{"id":417,"date":"2020-06-16T10:35:57","date_gmt":"2020-06-16T10:35:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whereverweroam.blog\/?p=417"},"modified":"2023-09-21T14:50:46","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T14:50:46","slug":"death-valley-in-august","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whereverweroam.blog\/index.php\/2020\/06\/16\/death-valley-in-august\/","title":{"rendered":"Death Valley in August"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many would ponder why on earth you would want to visit Death Valley in August. At the time of writing, Death Valley holds the record for the world\u2019s highest recorded temperature, so the prospect of visiting in the height of summer may strike some as odd, and others as downright mad. The reason we chose to visit in August was curiosity, plain and simple. We have spent the last 3 and a half years living in Southern California where temperatures regularly exceed 100<\/span>\u00b0F in the summer. But 120\u00b0F \/ 130\u00b0F\u2026 what does that feel like? With Death Valley National Park being less than 5 hours drive away, we decided to find out!<\/span><\/p>\n

Where to stay<\/h2>\n


\nFor our accommodation, we decided to base ourselves away from the heat of the park itself and stayed in a lovely little AirB&B in Pahrump. In hindsight we found the drive in and out of the park added a bit too much to the day and I would seek something a bit closer next time around. But on the plus side, we did get to enjoy a fantastic meal at Symphony\u2019s Restaurant at the Pahrump Valley Winery<\/a>, which we would highly recommend.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you do choose to stay in the park and your budget is not constrained, The Oasis at Death Valley<\/a> would definitely be the place to stay. Your only other option would be The Stovepipe Wells Village Hotel<\/a>. Otherwise, for accommodation outside of the valley itself, check out the nearby areas of Beatty, Panamint Springs and Death Valley Junction where you will find a few options.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Considerations of visiting Death Valley in August<\/h2>\n


\nIt\u2019s going to be hot (well, duh!). But when I say hot, I mean birds sometimes drop from the sky hot. At 282 feet below sea level, Death Valley boasts the lowest point in North America and the mountains on either side of the valley trap the heat in. Combined with an average rainfall of less than 2 inches a year, these conditions earn the park its claim of being the hottest, driest and lowest National Park in the National Park System.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In August, the average daily high is 116\u00b0F. You will need to ensure you drink plenty of water, use an abundance of sunscreen and bear in mind that hiking is not recommended after 10am. Also have enough food and drink provisions with you in the car in case of car troubles- cell service in most of the park is non-existent, so it\u2019s best to plan for the worst but hope for the best.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please do check the <\/span>Death Valley National Park Safety Page<\/span><\/a> before your visit to ensure you know what to expect. For us, much of our trip was stopping at key locations, having a short look around before jumping back in the car. I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll be back to explore more and undertake some hikes in cooler months, but not in August!<\/span><\/p>\n

The best route in to Death Valley from the East<\/h2>\n


\nWe had a day and a half to explore the park and I\u2019ll detail how we mapped out our time below, along with what you could add on to fill the full 2 days at a leisurely pace. On the first day we opted to take Route 178 from Shoshone into the park, despite it not being the fastest route in, and we exited heading East on the 190. Entering the park this way allowed us long, sweeping views of the valley as we entered the park, and also allowed us to schedule our stops in a logical order. On the second day we entered and exited the park on the 190 heading East to West.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My personal preference for entering the park from the East is definitely Route 178; it has a more majestic feel. Exiting the park heading West on the 190 is quite spectacular and very hilly. Be sure your car is running well and topped up with water- it\u2019s a challenge for cars going up these hills at any time, but factor in the heat and it could just be too much. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is in fact where they test a number of pre-production vehicles for problems- we saw many of them on our second day. We also stopped to help a family whose car had broken down going up the hill on the way out of the Park. Cell service is non-existent, so all we could do was get the store at Panamint Springs to call for help and provide them with the coordinates. It\u2019s not somewhere you want to be getting stuck!\t

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