2021-02-16, 09:12 AM
When I was younger, I drove all those roads with rental sedans. Went up the Owl Hole Spring road to the end, the old comm tower. So it can be done, at least under some conditions. Recently I've done Harry Wade with a friend's Outback a few times. In general the northern half can be rougher than the southern half. There's a lot of gravel and once when I went down I was unsure as to whether I could get back up, but once you get to around the Amargosa crossing, it's actually faster to get back to Furnace by going all the way south to the pavement and back up and into the part via 190. Not as scenic of course. The southern half of the Harry Wade Rd. is usually better than the northern half. Not half bad, actually. But I'd be very cautious if there's sand from a recent rain / flow.
Crossing the Amargosa may be the crux. If it's dry, no problem. If it's wet... well at least get out of the vehicle and walk across first to see if it is solid or mucky, unless you can see other tracks.
If you rent at LAS, unless you go to a specialty rental, you won't get a full sized spare and these days you may be lucky if you get any spare. Check. These days a lot of cars simply have a can of fix-a-flat and a plug in air pump.
You need to appreciate that if you go out there, especially the Owl Hole Spring road, you must be prepared for being stranded. If you are backpacking, you'll have good gear for the elements. Make sure you have extra water and toss in a few cans of emergency food. On the Harry Wade Rd. there are likely to be at least a few vehicles a day to ask for help. There are places, especially in the north half, in which you'd likely be blocking the road if you get stuck.
You are unlikely to get solid info at the visitor center. They will basically tell you not to go, as they are very conservative. That's just how it is. If they do say it's good, then its really good. You're best off checking here or in other forums (there's one that is mostly about 4WD activity, death valley talk, not sure of the current URL, I think it's moved around).
Although I say that I've done these roads, I am not recommending them. There's a wide range of stuff where a skilled and cautious driver can get through most of the time, opening up some great walking country. But you're taking risks and you're going to be responsible for getting yourself out, and eating any costs - the rental companies will not have your back out there, as you are violating the rental agreement.
A memorable example. I was driving to Saratoga Springs. The road is good. I may have been going close to 30, can't really recall. My daughter was in the back seat, sitting next to the styrofoam ice chest. All of a sudden I saw a foot wide/deep rut across the road, from a recent washout. I braked, hard, and hit the rut with some impact. I'm trying to evaluate when I hear "Dad, the ice chest just exploded". The impact had sent it flying against the back of my seat. So... I was going too fast. Over confident. Unexpected sudden change in road condition. Increased stopping distance due to gravel. You get the picture. Be careful out there.
Crossing the Amargosa may be the crux. If it's dry, no problem. If it's wet... well at least get out of the vehicle and walk across first to see if it is solid or mucky, unless you can see other tracks.
If you rent at LAS, unless you go to a specialty rental, you won't get a full sized spare and these days you may be lucky if you get any spare. Check. These days a lot of cars simply have a can of fix-a-flat and a plug in air pump.
You need to appreciate that if you go out there, especially the Owl Hole Spring road, you must be prepared for being stranded. If you are backpacking, you'll have good gear for the elements. Make sure you have extra water and toss in a few cans of emergency food. On the Harry Wade Rd. there are likely to be at least a few vehicles a day to ask for help. There are places, especially in the north half, in which you'd likely be blocking the road if you get stuck.
You are unlikely to get solid info at the visitor center. They will basically tell you not to go, as they are very conservative. That's just how it is. If they do say it's good, then its really good. You're best off checking here or in other forums (there's one that is mostly about 4WD activity, death valley talk, not sure of the current URL, I think it's moved around).
Although I say that I've done these roads, I am not recommending them. There's a wide range of stuff where a skilled and cautious driver can get through most of the time, opening up some great walking country. But you're taking risks and you're going to be responsible for getting yourself out, and eating any costs - the rental companies will not have your back out there, as you are violating the rental agreement.
A memorable example. I was driving to Saratoga Springs. The road is good. I may have been going close to 30, can't really recall. My daughter was in the back seat, sitting next to the styrofoam ice chest. All of a sudden I saw a foot wide/deep rut across the road, from a recent washout. I braked, hard, and hit the rut with some impact. I'm trying to evaluate when I hear "Dad, the ice chest just exploded". The impact had sent it flying against the back of my seat. So... I was going too fast. Over confident. Unexpected sudden change in road condition. Increased stopping distance due to gravel. You get the picture. Be careful out there.