Stovepipe Wells Village RV Park

We stayed 3 nights. This campground is run by a concessionaire and we reserved it in advance because we needed full hookups. There are only 14 full hookup sites, they are pull through and close together. Site 1 has a giant bush at the front but our motorhome is only 25’ so we didn’t have an issue with that. We checked in across the street at the hotel but the sites are across the street behind the gas station. The sand dunes and mosaic canyon hikes are close by which was awesome. We loved the saloon by the hotel which had great food and drinks. The site was level and gravel. Our first night was so windy we didn’t put our slide out. We came into the park from the south end so we initially stopped at the furnace creek visitor center for park info. We exited the park on the north end which has 9% road grades. Overall we enjoyed our stay and the campsite.

Rv camping has full hookups. Be aware that water pressure is really low sometimes. It was handy to fill up water bottles when nothing cones through. Power and sewer were good.

Showers are across the street by the pool. Gas station is right in your backyard. You can use their restrooms when the line from the tourbusses is not too long.

Night sky is amazing for those of us from a city and rare see more than a handful of stars. You are a short drive from mesquite dunes and hope you get there for at least one sunrise or sunset.

We had hoped to stay closer to the action at Furnace Creek campground, but unfortunately there wasn’t any availability for our dates. Stovepipe Wells is about a 30-minute drive down highway 190 to Furnace Creek.

The booking is a little confusing, because you’re really booking through the hotel. Arrival was also confusing. The campground didn’t send any information ahead of time, and there wasn’t any signage for RV arrivals. We drove around for a few minutes, then finally called the front office. They directed us to park on the north side of highway 190 at the general store, then walk south across the two-lane highway to the hotel registration desk to check in. We were charged a one night deposit ($40), assigned an RV spot, and given keys to the pool (heated to 75 degrees in the winter) and showers. They charged the rest of the stay when we checked out.

The registration area also has park guides and a list of road closures, which was really helpful for our planning. Be sure to get your park pass before you arrive at the campground or soon after; there’s an NPS information station 1/4 east past the campground. NPS regularly patrols the campground.

The 14 sites with full hookups are all right next to each other in a gravel parking lot, but so are the dry camping spots in the next lot. We had full bars of 3G (ha!), so it was enough to reliably send and receive text messages but not much else. Only hotel guests get a Wi-Fi code. The restaurant and saloon were open for full service when we stayed (the week before Thanksgiving), and the general store has some cute gift options. I wouldn’t say the general store actually has groceries, but the general store in Furnace Creek does have a few grocery options if you’re desperate. We’d suggest shopping before you arrive, and filling up on gas ahead of time as you’re able. We paid $6.10/gallon at Stovepipe Wells and $7.31/gallon at Furnace Creek during our stay.

We’d probably try to stay at Furnace Creek the next time we come, but this campground would definitely be high on our list if we need hookups.

I don't know if you can call this a park. It's a gravel lot with 14 spaces. The spaces are a little tight, but fairly level. They have all the facilities you'd need. It's quiet and peaceful, and waking up to these views is worth it. We have had a good experience overall, I would suggest avoiding the breakfast buffet at the restaurant across the street. Not appealing at all. There isn't great cell service, we have AT&T and had 3G.

BEST VIEWS EVER!

After driving from northern CA we found Stovepipe Wells a welcome spot to hide out from the heat and starkness of Derath Valley. The Hotel staff was courteous and helpful. Restroom facilities adjacent to the General Store were clean and comfortable. The RV parking spot was a long gravel parking lot with each spot a "drive-thru" with neighbors on each side. Full hookups made it comfortable. For an overnight stay, considering the alternatives (few), I rate this a good choice.

The campground:

What you see is what you get. It's a gravel parking lot with 14 narrow full hookup sites. The campground plays second fiddle to the hotel and to use any facilities requires a walk across the highway, probably 100-200 yards.

Wifi is just a tease in the campground. It works by the motel, but not at the where your camper is.

The location is very neat, right in the heart of death valley with great views.

The staff however, are very unmotivated. Picture the average teenager working fast food because their parents made them work. Almost zero motivation. My wife had to wait several minutes for them to come to the front desk. She could hear that they didn't come up until a commercial started on whatever program they were watching in the adjacent room.

When I first pulled in, I made a mistake and got the wrong site. They cruised over in a golf cart and talked to me. I asked them if they would mind me using the site I pulled into by mistake. The kid said 'maybe, let me see if this is reserved'. The site I pulled into by mistake was in fact not reserved, nor was it used the whole time we were there (only about 4 of th 14 spaces were filled during our trip. The kids 'campground manager' said on the radio to them "they need to move to their assigned space, period". So, at 114 degrees, we unhooked, re-hitched, and moved two spaces over. With a campground 30% full we parked right next to our neighbor and started at the empty spot the whole trip.

In summary, full hookups that work in the middle of the park, but don't expect any frills or customer service.

Yes, gravel lot behind the general store. Don’t let that fool you! There were 360* views of the mountains and sand dunes. Couple of miles from Mosaic Canyon and the Mesquite Sand Dunes. Used this as a base camp for visiting the entire park! If you don’t need the hook up, they also have a couple hundred dry camping spots. Will definitely return 😊

Obviously the campground can’t control the weather, but it was a miserable night due to weather. Probably could have survived the night in the heat, but we did not expect the high winds. Luckily, the pool isn’t a bad walk across the street and it’s open until midnight. We ended up moving to one of their motel rooms around midnight and they did give us a bit of a discount which was very appreciated. The campground is really just a parking lot behind the gas station, but the gas station store closed at 8:00pm so it was very quiet. Nice wide-open views of the valley. Sites are close together, but you’re not really there to sit at your campsite. I would stay here again, but only if we needed the pool and hook up for a/c. Do not rely on cell coverage for anything but texts.

Pros:
- Breathtaking view of the stars - we actually saw the milky way while visiting during a new moon
- Tons of RV parking spots to choose from in a huge gravel lot that is easy to navigate
- Campground is very built up, with a shop, bar, restaurant, museum, gas station and motel onsite

Cons:
- Be careful booking online - no one is present to check you in upon arrival or direct you to a parking spot
- The first two spots we tried were not fully functional (either water or electricity did not work, respectively)
- All services & shops were shut down during our stay, even though the onsite manager informed us that they fully opened just one week prior...

This row of 14 full-hook-up gravel sites could be anywhere and not deserve any special comments, but this is Death Valley National Park and each site has an unobstructed view of the entire north valley, mountains included. Even though the wind picked up again (following the power outage noted below the week prior) the power remained on and the crowds stayed away. The entry to this campground isn't actually marked - it can be reached through the parking area on the west side of the general store (next to the gas station) or via the same road that leads into the National Park dry campground immediately adjacent. Just take a right before the gate. Check-in is across the street at the hotel's front desk. Other than paying and getting a site assignment, don't expect anything else. The hookups are fine and the views fantastic. The only cell signal I had while in the park was roaming on Commnet, enough to get messages and voice. T-Mobile capped my roaming data pretty quickly. Across the highway, the road up to Mosaic Canyon is bumpy but the view stunning (as is the hike into the canyon). The Mequite Sand Dunes are 2 miles east and the bulk of the park's attractions about 20 miles further south.