Posted by Debjit Ghosh on December 20, 2009 at 10:17 PM
though its kinda late but wondering if anybody here is already planning a trip to DV ? i have some time off from work and hoping to spend some days from 12/24..i will rent a SUV and hopefully explore some of the backroads - racetrack, titus, any other suggestions ?...shoot me an email if you are going and do not mind joining.
Posted by Harley Goldman on December 20, 2009 at 11:30 PM
I won't be going, but I was there a couple of years ago over Xmas. I expected the park to be very quiet. It was amazingly crowded. It was not unmanageable by any stretch, but just rather surprising to me.
Have a great time there and happy shooting!
Posted by Craig Myers on December 21, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Debjit,
Even 50 years ago, when I was a kid, and DV was still a national monument, it was a very popular Christmas vacation spot. I spent several Christmases there with my family and we weren't alone by a long shot. Most people stay close to the pavement though. I wish I could join you; thanks for thinking of us. Enjoy your trip, and good shooting.
Craig Myers
Posted by Debjit Ghosh on December 21, 2009 at 1:31 PM
Thanks Harley and Craig...I have been there before in Christmas 2 yrs ago and I think it was quiet crowded but not like other popular CA parks...getting the dunes completely out of footsteps was a challenge though and nearly impossible
Posted by Paul Duval on December 21, 2009 at 8:40 PM
Pray for wind, and watch your local NOAA website to see what the weather is going to be like. Share some shots when you return. Buen suerte.
Paul
Posted by Dan Truong on December 22, 2009 at 4:42 AM
eureka sanddunes (700ft tall), good place to camp if not windy, then hike up early. Protect the camera with plastic bag 4 sure, and don't change the lens. Long dirt road, washboarded (but not horribly), can be driven at 40~50 with experience in 4x4 (without go slow, or you'll slide & crash).
Titus go early, it can be a zoo and not many places to pass. Better to bed in beaty then. Rhyolite is a joke.
Consider also hiking for afew hours: For example, at the exit of titus, park and follow the trail behind the outhouse, go north, it hits a couple of cool canyons you can explore, and goes through monster washes.
you can also check out the warm springs, its nice, but if you go down via lippincott you have to be comfortable driving on rough roads. Ask backcountry flyer to rangers. Racetrack road is not rough compared (graded, car accessible). You can go back up, but you'd better have a real 4x4 with short gear shifter.
If you can manage driving to cottonwood or marble canyon all the way then no problem on lippincott (which you can visit too, and even backpack). They are from stovepipe, road passes by the camping & air strip.
If you do mosaic canyon, go all the way to the impassable waterfall or don't bother, the first 1/2 mile is packed with people. Most don't last past the first opening of the canyon.
There's another canyon east from a dirtroad opposite the dunes, but the road dips into the wash and you need a low overhang vehicle to go down, so a regular car can't go past that and it requires hiking maybe an extra 1/2 mile to the entrance. Nice view down the dunes from there.
I dunno if I should name more stuff... I'm discovering and at the same time I don't want to spill too much Average tourist should not go there and deface the place. Also sometimes the canyons require scrambling/climbing some easy grade that halts most people. If something looks impassable look for bypasses with kairns, or faint trails going up and around waterfalls.
2cents.
Posted by Dan Truong on December 22, 2009 at 4:47 AM
BTW,
Most people only know of the stovepipe sanddunes. The Eureka ones will be untracked in the morning, and will always have virgin spots past the double summits. I got some great shots there...
Titus is a must, the slotted part is ok, but the drive down is grand, painted desert views before the ghost town. Road is graded but some spots have rocks on the road that would make it difficult for regular clearance cars.
Posted by Steve Sieren on December 22, 2009 at 8:11 PM
The nice canyon Dan is mentioning at the end of Titus on the west side is Fall Canyon. I liked that one a lot and it's pretty long, didn't even make it all the way through. You can go further but there are a few scrambles up and over dry falls. The first few are easy but it gets harder as you go in deeper.
Discussion
7 repliesHave a great time there and happy shooting!
Even 50 years ago, when I was a kid, and DV was still a national monument, it was a very popular Christmas vacation spot. I spent several Christmases there with my family and we weren't alone by a long shot. Most people stay close to the pavement though. I wish I could join you; thanks for thinking of us. Enjoy your trip, and good shooting.
Craig Myers
Paul
Titus go early, it can be a zoo and not many places to pass. Better to bed in beaty then. Rhyolite is a joke.
Consider also hiking for afew hours: For example, at the exit of titus, park and follow the trail behind the outhouse, go north, it hits a couple of cool canyons you can explore, and goes through monster washes.
you can also check out the warm springs, its nice, but if you go down via lippincott you have to be comfortable driving on rough roads. Ask backcountry flyer to rangers. Racetrack road is not rough compared (graded, car accessible). You can go back up, but you'd better have a real 4x4 with short gear shifter.
If you can manage driving to cottonwood or marble canyon all the way then no problem on lippincott (which you can visit too, and even backpack). They are from stovepipe, road passes by the camping & air strip.
If you do mosaic canyon, go all the way to the impassable waterfall or don't bother, the first 1/2 mile is packed with people. Most don't last past the first opening of the canyon.
There's another canyon east from a dirtroad opposite the dunes, but the road dips into the wash and you need a low overhang vehicle to go down, so a regular car can't go past that and it requires hiking maybe an extra 1/2 mile to the entrance. Nice view down the dunes from there.
I dunno if I should name more stuff... I'm discovering and at the same time I don't want to spill too much Average tourist should not go there and deface the place. Also sometimes the canyons require scrambling/climbing some easy grade that halts most people. If something looks impassable look for bypasses with kairns, or faint trails going up and around waterfalls.
2cents.
Most people only know of the stovepipe sanddunes. The Eureka ones will be untracked in the morning, and will always have virgin spots past the double summits. I got some great shots there...
Titus is a must, the slotted part is ok, but the drive down is grand, painted desert views before the ghost town. Road is graded but some spots have rocks on the road that would make it difficult for regular clearance cars.