I recently became obsessed with Death Valley; I had seen a few pictures on pinterest and was stunned by how beautiful it was.  Despite only living 8 hours away for the last 30 years, I had never been, so it was time to plan a trip. So here is everything you need to know to know before you plan your trip to Death Valley National Park and why it is a great destination for kids.

Death Valley: Things To Know Before You Go

• The best time to visit Death Valley is November through March (wildflowers). After that it starts to get hotter than most people want to experience, up to 129°F (although the lady at the general store told me bus loads of people come in July to experience extreme heat, so if you like that, it’s an option).
• Death Valley is the largest national park in the contiguous United States. This means there is a lot to see, but it also means there can be a LOT of driving.  Some of the key sites are hours of driving apart.  Plan out your trip in advance (like the itinerary coming up in my post next week) to group together key activities and minimize driving.
• Resources are limited. Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek are the two main spots to get gas/food/water.   Bring your own supplies or plan your day accordingly.

• Reserve Ahead of Time. If you are not camping, there are only a few places to stay ( Inn at Furnace Creek ($$$$), Ranch at Furnace Creek ($$$), and Stovepipe Wells $$)).  The nearest town with accommodations is 60 miles away, so if you want to stay in the park, reserve your room ahead of time.
• There are not a ton of bathrooms and virtually no garbage cans. The top 10 key sites have pit-style bathrooms, but other than that, there are not a lot of facilities.  Keep this in mind when traveling with kids and take advantage of every opportunity.  There are almost no garbage cans in the park, so bring a few plastic bags with you to collect your trash as you go.
• Cellular service is limited. Most places in the park have “no service” and if you do get a bar or two it is the “extended 1G” so you can’t do much with it.  Internet service is available at Furnace Creek if you are staying there, but it is slow (no really, it is SLOW!).  If you tend to do work while you are on vacation, make a plan ahead of time.

Why Death Valley is Great For Kids

We didn’t really know that Death Valley would be so good for kids, but our kids LOVED it.  Here is why:

• Hikes are short/manageable. Many of the hikes to the key sites are 3 miles or under or you can make them any length you want.
• There is a lot of rock scrambling/climbing. Kids love to climb and Death Valley has lots of opportunity to do so.

Death Valley Rock Scrambling from Katy Hope on Vimeo .

• Trails are not as defined. Because it is a dessert and there are not a lot of trees, kids can run off the trail or sand dune to explore in whatever direction they want.  They have more freedom than other places where you are supposed to “stay on the trail”.  Instead they can blaze their own path.
• There is a huge variety of  outdoor activities .  From sand dunes to salt flats to canyon hikes to Artist’s Drive, there is a good variety to mix up the activities so no one gets bored with any one activity.
• Stars. Death Valley is an International Dark Sky Park , far away from any major city lights, there is great stargazing opportunities.  Get your stargazing guide ( and this one ) before you go and have fun!

So now that you are excited to plan your trip to Death Valley, what should you do?  Check out my post next week for the perfect itinerary and more pictures to inspire you.

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