Death Valley 2022/23

[Beardilocks]

Ha, I was just wondering EXACTLY the same question, about the parking, thinking specifically about Echo and Hole in Wall (Slit Canyon).  I was thinking "Well I should put a note on the dash that says I am hiking and not camping and not park in a designated spot, if they are so marked..."    The answer you got is absurd, of course.  These are "no camping" not "no parking" areas.  And if they are really meant to be "no parking" then, well better not post expletives here but it seems that closing off those portions of the park to day use is a major impact which required public comment periods.

But you did camp one night with a permit, it sounds like?  How as that to get?  If you need to be at the SPW ranger "station" during the few hours of the day in which that is open, well good luck with that.

Those canyons off the Cottonwood road do see canyoneering but I suspect Slit Canyon is where this tension will play out, as it is in Michel's book and for all I know probably on Alltrails too.

How was the Cottonwood Road?  HC OK, or is there deep sand maybe needing 4WD.

I emailed into NPS to try to get the scoop on what EXACTLY the new rules are.  It’s always possible I got the confusing combination of Warning-happy Ranger on the road (you don’t need to be a LEO to handle those out, they give a pile of them to the campground hosts as well) and a Ranger in the booth that just hasn’t been filled in on the new rules.  God knows they’re not great about training visitors center folks and this is a new system.  

Yes, camped one night with a permit in Cottonwood.  Did a night on Echo last month as well.  Permit was easy to get.  They have the master list in Furnace but the SPW Ranger will phone them to see what’s available and to secure you a permit to any of the 3 permit areas.  That part of the system works well.  

I was advised that if I wanted to hike the benches around Echo I would have to park either at the pavement or all the way up past all the sites.  Which is also BS.  

Cottonwood Rd is the best condition I’ve ever found it.  You could likely get in almost anything but I’d want either AWD or high clearance.  There’s a rutted mud pit by the airport and the sand is pretty tame but could grab an inexperienced 2wd driver.  And that could already be different.  Heavy winds yesterday after we got out could have already filled it in.