Death Valley National Park hosts the most desolate and dry national Park in the United States. Death Valley also sits at 282 feet below sea level, which means its the lowest point you in North America. The cost to enter Death Valley National Park is split up depending on how you enter the national park:
- Passenger Vehicle: $30
- Recreational Vehicle: $30
- Personal Motorcycle: $25
- Individual People (biker, hiker, pedestrian) : $15
Once you arrive at the Death Valley National Park entrance, you will be greeted by a park ranger. There you can pay for your park entrance pass. The fee you pays allows you to enter and explore the national park, use the park’s facilities, and enter and exit freely. 80% of your park entrance fee goes directly towards Death Valley’s budget. This budget helps the park with trail upkeep, facility maintenance, expanding on park programs, and evolving the park’s historical projects. The other 20% of your entrance fee goes towards helping other national parks with similar goals.
How long is my entrance pass valid for?
Once you receive your park entrance pass, the entrance pass is valid for an entire seven days. This park entrance pass allows you to enter and leave Death Valley National Park as you wish during those seven days. Be mindful that the seven days is consecutive and you cannot leave the park and return a month later to use the same entrance pass.
Is Death Valley National Park Open in the summer?
Since Death Valley is known as one of the hottest places in the USA, many think that the park could potentially be closed. Average temperatures in the summer can reach up to 120+ degrees, however Death Valley National Park is open all summer despite intense heat. There are many recommendations to hike earlier, carry water, and keep yourself shaded from the sun.
Are there any discounts available for the Death Valley National Park Entrance Fee?
There are quite a few ways you can save money on the park entrance fee. The National Park Service offers visitors the option of purchasing an America the Beautiful Annual Pass, Annual Military Pass, Annual Senior Pass, Lifetime Senior Pass, or Fourth Grader Annual Pass. Depending on your situation and which group you qualify as, you can save a lot of money by planning ahead for your national park visits. The park system also offers a few fee free days which I will share down below.
America the Beautiful Annual Pass:
$80
The National Park Service offers visitors the chance to buy the America The Beautiful Annual Pass. This pass cost $80, but allows you to enter all national parks and various federal lands for free once you buy the pass. This pass is valid for the twelve months from the day that you purchase the pass. All you need to do is present this annual pass to the park rangers to enter the national parks for free. This pass is a great deal if you are planning to visit a minimum of three national parks within a twelve month span as you will save money right off the bat.
Active Duty Military Annual Pass:
Free!
Those of you that are in the military and are active duty can obtain a free annual pass that is dedicated just to active duty US military. To obtain this pass just present your active duty US military badge to the park ranger at the Death Valley entrance station. The ranger will give you your annual pass which allows you to enter Death Valley and all other national parks for free! Once the pass expires after twelve months and you are still active duty in the US Military than you can show your badge to get a renewed annual pass.
Senior Annual Pass or Senior Lifetime Pass:
$20 or $60
If you are a senior or are visiting Death Valley with a senior you should definitely consider either the lifetime pass or the annual pass. The Senior Lifetime pass cost just $60 and allows seniors to enter all national parks for free once you pay $60 for the rest of the lives! If you are only planning on visiting a few national parks in the short term or want to be more budget conscious a great alternative is the Senior Annual pass for just $20. You will automatically save $10 off the cost of the Death Valley Entrance fee with this pass!
Fourth Grader Annual Pass:
Free!
If you are the parent of a fourth grader and are looking to take your family out to visit national parks then you are in luck. The National Park Service teamed up with the Every Kid Outdoors organization to provide all US fourth graders with free annual passes to visit all national parks! In order to get the pass sign up for it at EveryKidOutdoors.gov. You just need to sign up and print out the annual pass to present to a park ranger. This pass is only accepted as a print out so be sure to print out the form on your way into Death Valley National Park.
Are there ever any days to enter Death Valley for Free?
The National Park Service celebrates a variety of historical dates and events that allow park visitors to enter all national parks for free. If you want to visit Death Valley National Park for free visit during one of these six historical events or celebrations:
- Martin Luther King Junior Day (January 20)
- First day of National Park Week (April 18)
- Celebration of Great American Outdoors Act Passing (August 5)
- Celebration of National Park Service Birthday (August 25)
- Celebration for National Public Lands Day (September 26)
- Celebration for Veterans Day (November 11)
Summary
Death Valley is famous for its extreme conditions in a desert landscape surrounded by cascading mountains. This park features unique geological features such as the Badwater Basin, the golden badlands, towering sand dunes, and much more. The entrance fee to view these magnificent sights is easily worth the entrance fee for Death Valley National Park.
If you’re looking for the best hikes to do in Death Valley, check out our post on 10 Best Hikes in Death Valley National Park This list will transport you from the lowest point, to the top of sand dunes, and above the colorful badlands.
