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
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.
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.