Death Valley National Park: A Hidden Oasis Ripe for Winter Family Fun

After some glorious skiing in Lake Tahoe, the carful of kids have to drive back to Texas. It's a long haul so we need some cool spots along the way to keep it interesting.

The boys have been begging me to take them to Death Valley National Park, just for the name; it's a boy thing. With temperatures above 100 F for months on end, I couldn't make myself stop during the summer. I leave Texas to escape the heat, I'm not heading to places that are hotter!

To my surprise, Death Valley is a glorious winter destination with mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine. Even better, there's resort in the middle of the desert, complete with palm trees and swimming pools.

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley is the largest national park outside of Alaska, with over 3 million acres. Within it's boundaries is the lowest point in North America. That's not the only record. The hottest temperature ever recorded happened here in 1913 (134 F/56.7 C). Not Africa, like I assumed but Southern California. 

At 282 feet below sea level, the Badwater Basin hike is a kid-pleaser.

Death Valley is an International Dark Sky Park and you can see the Milky Way here. Park rangers host star gazing programs from the fall to the spring and there's even a special Junior Ranger patch.

The History of Death Valley

The Tisbisha Shoshone have called Death Valley home for thousands of years. Though it was a group of lost pioneers stranded during the winter of 1849-1850 that named it. First came the gold miners in the 1850s and then borax mining in the 1880s. After the mining moved on, a resort was built to help support the infrastructure. 

There's a Death Valley Junior Ranger badge along with a special Night Explorer patch.

Surrounded by the Amargosa and Panamint mountain ranges, Death Valley is 140 miles long. The peaks surrounding Death Valley can reach 11,000 feet. This makes for some epic desert landscape photos.

Death Valley was first protected as a national monument in 1933. In 1994, it became a national park. It's part of the UNESCO's Mojave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere Reserve. 

Death Valley's Harsh Conditions

It's hot in the summer. Sure people will tell you it's a dry heat but so is my oven. During the summer, the park rangers almost shutter the park and suspend programming just to keep visitors safe. 

The boys take turns doing their best impression of dead in Death Valley.

Why is it so hot? The surrounding mountains are tall and the two mountain ranges are close together. They essentially trap the heat. The valley floor doesn't help with its lack of vegetation; it just reflects the heat.

Where to Stay in Death Valley

For the carful of kids' adventure in Death Valley, I found a room at the family-friendly The Ranch at Furnace Creek. It's centrally located and Badwater Road is minutes away where you will find several must-dos.

The standard room with two queen beds features a TV, mini-refrigerator, in-room coffee, iron, hair dryer along with complimentary WIFI.

The Pacific Coast Borax Company built this area in 1933 to support the railroad after the mining stopped. It has expanded over the years and now includes 224 rooms in several buildings. Everything is within walking distance from your room including two restaurants, a general store and the horse corral. 

The Ranch at Furnace Creek has a kid-pleasing western theme with plenty to keep the kids occupied. Among the buildings I find an outdoor, spring-fed pool, a tennis court, a playground and a sports court. The pool is older but it's well-maintained and boasts a constant temperature of 82 F. 

There are two restaurants at the entrance of the Furnace Creek Resort that are family-friendly, including a kids' menu.

For the adults, there's a golf course within walking distance. The Borax Museum is open daily (Free, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) if you want to learn more about Death Valley's mining history. For kids into science, Furnace Creek Resort has a solar facility with a viewing platform.

The Ranch at Furnace Creek also has cabins for rent, a RV park and campground. For those wanting a little more glamour, there's the Inn at Furnace Creek. It's a four-diamond 66-room resort that was built in 1927; it's a great choice for adults.

There's another developed area closer to the western entrance of Death Valley. The Stovepipe Wells area features a hotel with a pool and camping. 

What to do with the kids

The carful of kids do a Junior Ranger badge at every national park we visit. It takes a couple of hours and requires the kids to attend a ranger program and recycle trash. A drive down Badwater Road is a kid-pleaser and Artists Drive is another one not to miss. 

The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are a family favorite. The overlooks at Zabriskie Point and Dantes View are great stops for families too. There are several ghost towns around Death Valley, like Rhyolite outside Beatty, Nevada.

Getting to Death Valley

Death Valley is in a desolate part of California and Las Vegas is the closest city, 125 miles east. Interstate 15 at Baker, California, is 84 miles south of Death Valley Junction.

Winter is a great time to hike in Death Valley. 

California Highway 190 transects Death Valley from Death Valley Junction on the east side to Panamint Springs on the west side. The majority of the services in the park are located in the Stovepipe Wells Village or the Furnace Creek Resort area.

There's an airstrip in the Furnace Creek area in Death Valley. No public transportation is available into the national park.

Getting around Death Valley

Death Valley National Park is open 365-days a year, 24-hours a day. The admission is $20 per vehicle for a 7-day pass or you can purchase an annual America the Beautiful Pass for $80 to gain entry into the majority of national parks and monuments.

Don't feed the animals for your safety and theirs. 

There are close to 1,000 miles of roads in Death Valley National Park though the majority of them are unpaved, four-wheel drive roads unsuitable for most vehicles. Please read the map carefully.

Note for 2016 Travel

Scotty’s Castle is closed until further notice according to the NPS. A flash flood destroyed the road and infrastructure servicing Scotty’s Castle; the building was unharmed.

Know before you go: 

• Make reservations for lodging and tours as soon as possible. Lodging reservations can be made 13 months in advance.
• Don't enter mines shafts or tunnels.
• Carry extra water year-round. Water is only available in the developed areas of the park.
• Don't rely on technology for directions. Get a map at the visitors center.
• The summer season is May through September. The park suspends popular programs like ranger programs and horse trips.
• Don't hike at the lower elevations during the summer.
• Don't leave kids or pets in vehicles in the summer. Temperatures can reach 160 F in the car.

Up Next: More Desert FUN.

Big Bend National Park with the Carful of Kids

After visiting Fort Lancaster and Fort Davis on the carful of kids' week long exploration of West Texas we're headed into Big Bend National Park, 111 miles south along Texas Highway 118. After an unexpected snow in the area, we open the drapes in our room at the Indian Lodge in the Davis Mountains State Park to this view--beautiful.

The Indian Lodge at Davis Mountains State Park, built by the CCC in the 1930s.

The carful of kids marvel at the wonder of it before the snow starts to fade into the desert mountains. Next, Black Bear Restaurant located on-site, where they serve up a decent breakfast buffet before we load up.

Rolling down the road, we catch a cloud inversion.

Heading south, the carful of kids drive through Alpine, after this there is NOTHING until you get to Terlingua, so gas up. Luckily we did, because the gas station right before Big Bend National Park entrance is out of gas.

No Gas! If you see gas in West Texas, you buy gas.

The carful of kids continue into Big Bend National Park through the western entrance at Maverick Junction. Big Bend NP is open every day and the 7-day admission is $ 20 for a private vehicle or you can purchase an annual America the Beautiful Pass for $ 80 to gain entry into the majority of the national parks and monuments.

Santa Elena Canyon

At the Castolon Visitor Center, our first stop, we grab the Junior Ranger booklets and find a covered picnic table outside the 80 year-old general store and make some sandwiches. There is very little food to buy in this park so we packed lots of sandwich fixings and packed in our own water. Due to a drought and a water shortage; the park urges visitors to use less than five gallons of water per person/per day.

Looking for the perfect rock to skip on the Rio Grande.

At Santa Elena Canyon, the carful of kids reach the Rio Grande, the river that separates Texas from Mexico. It spans 1,900 miles from its origin in southern Colorado as it carves its way through rock towards the Gulf of Mexico.

In every direction is another beautiful desert landscape.

As the sun races west, the carful of kids stop at all the turn-outs and overlooks--the views are epic. Even during the busy family travel season, the park is quiet in most areas.

The carful of kids stop at all the turnouts, this one we learn about running the Rio Grande.

The lodging options in Big Bend National Park are limited, the rooms at the Chisos Mountains Lodge fill up fast during the family vacation season. There are 184 camping sites in Big Bend NP, not all of them are reservable.

After a little research, I found Far Flung Outdoor Center in Terlingua outside the western entrance of the park, they exceeded my expectations. Far Flung is a river outfitter, running river trips year-round as well as Jeep and ATV tours.

Sunset overlooking the garden at the Far Flung Outdoor Center

When we drive up after a day of exploring in Big Bend, the holiday lights on their twelve units greet us. The casitas are immaculate, well-equipped with a kitchenette, a large bathroom with a shower and  WiFi, a luxury in Big Bend.

All the units face a desert garden, full of birds and a frolicking cottontail rabbit, where you will find a couple of gas grills. In the evening they have a fire pit complete with chairs to relax and roast some marshmallows while you enjoy the incredible night sky.

After grabbing the burgers, the wine and a bag of marshmallows, we head outside to enjoy dinner under the stars. Big Bend is a designated International Dark Skies Park, so outdoor lighting is minimal. Remember your lantern or flashlight to get around safely at night.

A great ending to a great day.

Up Next: The carful of kids return to Big Bend National Park for hiking and exploring.