Sunset Campground

Sunset Campground

Sunset Campground is the National Park Service overflow campground beside Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California: over 270 sites on a huge open gravel flat with almost no vegetation. Our guide calls it a parking lot with picnic tables, and that is fair. It suits self-contained rigs of any size arriving on a busy holiday weekend when Furnace Creek is full, and anyone who wants the cheapest bed in the central valley within walking distance of the visitor center, the resort pool and the roads to Badwater Basin and Artist's Drive. (Do not confuse it with the Sunset Campground in Kings Canyon's Grant Grove, a forested 6,500-foot campground with a 30-foot limit that our Sequoia guide covers separately.)

Hookups	None
Sites	270+
Max RV length	No restriction
Cost	~$14/night
Reservations	First-come, first-served
Season	Peak season only (roughly October through April)
Dump station	Shared with Furnace Creek
Showers	No

Hookups

None

Sites

270+

Max RV length

No restriction

Cost

~$14/night

Reservations

First-come, first-served

Season

Peak season only (roughly October through April)

Dump station

Shared with Furnace Creek

Showers

Why RVers stay here

The practical picture: no hookups, no showers, water and flush restrooms available, and the dump station shared with Furnace Creek. Sites are open and level with no RV length restriction, which big rigs appreciate. It runs roughly October through April only, is first-come, first-served, and costs about $14 a night. The trade-off is atmosphere: there is none. You come here for location and price, not for a campsite you will remember.

✓Around $14 a night, the cheapest camping in Death Valley's central valley

✓No RV length restriction on open, level gravel sites

✓Walking distance to the Furnace Creek visitor center and resort, with Badwater and Artist's Drive close by

✓Absorbs holiday-weekend overflow when Furnace Creek is full

✓Water and flush restrooms available

!A gravel flat with almost no vegetation or shade; honestly a parking lot with picnic tables

!No hookups, no showers, and the dump station is shared with Furnace Creek

!Peak season only (roughly October–April) and first-come, first-served

What our guides say about Sunset Campground

Excerpts from the RV Parks Guide articles that cover this campground. Each links to the full guide.

Regional guide

Death Valley RV Camping: Hookup Sites, Dry Camps & Desert Survival Tips

Sunset is Furnace Creek's overflow sibling, located adjacent to the main Furnace Creek Campground. When Furnace Creek fills — which it does regularly during peak season — Sunset absorbs the demand. The campground has over 270 sites on a massive open gravel flat with almost no vegetation. It is honest to call it a parking lot with picnic tables.

That sounds harsh, and it is not wrong. But Sunset serves a purpose. If you arrive at Death Valley during a busy holiday weekend and Furnace Creek is full, Sunset gives you a place to camp within walking distance of the same visitor center, the same resort pool, and the same stunning access to Badwater Basin and Artist's Drive. The sites are open and level, which big rigs appreciate. Water and flush restrooms are available. There are no hookups.

Sunset typically operates only during peak season (October through April) and is first-come, first-served. Pricing is around $14 per night, making it the cheapest option in the central valley.

Read the guide →

Sunset Campground: frequently asked questions

Does Sunset Campground in Death Valley have hookups?

No. There are no hookups. Water and flush restrooms are available, and the dump station is shared with the neighboring Furnace Creek Campground.

How much does Sunset Campground cost per night?

About $14 per night, making it the cheapest option in Death Valley's central valley.

What is the max RV length at Sunset Campground?

There is no length restriction. The sites are open and level on a large gravel flat, so big rigs fit easily.

Do you need reservations at Sunset Campground?

No. Sunset is first-come, first-served and typically operates only during peak season, roughly October through April.

Is Sunset Campground open year-round?

No. It generally operates only in peak season, about October through April, mainly to absorb overflow when Furnace Creek fills.

Is this the same Sunset Campground as the one in Kings Canyon?

No. This page covers the Death Valley overflow campground next to Furnace Creek. Kings Canyon's Sunset Campground in Grant Grove is a forested seasonal campground at 6,500 feet with a 30-foot RV limit, covered in our Sequoia and Kings Canyon guide.