Furnace Creek Campground end of April

Question

We will be visiting Death Valley the last few days of April next year. It was my intention to make a reservation at Furnace Creek, however now I see that it is first come first serve after April 15th. We will need an electric spot and I think there are only about 18 sites with power. I thought we would spend Monday night in Panamint Springs and then head over to Furnace Creek the next morning(Tuesday). Do you think it would be likely that we would be able to get an electric site? If not, then I would need to make a reservation ahead of time at the Stovepipe Wells RV park to make sure we have electric so that we can leave the air conditioner running for our dogs in the RV.

Thank you for your thoughts.

Answer

Visiting Death Valley in late April means the weather is warming up, but it’s not yet peak summer heat. Furnace Creek Campground is indeed first-come, first-served for the majority of sites after April 15th, and there are only about 18 electric hookups available. Because of this, getting an electric site is possible but not guaranteed, especially if you are arriving on a Tuesday morning after a weekend or during a busy spring break period.

Here are some points to consider:

Arriving early in the morning significantly improves your chances of securing one of the electric sites at Furnace Creek.
Weekday occupancy is generally lower than weekends, so Tuesday could be a better day than Monday or Wednesday for first-come, first-served sites.
If you absolutely need electric to run your RV’s air conditioning for your dogs, you may want to have a backup plan. Stovepipe Wells RV Park accepts reservations for electric sites, which guarantees power and peace of mind.

Alternative strategies:

Arrive very early at Furnace Creek (before 9:00 am) to increase your chances of an electric spot.
Call the Furnace Creek Campground office ahead of time to check current occupancy trends and any tips they may have on when electric sites tend to open up.
If having reliable power is critical, consider booking Stovepipe Wells for that night rather than gambling on a first-come, first-served site. The trade-off is a slightly less central location, but still within reasonable distance to Furnace Creek points of interest.
Alternatively, plan to use Panamint Springs for an extra night if Furnace Creek appears too uncertain, as they also have limited electric RV sites that may be reserved.

In summary, while it’s possible to snag an electric site at Furnace Creek on a Tuesday in late April, there is some risk. For guaranteed power, booking ahead at Stovepipe Wells is the safest option for comfort and safety for your pets.

Furnace Creek Campground end of April

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