We stayed at Stovepipe Wells when we went a while ago, which was expensive but not crazy back then. It is across the road from the Dunes, which is a plus.
Ditto Scotty’s Castle. It’s garage burned down during the reconstruction, and when I Googled it I got something saying it was supposed to reopen last month, but nothing saying it did.
The best picture I ever took in my life was of the Crater, which I use as my wallpaper and which I never get tired of. My daughter gave me a jigsaw puzzle of my picture which hangs in our living room.
After you go, be sure to watch
which was filmed in Death Valley and which features the crater. The commentary track says they mostly filmed high up on ridges so it didn’t look familiar.
I’ve only been to DV twice – both times while visiting a friend who lives in Bishop. There are certainly some sites/sights that are not a long walk (Father Crowley’s Overlook for example)
The first time it was around Memorial day and Yosemite wasn’t open from the east. We only went as far as Old Stovepipe Wells. We did go to Darwins Falls which might be pushing it for limited mobility, but everything else was a short walk.
The second time was around 4th of July this year – we drove though.
Lots of places where much mobility isn’t needed. Dante’s view has a accessible viewpoint not far from the parking lot, the borax mines and Salt Creek do too, as does the Devil’s Golf course. Badwater flats is flat flat flat. You can park, walk as far as you can, turn around. Yet they’re all stunning places to experience. Artist’s Drive is a wondrous drive through, and the Ghost Town of Rhyolite is also something you can drive through, stopping where you want.
I’m also sure the NPS website/maps have info on accessibility for the sites
Ubehebe crater would be a blast, the kids would love Darwin Falls, Mosaic canyon is also super doable. Take 'em up to Dante’s view and go with them along the short trail to a higher viewpoint there. Titus canyon is nicely slotlike at the start, and go in as far as you want, turn around. It’s pretty flat otherwise.
and we accessed all those places, and the others I mentioned visiting in a standard rental car, no high clearance, no 4WD. Just take the signs seriously and avoid the roads where they say you need those things.
This last trip, we booked a room first at Panamint Springs, as the other places were all sold out. It was the least costly of all places inside the park, but had a reputation for being a bit run down. But a room opened up at Stovepipe Wells. We jumped on that, and it was worth it.
One could stay in Beatty, not far outside the park.
Or consider a stay at Death Valley Junction, at the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel. It is a damned trippy place, an elegant grand old lady that time can not slay completely yet, but a toll has been taken. We toured the place just a few days after the true Grand Dame of the place, Marta Becket had passed away, and staff was still mourning her. But they gave us a wonderful walkaround of the Opera house and hotel.
There are also a lot of other places to stay outside the park, in Shoshone and Tecopa.
Thanks to all who contributed, I am happy to find others who also love the magnificent Mortality Dale!
If we’re going to talk of Beatty, that’s where I stay on my way to Burning Man. If you don’t mind a 75-year old vibe, I recommend staying at El Portal Hotel but it tends to fill up early. Advantage: It’s on the edge of town towards Death Valley (all of a mile ).
More mundane is the Motel 6 at the other end of town. Advantage: It’s next door to that huge candy store you alluded to above.
For an eatery, Happy Burro Chili & Beer which is not only the name of the place, it’s the menu.
I exaggerate. They have a chili burger and chili dog on it as well
The OP makes it sound wonderful but I spent a lot of miserable time in the Mojave. I would have to seriously work on my attitude before I would want to go.
I’ve spent time in the Mojave too. Interesting place, but nowhere near as interesting as DV. We only did some day visits there, and that seemed just fine for us and our desires.
I’ve been to DV multiple times. It’s where I chose to spend my 40th birthday camping.
I haven’t been in decades though. The last time I was there it was unplanned. We’d been camping in Saline Valley, and a storm passed through. No snow in the valley, but the main road (to Lone Pine) was snowed in. We tried getting out that way, but it was a no go. We had to take the Lippincott Lead Mine Road out. This was not a well maintained road. We spent a very hairy few hours (well, it felt like a few hours) making our way to the summit and our headlights caught the glow of a vehicle’s rear recflectors and thought we’d gone to all that trouble to be blocked by an abandoned vehicle.
Happily, it was a couple that had given up on the Lone Pine road earlier than us and had waited to make sure we made it up Lippincott. Such a relief.
Lippincott lead (heh) into DV which was the wettest I’d ever seen it due to the storm. I have a great photo of us we took at Teakettle Junction with us all looking ten kinds of relieved.
@carrps that sounds like quite the adventure. I do want to go back, get the right vehicle and visit Saline Valley and other more remote/rugged locations.
Saline Valley isn’t as scenic as DV, but it has hot (well, warm) springs. There were some semi-sketchy people at the better pool, but the other one, while not as warm, is still cool. Cool? Warm? Neat-o?
@carrps I know there are a lot of hot springs spas around Tecopa, but didn’t know there were any hot springs in the park where soaking in them was allowed. Are there any others?
It’s always a trade-off. If you insist on staying in a hotel, then I am not sure you can get to, say, [your favorite yet remote site requiring a multi-day hike], or maybe the yurts in the Gobi Desert will not be up to your standards…
Sadly, until the Mrs. gets her knee replaced (in about a year if not sooner), our hiking is quite constrained. Hence no more prolonged hikes (like over a mile on a GOOD day) and certainly no multi-day ones. I’ll see the sights at the sites we can reach with 4WD.
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