CANCELLED: Death Valley; December 2025

** Update Oct 19**
We regret to inform everyone that we have decided to cancel this year's trip due to the number of closed roads and the uncertainty of when they will open.
We are still planning a summer trip in 2026 (likely Mammoth area again, including Devil's Postpile), as well as returning to Death Valley in December 2026 (with Jeep trip to Racetrack!).
Again, we regret this decision, but feel it is the best option for the group. Look forward to seeing many of you on our day hikes in the Bay Area.

Update Oct 5:
Because of the flooding in early September, a lot of park roads are still closed. Rangers had hoped to have at least the road to Badwater open by mid-October, but with the federal government shutdown, it’s hard to know whether the repair work is still moving forward or on pause.
We normally open registration in early October, but this year we’re holding off until we know which roads will actually be open. Once we have that information and can plan our hikes accordingly, we’ll open registration right away.
I spoke with someone at the Jeep rental company, and he said that the report they heard was that, while there is significant rock debris on the closed roads, none of them suffered actual damage to the pavement. So it sounds like they are just clearing roads of this debris, and thus the roads should be opened much faster than in past storms where there has been road damage.
In the worst case, we might need to stick to hikes in the middle of the park—but don’t worry, there are still plenty of great spots to explore!

General details:
We have reserved a few sites for our annual Death Valley camping/hiking trip. It's happening this December.
We don't have this year's itinerary set yet, but wanted folks to know we're on for 2025.
We have five sites reserved (ten cars), and are looking for people with National Parks Senior passes to help us get a couple more. If you have a Senior Pass, please let Lee know if you're comfortable with us using it. Each camping site is shared by two vehicles.
If you prefer a hotel to camping, make your reservations as soon as you know you're coming.

General details of our annual trip can be found here: https://geology.trampleasure.net/geology-trips-in-the-western-usa/dvnm/

We'll probably have a tentative itinerary decided by early October, but the typical plan is:

• Dec 27th: Driving to Death Valley (it's a long drive that takes most of a day).
• Dec 28th: Day trip to either Racetack Playa (in rented Jeeps) or Ash Meadows. We have reserved four Jeeps, so up to 16 people. Cost is around $150 per person (rental price plus cost of gas). More details about the Jeeps here.
• Dec 29-31: Three days of hikes around Death Valley.
• Dec 31: Dinner at the Last Kind Words Saloon to celebrate New Year's Eve.
• Jan 1st: Whichever trip we didn't do on the 28th.
• Jan 2nd: Pack up and drive home.

The 28th and 1st are optional for those who have the time and inclination.