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Hey all, I’m going to be heading to DV soon and I’m trying to get some ideas for where I might be able to car camp (outside of campgrounds). Given the park’s restrictions on which roads you can camp along, I wonder if anyone has suggestions for roads accessible with a Subie Forester? I was hoping to spend a few days up in the Stovepipe Wells area and then another few days down Badwater Rd south of Furnace Creek. For up north, I was wondering about the lower part of Lemoigne Rd or up near the Cottonwood – Marble intersection. For down south, I was wondering about Harry Wade Rd or some of the little roads near Jubilee Pass. It’s hard to tell to what degree these roads are passable with the Subie. Thanks for the help!
The rules are simple for Death Valley. You have to be at least one mile from any paved road, and you cannot be on any dirt road—you have to find a wide spot to park off the road. Lots of people aim for Hole in the Wall, because it meets all these criteria. There are restrictions on some roads (no dispersed camping on West Side Road or nearby…and I think there are limitations on that area around Cottonwood/Marble. Harry Wade is perfectly doable—and open for camping. Those smaller roads by Jubilee Pass are too short—they don’t get you a full mile away from pavement…at least, that’s what the rangers told us.
For Cottonwood – Marble canyons, you have to drive past a certain point on the dirt road (I think it was marked, and there’s no real spot to camp before it anyway). In February this year, I saw 2 or 3 Subarus and 1 Honda CRV at the Cottonwood – Marble intersection, so they can make it back to that point at least, even though every other car was a Jeep/4-Runner/lifted truck and I would describe the road as extremely rough. There are a couple easier to reach dispersed sites before the canyon intersection.
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