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A winding road with double yellow lines crosses a desert plain dotted with shrubs, with mountain ranges beneath a cloudy sky

Park news · Death Valley

Death Valley: Keep Your Travel Plans Flexible

Rain is disrupting travel in Death Valley, with several roads closed and dirt roads best avoided, so check road conditions before your visit.

By Jocelyn Pion,

If you're planning a visit to Death Valley, be ready to adjust your route. Several park roads are closed following rainfall. When planning your stops, we recommend working around the roads that are open instead of assuming you can follow your original route.

Paved roads are affected too, with debris accumulating on the pavement. Don't assume a paved road has escaped the effects of the weather. As you plan your day, keep in mind that the problems aren't limited to dirt roads.

A muddy stream winds between rocky banks and scattered desert shrubs, with barren mountains beneath a cloudy sky

Mud makes travel on unpaved roads dangerous. Avoid driving on dirt roads, as the National Park Service (NPS) strongly recommends. We suggest skipping any stop that requires taking one, even if it's already on your itinerary. A dirt road isn't a good fallback when another road is closed.

The list of affected roads may continue to change. Damage assessments are ongoing, and the NPS expects more closures as crews assess additional roads. You can't rely solely on conditions you checked when you first started planning your trip.

Check road closures before you head out on the NPS Current Conditions page. The park promptly updates road closure information there. We recommend using those updates to adjust your route for the day.

For help planning your entire visit, see the Death Valley National Park guide. Keep your plans flexible, though. Under current conditions, you'll need to adjust your stops as road access changes.