Choose what time of year you'd like to go. Look at the average high and low temperatures of the region you are interested in on the Death Valley National Park's website. Temperatures reach over 100 degrees in the summer months, and unless you are familiar with extreme climates you may want to choose another time to go. The park's website also has a calendar of events and festivals, including the annual 49ers Festival. One of the hottest areas of the country, temperatures range from lows in the 40s in the winter to highs up to 115 degrees in the summertime.
Choose activities. Death Valley offers a large selection of activities, such as hiking and ghost town tours. Hiking is not recommended in summer months other than early in the morning, so if you are a hiker, you may want to go another time of the year. Indoor activities include a Borax museum and visitors' centers that host educational activities. Ghost town tours are self-guided.
Choose a campground or RV park. Once you have decided what activities you are interested in, you can choose a place to stay close by. Death Valley National Park's website has a list of campgrounds. They list amenities, prices, elevations, number of sites and when each campground is open. Wildrose, Thorndike, and Mahogany, for example, do not offer water nor flushing toilets. Visitors can refer to the ammenities grid on the Death Valley National Park website, however, when considering reservation options.
Pack supplies. Make sure you have more than enough water and food to last your entire stay. Also, pack a first aid kit, the mountaineers' ten essentials (see Resources), and a list of hospitals and ranger stations. Make sure your map is current. Current maps and ranger station numbers are available at the Death Valley park visitor centers. Local telephone listings will include hospitals.
