Death Valley in mid March - DPChallenge Forums

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

02/28/2007 03:58:43 PM · #1

My daughter and I are planning to drive down to Death Valley for Spring Break (mid March).

Does anybody know if it's very crowded at that time? Places to go? Things not to miss?

Thanks!

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

02/28/2007 04:01:19 PM · #2

I have no useful input, but allow me to say "I'm jealous!"

Edit: gonna watch this thread for ideas anyhoo. :-)

Message edited by author 2007-02-28 16:46:10.

LanceW

Nikon Z9

Nikon AF Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D

02/28/2007 04:43:12 PM · #3

Nice, will be there April 20-21. Just doing a bit of research myself. I see a couple of "Ghost" towns I may check out on the east side of Death Valley.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

02/28/2007 04:47:17 PM · #4

I guess nobody from DPC lives there or close by :) No wonder they call it "death valley".

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

02/28/2007 05:01:52 PM · #5

Vegas is only about 4 hours drive away. I'm jealous too. I want to go back.

Things not to miss:

Badwater at sunrise and/or sunset was about my favourite

Stove Pipe Wells dunes are beautiful in morning light too, though in march you'll probably need to get up about 3am to get in place for nautical twilight and the start of the sweet light. DV is one of the most 'open' spaces you'll ever find - the light starts very early.

Take plenty of water. Plenty of water. It'll be getting warm even in March.

Message edited by author 2007-02-28 17:04:22.

kearock

Nikon D90

02/28/2007 05:16:08 PM · #6

The sand dunes are one of my favorite spots:

Mosaic Canyon is also really cool. I may be mostly speaking as a geologist there (awesome brittle/ductile deformation examples), but I think it's a fun hike either way. Badwater is a fun stop, just for the novelty of being so far below sea level.

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

02/28/2007 05:28:48 PM · #7

Originally posted by kearock:

Badwater is a fun stop, just for the novelty of being so far below sea level.

I liked Badwater for the geometry. But you need to be there a couple of hours before sunrise to really see it at its best. Many of the rock/ land formations out there are beautiful at the ends of the day and very blah when the sun is high. The colours change so quickly. It is hard work to get out there for the best light, particularly towards the ends of spring/ summer, but it transforms the barren landscape into a world of beautiful colours.

Message edited by author 2007-02-28 17:29:28.

Ann

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

02/28/2007 08:16:12 PM · #8

Death Valley's great. March might be a little warm, but not unbearable. It might be crowded, but crowded is kind of a relative term. You'll have plenty of the desert all to yourself. If you're not camping, make sure you've reserved a place to sleep before you get there. The few hotels and motels get booked up.

If you're there while she's performing, Marta Beckett at the Amargosa Opera House is not to be missed.

valkner

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

02/28/2007 08:20:00 PM · #9

If you're a golfer, they have the lowest golf course in the world. Other than that, you have to go run around on the sand dunes and do some day hikes. It'll be damn hot so be prepared for lots of water and ice cream!

mpeters

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

02/28/2007 08:25:43 PM · #10

ADd me to the list of the jealous. Ursula, you will have a blast. I was there last March. The weather was...in no particular order; rain, sun(70's), wind, snow, and more sun.

I thought March was a great time to visit. The park was virtually empty until the weekend--then we saw about 5 other cars. Campsites were fuller than I expected but the one at Stovepipe is very large I heard that it never fills to capacity. We missed the flower bloom(it was short last year) but considering all the other things to do and see, it wasnt' that much of a disapointment.

Ditto what Gordon said/without the beautiful pics to add ;)

Mark

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

02/28/2007 09:03:56 PM · #11

Originally posted by ursula:

My daughter and I are planning to drive down to Death Valley for Spring Break (mid March).

Does anybody know if it's very crowded at that time? Places to go? Things not to miss?

Thanks!

My one high school "road trip' story included going to Death Valley at Spring Break -- around 1970. We arrived at the campground in very late afternoon and found one campsite available -- I imagine it's worse now, and you may need reservations to camp. That said, it's a fascinating place, and that's the best time of year to experience it.

One thing I find interesting is that you can be standing at the lowest spot in the US, and from there you can see the highest spot in the lower 48 States (Mt. Whitney).

Blackbox

Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+

Canon TC-DC58B 1.5x Tele Converter

02/28/2007 09:40:53 PM · #12

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Message edited by author 2007-05-03 06:44:56.

Blackbox

Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+

Canon TC-DC58B 1.5x Tele Converter

02/28/2007 09:45:21 PM · #13

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Message edited by author 2007-05-03 06:45:13.

dsidwell

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

02/28/2007 09:59:07 PM · #14

Mind if I crash your party? I'd love a day or two off!

02/28/2007 11:22:51 PM · #15

Originally posted by annpatt:

Do you know if the campgrounds get filled early in the day? We're camping.

Added: Sorry, more information on camping in other posts :)

Message edited by author 2007-02-28 23:25:00.

02/28/2007 11:24:38 PM · #16

Originally posted by dsidwell:

Mind if I crash your party? I'd love a day or two off!

Not at all!!!!! I'd love it if you could come for a day or two.

02/28/2007 11:26:03 PM · #17

Originally posted by SkyNevada:

If you're gonna camp - BRING YOUR OWN SHADE! (There is none and it can get warm, into the mid 90's during the afternoon.) At night, it may reach 50 degrees. Check out Mesquite Springs - it's to the far north of the Park. If you're interested, there's a Ghost Town called Rhyolite near by.

Thanks! Bring your own shade - I hadn't thought of that. I assumed there might be shade screens (sort of like there are at Hovenweep and other places where there's not much natural shade).

My daughter and I are planning to look up every ghost town we can find :)

Message edited by author 2007-02-28 23:26:35.