Death Valley Basecamp Tour
Las Vegas, NV
5.0 (45 reviews)Trip Highlights
- Amazing Hikes
- Narrow Canyons & Petroglyphs
- Camp & Enjoy Delicious Meals
- Colorful Volcanic Deposits
- Iconic Mining & Pioneer History
- Alpine Hike with Sweeping Views
- Unique Desert Oasis
Description
With six mountain ranges and 93 percent untrammeled wilderness, Death Valley National Park—the largest national park in the contiguous United States—is best discovered in a pair of hiking boots. Discover narrow canyons, vast dune fields, ancient lava flows, high alpine forests, scenic mountains, and the rich history of the American West.
We’ll spend our days hiking the park’s extraordinarily diverse landscapes. At night, we’ll rest easy at our basecamp and enjoy delicious dinners by campfire before retiring to our tents under a stunning blanket of stars that adorns some of the darkest skies in the country. Join us for this Death Valley Tour of a lifetime.
NEED TO KNOW: WINTER TRIPS
If you want to get out hiking this winter, Death Valley is a great place to do it! Winter temperatures are wonderful for hiking and enjoying being outdoors and surrounded by vast wilderness. We invite you to read more about Death Valley climate info.
$1805 Per Person
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 2
Scale of 1-5. 1 is least difficult; 5 is most difficult
The most challenging day of this tour is the 8 mile roundtrip / 2,200 ft climb up to Wildrose peak (9,064 ft). Other days are lighter, but most trails in the park are rugged with some heights exposure and little sun protection.
Hiking Distances:
4-9 mi
Backpack Weight:
10-15 pounds
Terrain:
Significantly Rugged
Max Daily Elev. ↑↓:
2000 ft
Heights Exposure:
Moderate
PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THIS TRIP
- Hiking uphill or downhill with a 10-15 pound backpack for 5-7 hours
- Maintaining balance and footing on moderately rugged terrain (more rugged on the Wildrose Peak hike)
- Hiking with occasional, moderate heights exposure
SOLITUDE LEVEL 3
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
We rate this Death Valley hike a solitude 3. You can expect hours of solitude at a time while hiking.
UTAH SALES TAX
Utah is the only state we are based in that charges sales tax to outfitters and guides. The sales tax is based on the St. George, UT municipality rates, which are adjusted occasionally but are in the 6-7% range. For all of our hiking and backpacking tours that originate from our St. George, Utah base (Utah, Joshua Tree and Death Valley trips), the sales tax will be applied automatically to your payments. Feel free to call us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) with any questions!
Private Trips
Travel in perfect company by booking a private trip exclusively for your group!
Our sliding scale for private trips is based on the final number of guests in your group. Rates are per person and do not include sales tax, national park fees or guide gratuity. The final rate is based on the actual number of guests on the trip and may adjust based on cancellations or additions.
Please Note: you can also enjoy a private trip at our normal scheduled rates by filling any empty tour to capacity. However, if group members drop from the tour those spots will automatically become available on our website for instant booking. By purchasing a private trip at the rates listed below, your trip will remain exclusive to your group regardless of cancellations.
Private Rates FOr This Trip
- 2 People: Rate x 2.5
- 3 People: Rate x 1.75
- 4-5 People: Rate x 1.5
- 6-8 People: Rate x 1.25
- 9-12 People: Rate x 1.15
*all rates are per person
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Minimum 2 Guests
MINIMUM OF 2 GUESTS
If a trip does not reach the minimum number of guests, you may choose to transfer to another trip date or another trip, be refunded your payments in full, or you may have the choice to pay a supplemental fee to run the trip with fewer guests. We make the final determination for these trips 4-6 weeks before the departure date, and notify guests of changes and options immediately.
Learn About Our Private Trips
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Itinerary
Day 1
- Shuttle to Death Valley: 2.5 hours
- Hiking Mileage: 5 miles
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 680 feet
- Accommodations: Campground at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, or Emigrant Pass
This multi-day Death Valley hiking trip begins with a morning pick up from the Tuscany Inn and Suites in Las Vegas, Nevada. We’ll depart Vegas and embark across the fabled Mojave Desert’s basin-and-range landscape. Upon entering Death Valley National Park, we will be treated to morning views of the Badlands: jagged hills dazzlingly colored by volcanic metals. At the edge of the Badlands, we will walk to the top of Zabriske Point where we’ll first gaze upon Death Valley and the towering Panamint Mountains.
After a quick stop at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, we’ll head to the trailhead of Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch: a classic Death Valley hiking loop that takes us deep into the Badlands of the Amargosa Mountains. After a hilltop lunch with panoramic views, we’ll hike down into the water-carved Gower Gulch which will spill us out onto a slanted desert landscape at the edge of Death Valley itself.
Time allowing, we may stop at one of many historic points of interest near Furnace Creek before heading to our campsite. After establishing our basecamp, we’ll enjoy a delicious camp-cooked dinner and relax by the fire as the stars light up the sky.
Day 2
- Drive Time: 80 minutes
- Hiking Mileage: 9 miles
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 2088 feet
- Accommodations: Inn at Furnace Creek (Premier) or Ranch at Furnace Creek (Casual)
Today’s hike up Mt Perry will be the most challenging but also the most rewarding. The guests will hike a rocky route along Dante’s Ridge in the Black Mountains, offering jaw dropping views 5,000′ straight down into Badwater Basin and as far away as Mt Whitney and the Sierras. Depending on time and the group, the guide may serve lunch at the summit or may elect to return to the vehicle and head to a picnic spot back at Dante’s View. The day will finish in the afternoon.
Day 3
- Drive Time: 1 hour
- Hiking Mileage: 6 miles
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 1400 feet
- Accommodations: 29 Palms Inn
Today is a welcome easier day after yesterday’s peak ascent. Today’s hike takes us onto the peaceful Mesquite Sand Dunes and to a miracle in the desert — the stunningly beautiful 1-mile out-and-back hike (2 mi total) hike to the highest Mesquite Sand Dune. Then we’ll enjoy a 4-mile hike through Mosaic Canyon, into Death Valley Wilderness. This canyon is filled with breccia – a type of rock made of broken fragments of minerals and rocks cemented together by a fine grained matrix, creating a mosaic-like display. It’s absolutely gorgeous!
Day 4
- Hiking Mileage: 4-7 miles
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 200-500 feet
- Shuttle to Las Vegas: 2.5-3.5 hours
For our final day in Death Valley, we’ll hike one of several mountain canyons of the Amargosa Range. Desolation Canyon, Sidewinder Canyon, Virgin Spring Wash, and Kaleidoscope Canyon each offer their own taste of sublime Death Valley wilderness. We’ll have lunch on the trail or, if time allows, atop the expansive vista of Dante’s View—the best overlook of Death Valley itself—while celebrating and reflecting on our amazing journey.
Please Note: We always do everything in our power to follow the set itinerary, however it can change occasionally based on temporary access restrictions, weather, lodging/campground availability, guest ability/injury, natural events like fires and flooding, and other potential causes. Normal terms and conditions apply to trips with itinerary changes.
TRIP DATES & BOOKING
AVAILABLE TO BOOK
This trip is available and bookable online! Click on the date to register now or contact us online to book through our award-winning customer service team!
GOING FAST
This trip has 1 or 2 spots remaining and is bookable online! Click on the date to book now or contact us online to book through customer service.
REQUEST A RESERVATION
This trip is exclusively booked through customer service due to logistics with lodging, permits, staffing, availability, or something else. Please contact us online or call us at 800-715-HIKE (4453) to request a reservation.
Don't see your dates? Call us! We may be able to add new trip dates.
800-715-HIKE (4453)Trip Details
What's Included
- Top-of-the-line tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and day pack
- Use of trekking poles
- All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
- Shower and pool passes at the wonderful Furnace Creek Ranch warm springs pool (walking distance from our camp of approximately 3/4 mile)
- Trained hiking guide(s) with years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. See Guide Bios.
- Comprehensive, roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Las Vegas and back
- All necessary entrance fees and permits
- Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and communication device (InReach Explorer or satellite phone)
What's Not Included
- Clothes, raingear, and footwear (see recommendations)
- Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
- Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight
- Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-20% of trip cost)
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about what to pack.
Meals: What to Expect
All of our hiking and backpacking tours include a diversity of tasty meals packed full of critical carbohydrates, proteins and fats. We carry foods that travel well in the backcountry – rice, pastas, lentils, beans, couscous, packaged meats, nuts, breads, oatmeal, granola, and more.
For optimal taste and energy, we supplement all our meals with spices, herbs, oils, cheeses, butter, sugar, and fruits and vegetables (fresh and dried). In addition, we provide you with with an assortment of trail mix, snacks, and dried fruits to eat at your own discretion.
We regularly accommodate vegan, vegetarian, kosher and non-gluten diets and will make adjustments for food allergies. These and other special dietary requests may require an additional fee.
Gear We Provide
We provide all group gear which includes the following:
- Deuter or Osprey backpacks
- Sierra Designs, Kelty or Big Agnes tents
- Sierra Designs, Big Agnes and Mountain Hardware sleeping bags
- Thermarest or Big Agnes sleeping pads
- Leki trekking poles
- Cooking stoves and cookware
- Company-issued first-aid kit
- Emergency communication device(s)
Guest Packing List
When you register for this tour you’ll receive access to a printable, downloadable trip information packet with a detailed packing list specific to this trip (click here to see it now.) All trips require a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots, rain gear, a recommended clothing system, a headlamp or flashlight, a hydration system (water bottles and/or bladder) and other items specific to each trip.
Additionally, some guests choose to bring their own sleeping bag. We supply high quality, synthetic fill bags that are professionally laundered after every trip. Synthetic fill is non-allergenic, insulates when damp and stands up well to repeated washings, but is heavier and bulkier than down. If you’re able to bring your own down sleeping bag, there are multiple benefits. If not, we’ve got you covered!
Trip Logistics
How Do I Register?
Reserve your spot today! In the Trip Dates & Booking section of this page, the green and red dates are bookable online by simply clicking on the date, and blue dates must be booked through our customer service team for a variety of possible reasons. To email our customer service team, you can click here to get the ball rolling. Our adventure consultants will confirm availability, and if you’re ready to register we’ll email you a link to a registration profile. You’ll have 72 hours to complete your profile (and that of any dependents) and pay the deposit.
Feel free to call us for more info – we’re here 7 days a week!
Where Do We Meet?
This trip originates from Tuscany Suites and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Your guide will be in contact approximately 10 days before the trip start date to coordinate the pre-trip orientation, which will be at 5:00 PM at a hotel in Las Vegas. Your guide will then pick you up at your hotel the next morning for transport to the trailhead. For Private Death Valley Tours your guide will meet you at your hotel in Las Vegas at an agreed upon time.
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about flights, shuttles, recommended lodging and more.
Travel to Las Vegas
Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport is one of the most easily accessed destinations in the country. Many major cities in the United States and internationally offer direct flights into Las Vegas. A company named Airline Shuttle (1-888-554-1156) can help you with economic transport to most hotels. Taxi cabs run about $40 to downtown, and the city is also Uber- and Lyft-friendly.
Start/End Times
Your guide will inform you of the first day’s pick-up time at the orientation meeting. Generally, you can expect it to be between 5 and 8 am, although the exact time will depend on current weather and road conditions. We will drop you off at your hotel on the final day normally before 5 PM (this time is not guaranteed, as a variety of circumstances can influence our exact return time).
Safety Precautions
Your safety is our top priority. Our hiking tours are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are wilderness-certified first responders or EMT’s, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience. Guides adhere to standardized risk management protocols in case of any potential or actual incident, and all tours carry an emergency communication device and comprehensive first-aid kit. Additionally we have a “24/7” system through which guides or guests can reach Wildland support personnel at any time.
If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
Essential Eligibility Criteria
Essential Eligibility Criteria (“EEC”) have been specifically identified to help you understand the skills and abilities necessary to participate on each Wildland trip, and they apply uniformly to all potential trip participants, irrespective of the presence or absence of any disability.
Once you identify a trip in which you may be interested, please carefully review the EEC and itinerary details. If after reviewing the EEC that apply to your desired trip, you determine you need an accommodation in order to meet the EEC, please contact us prior to registering to discuss your requested accommodation.
The EEC exist for your own safety and the safety and enjoyment of all participants. If you are unable to meet the EEC for the trip, with or without an accommodation, you are not eligible for that trip. If you register and arrive for a trip for which you do not meet the EEC, you will be disqualified from participation on the trip and will be dismissed or evacuated from the trip without a refund.
Guide Working Parameters
Guides are required to take 8 hours off each 24-hour period to sleep, recuperate, take personal/down time…etc. In addition, as part of the 8 hours off they must sleep/rest or be in their tents/rooms uninterrupted for a minimum of 5 hours each night. We ask guests to respect these requirements and to not interrupt guides’ off time and sleep time unless there is a true emergency.
Age Restrictions
Age restrictions on this trip are as follows:
- 12 and older to join scheduled tours (mixed groups)
- 5 and older to join private tours, with final approval and specific logistical requirements (such as porter or stock assist) determined on a case by case basis
Weather in Death Valley
Death Valley encompasses an area with extreme elevation and climate variations. It is home to the lowest point in the United States: Bad Water Basin at 282 feet below sea level. Its highest point, Telescope Peak, is 11,049 feet high, a 11,331 ft difference!! Most of our trips focus on the lower elevations, and feature comfortably moderate winter temperatures, and warm-hot Spring/Fall temperatures. To be fully prepared, please follow the recommended clothing list closely (this list comes as part of your trip packet when you register). Read below for average high and low temperatures in the lower sections of Death Valley:
| Average Temperatures (Fahrenheit) | ||||||
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Month
|
Low
|
Hi
|
||||
|
January
|
40°
|
67°
|
||||
|
February
|
46°
|
73°
|
||||
|
March
|
55°
|
82°
|
||||
|
April
|
62°
|
91°
|
||||
|
October
|
62°
|
93°
|
||||
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November
|
48°
|
77°
|
||||
|
December
|
38°
|
65°
|
||||
Accommodations
PREMIER CAMPGROUNDS
3 NIGHTS
On our basecamp tours we hand pick wonderful campgrounds that put us right in the action for exceptional hiking and camping vacations. They may be national park, state park, or private vehicle-accessible campgrounds. They may vary by trip date depending on availability and seasonality.
FANTASTIC MEALS
11 MEALS
Basecamp trips include meals for the duration of the tours beginning with breakfast the first day through lunch the final day. Meals are prepared by your guide(s) using fresh ingredients, exclusive Wildland recipes, and we adhere to all department of health outdoor cooking codes.
COMFORTABLE CAMPING
CAMPING AMENITIES
What amenities do basecamp tours include? Cold and hot drinks, campfires (where/when allowed), camp chairs, access to showers, fresh food, roomy tents, comfortable sleeping pads, comfy sleeping bags, camp pillows and more! Camp comfortably, eat like royalty, and hike til your heart’s content!
Trip Reviews
- SORT BY:
- Most recent
- LOW - HIGH
- HIGH - LOW
Barbara F
Wildland, staff, guides and hikes NEVER disappoint!
Wildland is the ONLY hiking company I use. Policies are great, safety first. Top of the line equipment (I do have some of my own) and MEALS are always very pleasing and healthy.
Margaret J
Spectacular
This was a wonderful trip. The guide was excellent, and all the supplied equipment was perfect. Of course, the scenery is spectacular.
Nadia K
Superb
This trip was superb - the scenery took my breath away, and the intensity of the hiking each day was perfect for me and my mom. The basecamp style was very comfortable. I have been on four Wildland trips now and will continue to use Wildland for my vacations in the future.
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