National Park Service · California
Thorndike Campground (Primitive)
National Park Service · California, United States · in Death Valley National Park
- Sites
- 6
- Cost
- Thorndike Campground: free. This primitive campground does not have a nightly fee.
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- No
- Dump station
- No
- Laundry
- No
- Elevation
- 7,385 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1 · certified dark-sky place
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Death Valley National Park
- Nearest town
- Ballarat
- Phone
- (760) 786-3200
Season dates aren't confirmed for this campground yet - opening and closing dates haven't been verified. Check the operator's page or call ahead before you plan a trip.
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
Site map · loading…
About
***No Potable Water Available in the Wildrose Area. Closest available water ~38 miles north at Stovepipe Wells, CA. First-come, first-served primitive, forested campground with no additional fee located at 7,400' elevation. Accessible to high clearance vehicles (no longer than 25') and 4x4 may be necessary. Closest available water ~38 miles north at Stovepipe Wells. May still be impacted by snowy/icy conditions in late spring.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 30° | 18° | 58° | 10 of 11 |
| February | 45° | 30° | 15° | 61° | 10 of 11 |
| March | 49° | 32° | 19° | 76° | 9 of 11 |
| April | 58° | 39° | 26° | 73° | 7 of 11 |
| May | 68° | 47° | 29° | 79° | 1 of 11 |
| June | 81° | 59° | 36° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 86° | 65° | 56° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 82° | 62° | 53° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 74° | 55° | 40° | 86° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 63° | 44° | 30° | 76° | 3 of 10 |
| November | 52° | 37° | 23° | 65° | 6 of 10 |
| December | 45° | 32° | 14° | 57° | 9 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Trails nearby
- Telescope Peak Trailhead · 0.5 mi as the crow flies
Telescope Peak 6.0 mi Hike · Drive there - Wildrose Peak Trailhead · 0.7 mi as the crow flies
Wildrose Peak 4.1 mi Hike · Drive there
All 79 trails in Death Valley National Park
Trailheads the Park Service and the Forest Service map, within 10 miles as the crow flies; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.
Nearby campgrounds
- Mahogany Flat Campground (Primitive) · National Park Service · 1 mi · 9 sites
- Wildrose Campground · National Park Service · 7 mi · 23 sites
- Sunset Campground · National Park Service · 19 mi · 230 sites
- Death Valley Backcountry Roadside Camping · National Park Service · 19 mi · 49 sites
- Furnace Creek Campground · National Park Service · 19 mi · 130 sites
All public campgrounds in California · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-09-08. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.