open all year round and located at 4100 feet above sea level. The 23 camp sites here are available free of charge on a first come, first served basis. There is water, tables and firepits plus pit toilets, but there is no dump station at this campground.
Thorndike Campground – is open between the months of March and November. This campground is accessible to vehicles with high clearance only, in fact, 4 wheel drive vehicles are highly recommended. There are 6 campsites available, all free of charge. The campground has tables, firepits and pit toilets but there is no water or dump station.
Mahogany Flat Campground – is also open between the months of March and November only, and again, accessible only to high clearance vehicles. This campground is located at 8200 feet above sea level, with 10 sites which are available free of charge. There are tables, firepits and pit toilets, but no water or dump station available at this Death Valley National Park campground.

Back Country Camping in Death Valley National Park

Back Country Camping in Death Valley National Park is a fantastic way to get away from it all for a few days, and just so long as you follow a few rules you’ll have a great time. Here are just a few of the things you must remember when you go back country camping in Death Valley.

The maximum number of people permitted in each group is 15. If there are more than 15 people in your party then you’ll have to split into two separate groups and camp at least 1 mile apart.
All back country camps must be at least 200 meters from the closest water source.

Back country camps must be at least 2 miles from a paved road, developed area or day use road.
Remember to “Leave No Trace” when you go back country camping in Death Valley National Park.
You’re not allowed to travel off-road in any vehicles within the park. Vehicles and trailers must remain on established roadways only, plus pull ins and shoulders.

All dirt roads have a maximum speed limit of 25 miles per hour.
Do not disturb any of the cultural or natural features within Death Valley National Park.