Hi Adventure fam! We just got back from an incredible week exploring some of California’s national parks! Thanks to the folks over at Happy Trailz we got to live the van life in Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks! Before we get into the itinerary here are some things you should know.
All About The Van: The van with Happy Trailz was the absolute perfect homebase for our adventure in California. You pick up the van in San Diego, CA which is an easy gateway to so many places! Not only does this include the national parks on this list, but you could also see Big Sur, head all the way up to Yosemite, or even just live the beach van life around San Diego and Los Angeles! Click here to book it on Outdoorsy and use my code ‘alloveradventure’ for 15% off!
Be safe! This area of California is considered a desert ecosystem which means it is DRY! The sun is super strong and there is always a risk of flash floods, so keep a close eye on the weather and always have more water handy than you think you need. This is where the van comes into play again because they have a 25 gallon water tank and an outdoor shower to use!
Use caution in this area as wildlife often comes on the roads. We saw tarantulas, quails, coyotes and lizards in the roads, and a tarantula in the road recently caused an accident in Death Valley, so drive with caution!
Now let's get to the itinerary!
Day 1: Pick up your van and head up to Death Valley! This is about a 5-5.5 hour drive so grab the van, stop for some groceries and get on the road. On the way stop along some of the many pull offs as you enter Death Valley for some incredible views!
Death Valley is a common place for road closures due to flash floods damaging roadways, so click here for the most up to date information on park conditions. Head over to your campsite and settle in for the night after a long day of travel before heading off on a day of adventure tomorrow!
We camped at the Furnace Creek Campground, which offered some incredible stargazing. Death Valley National Park is a dark sky park with barely any light pollution, so if stargazing is your thing get ready for some incredible sights! Other good places to stargaze include Badwater Basin, Dante’s View or Zabriskie Point.
Day 2: Death Valley
Once again, be safe! Death Valley gets HOT! The main season here is in the winter due to summer temperatures often reaching 120+ degrees! So plan your trip accordingly and be smart in the heat.
This is your day to see some of the main sights of Death Valley National Park! Start with a sunrise over at Zabriskie Point. This is a popular spot so you won’t be alone, but the light hitting the rock formations makes up for the crowds easily. From there head over to Dante’s View for views of Badwater Basin and the surrounding mountains. This spot has lots of dirt offshoots to explore and get some solitude before the crowds arrive later in the day!
After that head over to Badwater Basin (this is also a great spot for sunrise as an alternative to Zabriskie). You can typically see the prismatic shapes in the salt, but when we went storms had created a rare temporary lake on the flats instead! This is the lowest point in North America: 282 feet below sea level which feels incredible!
On the way back to your campground, stop off to hike Natural Bridge (this one requires a pretty rough dirt road up to the trailhead) and drive the Artist’s Road to Artist’s Palette. Devil’s Golf Course is another chance to see the salt flats up close and is definitely worth a stop!
If you want to escape the salt and dust, check out The Ranch at Death Valley. This resort area is a chance to get a little in touch with civilization if you need a break from the heat! They have a few shops and restaurants to create a little oasis in the desert.
Pro Tip: Do NOT fill up on gas here. The gas station towards the Mesquite Sand Dunes is often $2-3 per gallon cheaper! But this park is very big and spread out, so you likely will need to fill up at some point so plan ahead!
Day 3: Death Valley to Joshua Tree
End your time in Death Valley with a sunrise on the Mesquite Sand Dunes. The dunes get HOT in the midday sun, so going early allows you to see the pristine dunes without footprints and beat the heat! Win-win!
After exploring you have some options! If you want to see more of Death Valley and the roads are open (roads were closed at time of publishing), check out Scotty's Castle and Ubehebe Crater. Otherwise, after the dunes head over to your next national park: Joshua Tree! This park is nestled near Coachella Valley and is famous for its namesake trees. This is the park where we have discovered our new favorite campsite of all time!
Definitely do not miss camping at Indian Cove Campground! This one is a bit out of the way of the main part of Joshua Tree, but the park itself is pretty small, so the seclusion is worth it! The sites here are nestled among the large rocks and feel so private with such fun terrain to explore. Sites 30-32 are the best in my opinion!
And why camp in a tent when you can sleep comfortably in your camper van? Click here and use code ‘alloveradventure’ for 15% off!
Based on how much time you have, you can begin the Joshua Tree activities here or you can spend another leisurely night at camp!
Day 4: Joshua Tree
Start at the Arch Rock Nature Trail. This is a fun walk through the desert to some cool formations and you can scramble on as many rocks as you want! Definitely do not miss the detour over to Heart Rock here as well!
After that head down to Cholla Cactus garden. You literally get to wander through a field of these unique cacti which feels surreal! Never attempt to touch the cacti!
From there head back to the main part of the park and make some quick stops at Split Rock and Skull Rock before heading over to Hall of Horrors to wander among the iconic Joshua Trees. This area is popular with rock climbers, and you can often see them on top of the boulders!
Finish your day in the park with a beautiful view of Coachella Valley at Key’s View! This would be an epic place for a sunset. From there you can camp another night if you want or drive the van back to San Diego if you started this day of the itinerary on Day 3.
Bonus: What to do in San Diego:
For this trip we flew in and out of San Diego to pick up our van, and this itinerary leaves plenty of wiggle room for some San Diego activities! Some of my favorites:
Olde Town San Diego
Check out the beaches: we loved Mission Beach and Ocean Beach
Take a tour on The USS Midway
Take a surfing lesson!
Hike down to Black's Beach, but this is a clothing optional beach so be aware of that! We saw sea lions and dolphins in the water here!
There it is! The best way to spend 4 days among the national parks of southern California! Our van with Happy Trailz truly helped us make this week the best experience and I highly recommend trying out the van life for yourself here! Don’t forget code ‘alloveradventure’ for your discount!
As always drop any questions in the comments below and subscribe to the blog for all the latest! Happy adventures, fam!
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