icygreg

On a whim, my husband and I will be flying to Vegas at the end of March and driving directly to Death Valley to see the flowers. All rooms at Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch are reserved. We would like to stay as close to Death Valley as possible. Anyone have any suggestion where else we might find accomodations?

janis

Your best bet is probably in Lone Pine on 395 west of DV. There is a Comfort Inn and a motel I can't remember the name exactly - (something) Villa, a Best Western and a few others. Do a google search for Lone Pine and it will turn up some choices.

Other than Lone Pine you are better of really, just basing in Las vegas.

icygreg

There's a Motel 6 in Beatty, NV. Anyone know how long it takes to get to Furnace Creek from Beatty? I can estimate from the map, but it's on "other roads" so would prefer to know from someone who has actually made the drive.
Thanks

owl

I don't recommend a base in Las Vegas, as the drive in is quite long--maybe 3 1/2 hrs., esp since some of the roads are washed out. Beautiful drive in from Vegas, though! How about camping? Nothing can substitute for sleeping in the valley and driving the winding roads at night to find your hotel outside the park wouldn't be a good idea. Another idea is to rent a camper vehicle or van for the week and sleep in it?

mlgb

The main roads into and within the park are not washed out, other than the portion of HWy 190 east of Furnace Creek. Beatty would be a good choice if you are not staying inside the park. There is also a Motel 6 in Ridgecrest but's that on the wrong side from Las Vegas. The Park has a website with updates on road conditions and where the wildflowers are blooming at the moment. More rain is predicted this week, so hopefully you will still have good viewing.

icygreg

Thanks for the responses. We will be there for 3 days only so did not want to take all our camping gear. We will stay at Beatty, but am checking daily to see if there are any cancellations at Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch.

mlgb

I've just returned. The bloom of desert gold is still in full force and is fantastic. Everywhere from Jubilee pass (south entryway) up to the south end of Titus Canyon. Lake Manly is full, and it's also a great year for the pupfish. The park was crawling with visitors, and there were lines for everything (perfect storm weekend-Easter/Spring Break/wildflowers peaking).

Beatty would be a good choice for reservations, and I hope you have them already. Ridgecrest was essentially full-up on Wednesday night.

I would not recommend entering the park at night from the south (via Shoshone) due to many potholes on the south end of the paved road (178). There was a 20-minute traffic control delay between Furnace Creek Visitor Center and the Furnace Creek Ranch due to roadwork. Gas at Shoshone and inside the park is $3/gallon. I'd be sure to bring lots of water, food and camera memory/film. You can buy a park tickets at the visitor center (prepare to wait in line), or at one of the self-serve kiosks. There are no guard stations at the park entrances.
Have fun!

icygreg

Thanks for the update, mlgb. I can't wait to go and we do have reservations at Beatty.