Sequoia / Death Valley

[Vali]

Hello everyone
Looking for some advice as to whether six days is long enough to explore both Sequoia NP and Death Valley NP. We don't want to spend all our time driving and really want to explore on foot as much as possible, so any suggestions as to fastest possible routes would be welcomed.

We were planning on driving from Las Vegas on Sunday 09 Sept afternoon to Sequoia (probably won't make it all the way as we don't get vehicle until 3pm and don't really want to be driving after dark so any recommendations of a campground would be great - perferably not a commercial campground), staying for 2 days and then driving to DV NP. is this realistic or are we too short on time? We need to be back at LV airport by 11am on Sunday 16 so will need to camp close by the night before (we DON'T want to stay in Las Vegas!).

Both parks are unfamiliar so we'd welcome any suggestions of walks (preferably 4-5 hour walks of any level difficulty) and also of campgrounds - the least people and the quieter the better. We will be travelling in a VW camper so this might also limit our campground options.

Looking forward to any suggestions or recommendations.
thanks and regards

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

6 days should be enough time, and in fact, I'd probably look at adding in Yosemite, as it would allow you to do more of a loop, than spending a lot of time backtracking.

You didn't say where "home" is, but if you are starting from overseas, I really would look at staying right in or near Vegas on night one. With the jetlag factor, and the simple fact of traveling for many many hours, trying to get right on the road is generally not a good way to start a trip. Even if you are only starting from the US East Coast, by the time you get out of the airport and pick up the van, you'd likely only have an hour or two of daylight left (and that would be reduced further if you've got to clear customs).

Also keep in mind that most places that rent campers do not allow you to depart on the same day as an international arrival. BTW, where are you getting the VW camper? Its very rare to find them available as a rental in the US.

What you could plan is to head to Sequoia by the fastest route, which would be I-15 to Barstow, CA-58 to Bakersfield, and then north either by CA-99 or CA-65 (travel times should be similar, I prefer CA-65.)

You could spend most of monday driving (its a full day from Vegas to Sequoia), spend Tuesday and Wednesday in Sequoia/Kings Canyon. Spend Wednesday and Thursday in Yosemite, spend Friday driving across Tioga to Death Valley. Then spend Saturday in DV. From DV you are only 2-3 hours from Vegas, so you could either plan to leave early Sunday morning, or leave late on Saturday, for a campsite in Vegas (there simply isn't much between DV and Vegas, so your options would be fairly limited if you refuse to stay in the city. )

You could play around with your days a bit based on your interests, but that's a rough outline of what you could do.

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome.

Are you using 'Leaving Las Vegas campers. ?' I ask as I have them saved on my 'Favourites list' as a possibility for my next trip and would be intersted in how you get on with the company and van.

You have a nice amount of time for your trip and as Michael pointed out, enough time to create a loop and see extra. Death valley have limited camping and due to the summer heat, many only operate from October till March. Stovepipe wells has limited RV spots and Panamint springs is the first available near the park from 395 to 190. Furnace creek is the main hub and has a campground and is the closest in the park to Vegas. You can find info here on FC and other DV options.

You can find all the info on Sequoia NP options and more here, such as hiking. Campgrounds can book out early so you should check the availability asap and check out your options. You will find a few options in Three rivers, the closest town to Sequoia NP. Having the Eurovan has a big advantage here, the Generals highway that runs through the park has a vehicle lenght restriction of 22ft at the moment from the southern end, ruling out this route to most RV's. Considering the time you have to be back at the airport and still have to drop the van off, you could consider the last night at the 'Oasis RV resort' in Vegas. You can stay at the resort and enjoy the pool and /or bar and have less stress next day.

[Vali]

Hi Dave
Yep that's the camper company we're using. We'll let you know how we go. Thank you very much for your advice, which we really appreciate.

[Southwest Dave]

That would be great, thanks !

You will find a lot more info searching the forums and if any other questions crop up, just ask.

[Vali]

Hey Dave
Finally getting back to you. Sorry for the delay. We did use "Leaving Las Vegas Camper Vans" and were really happy with it. The owner is very friendly, accomodating and relaxed and the van itself was brilliant. We had a terrific time and wouldn't hesitate to rent from this company again.

[Southwest Dave]

Thanks for dropping by with the update, pleased to read you had a great trip !

Dave.