Panamint Springs Resort

We stayed one night in Cabin #17. Because we visited off-season, we were one of only three cars parked in the cabin/camping area. The beds were comfortable and the air-conditioner kept the cabin cool while we slept. There were a LOT of bugs that got inside the cabin, which was somewhat unavoidable every time we openned the door. 

The night we stayed was a new moon, so the dark sky views were INCREDIBLE. We saw the milky way with our bare eyes sitting on the porch of our cabin.

We arrived around 10pm at night, so the check-in desk was already closed. Fortunately, I had received the email with the late check-in instructions, and finding our cabin assignment was easy. I do wish getting some information in advance had been easier. I tried to call the front desk on our drive to the park, but no one answered. It wasn't entirely clear what amenities/facilties were open. For example, the website said breakfast available in one place, but in another place it said the only open was getting a breakfast burritio in their gas station. So we didn't know if we should pack extra food.

It did turn out that the restaraunt was still open, despite being off-season. It was pricey (totally fair, you're in the middle of a desert) but delicious, and friendly service. The staffer in the general store/gas station was also really friendly and gave great advice for which parts of the park to visit, and how to drive responsibily in the summer heat.

Finally, I think it goes without saying, but coming in July will be HOT. Plan to do activities like hiking early in the morning, and find some place by noon to stay in the air conditioning until evening.

The Bathrooms were falling apart and disgusting. The sites were hardly designated and you have to pay for your site at the gas station across the street, which is hardly made clear. It was 90°+ overnight too, though that’s nobody’s fault lol.

Decent RV area with large, generally level, sites with vegetation in between. Bathrooms and showers not the cleanest. Friendly staff. Not a ton to do in the area except for Darwin Falls.

Campsite not well marked and difficult to navigate. Stop at gas station first to avoid difficulty finding RV sites. Had trouble with electrical hookup. EMS code showed “open ground” so used the site hookup adjacent. Very helpful, informative and accommodating staff even though our paid reservation was not in their system. Middle of no where. No cell No internet.

This area is BLM and land in trust of Friends of the Inyo. You can set up camp but you need to make sure that you are on proper land and not on private property. 

It is easy access to Surprise Canyon, Middle Field, and some of the remaining mines in the area. We were there for a service trip so we were deconstructing roads created by careless people in off road vehicles that take advantage of the land and don’t follow the rules of protecting the environment. It was cold during our stay and we work up to snow on the mountain tops and frost on our tents in the morning. 

No facilities and the closest town is not super close, so bring everything with you. If you are careful when you wander around you may find native rock art form when the area was a lake shore. You will also find prospecting poles in the area, feel free to pull those out and clean up the site when you see them.

Nice quiet place to relax and get away from the city.

There aren’t too many attractions in the immediate area, but if you’re traveling through Death Valley this is a good place to camp while you explore for the day. A bit crowded, but there are showers and flush toilets. There’s also a restaurant across the street where you can get a prickly pear margarita after a long day of traveling.

The sites were fairly small. There was a water spigot in between our site and the one next to us. There is a gas station across the road from the campground. There is plenty of hikes around the area, including the awesome Maryjane Falls close by. The other main stuff is on the opposite side of the park. Still the drive wasn't too long. We stayed in tents, but they do have "cabin" rentals. Flush toilets and showers. Sorry the photos are sideways.

After a long day hiking a site seeing in the desert. It was nice to just pop up the tent and relax. Large sites could have camp fires. They also rent out cabins and tent cabins.

I’ve stayed here every year for the past four years as part of a class studying Mojave Desert Ecology generally the last Friday in May. ¾ years it’s been very windy though this past year it wasn’t. The temperatures can also be quite hot. Sleeping off the ground or in a tent is a must as we catch lots of sidewinders and scorpions every year in the campsite. The showers are ok as are the bathrooms. The sites have picnic tables and fire rings and are close to each other. I’ve always been at the group site which is more spacious. The campground has a nice view of Panamint valley and mountains to the east. It’s kind of far from Death Valley’s Furnace Creek and Badwater locations but Darwin Falls in close by and a really awesome half-day hike