Mesquite Spring Campground
The Quick Take
Mesquite Spring is Death Valley's quiet northern outpost — the campground you pick when you want to actually feel like you're in a desert wilderness rather than a parking lot with picnic tables. Sitting at 1,800 feet near the mouth of Grapevine Canyon, it trades the convenience of Furnace Creek's central location for genuine solitude and some of the park's most dramatic geology right outside your tent flap. The sites are spread across open desert terrain with mountain views in every direction, and at ten dollars a night, it's one of the best deals in the park system. The trade-off is real: no showers, no flush toilets, no cell service, and a solid 30-plus mile drive from the main visitor hub. This is the campground for people who came to Death Valley to disappear into the landscape, not scroll their phones by a heated pool.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
All 40 sites are reservable.
What You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
RVs allowed. No electrical hookups. Generators permitted during designated hours.
Accessibility
1 ADA-accessible campsites. Accessible restrooms available. ADA access to one (1) comfort station located in the center of the campground. Paved Roads - All vehicles OK
Rules to Know
- Fires:Check-out Time:12 PM Noon Campfires: No wood gathering.
- Generators:Generator Hours: 7 AM to 7 PM.
- Bear Safety:Do not feed wildlife.
- Checkout:Check-out Time:12 PM Noon Campfires: No wood gathering.
- Occupancy:8 people per site.
- Stay Limit:Stay limited to 30 days.
Pro Tips
Mesquite Spring is currently closed due to flash flood damage from late December 2025 — check the NPS Death Valley alerts page before planning any trip. When it reopens, the first-come basis means arriving before noon on weekends during peak season (November through March) is essential, though weekday availability is rarely a problem given the remote location.
Use this as your base camp for exploring the park's less-trafficked northern reaches: Ubehebe Crater is a short drive north, the Racetrack Playa road starts nearby (high-clearance vehicle required), and the colorful badlands of the Last Chance Range are practically in your backyard. These are the kinds of spots most Death Valley visitors never see.
Bring every drop of water you think you need, then bring more — while potable water is available at the campground, the nearest services for fuel, food, and ice are in Stovepipe Wells, roughly 50 miles south. A cooler with block ice and a full tank of gas are non-negotiable before you make the drive in.
Photos
NPS/K. Moses
NPS/J.Gray
NPS/J.GrayGetting There
Directions
Off of CA190 at the junction for Scotty’s Castle road, travel north thirty-three (33) miles and turn left onto the campground access road. Travel two (2) miles on campground access road to the Mesquite Campground entrance. Note: Access is closed until further notice if traveling from Nevada through Grapevine Canyon on Nevada Highway 267.
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