Campsites at Texas Springs Campground (2026 Guide)

No reservations. That is the first thing to understand about Texas Springs Campground - and the reason why planning matters differently here than at most national park campgrounds. The 106 sites are strictly first-come, first-served, and during peak winter and spring months, the lot can fill before 10 AM. If you are heading into Death Valley between November and April, this is one of the best places to land. Here is what you need to know to make that happen.

Location and Layout

Texas Springs Campground sits in the hills above Furnace Creek, roughly a mile south of the visitor center. From CA 190, you turn onto the access road just past Furnace Creek Ranch - the entrance is on the left and easy to miss if you are driving fast. The campground rises in a series of loops on the east side of the road, with the lower sites closest to the entrance and the upper loops climbing into the low hills.

Of the 106 sites, 26 are designated tent-only. These are scattered through the loops and tend to be the smaller, more tucked-away spots. The remaining 80 sites accommodate RVs and trailers, though there are no hookups - this is dry camping across the board. The maximum RV length the park service lists is 35 feet, and that is accurate for the larger pull-through sites in the upper loop. The lower loops get tighter.

Each site comes with a fire grate and a picnic table. That is the extent of the amenities, and it is enough. The fire grates are the standard park-issue steel boxes - bring your own grate or cooking setup if you plan to cook over coals at ground level.

When It Is Open and How to Claim a Site

The seasonal window for Texas Springs runs from late fall through April 15. The research data shows a closure from April 15 through mid-October each year, with an additional delayed opening from January 1 through January 14, 2027. As of 2026, expect the campground to be fully closed for summer heat by mid-April and not reopen until October or November depending on weather.

Here is how the first-come system works in practice:

Arrive, drive through the loops, find an empty site, and occupy it. Then walk or drive to the automated fee machine at the front of the campground or the one in the upper loop. Pay with a credit or debit card. The standard rate is $20 per night. If you hold a Senior or Access Pass, the rate drops to $10. Cash is not accepted at the machines, so come with a card or be prepared to walk over to Furnace Creek Visitor Center during business hours to pay in person.

Most visitors underestimate how early they need to arrive. On holiday weekends and during February and March peak season, the campground can fill by 8:30 or 9 AM. Midweek is easier - you can often roll in by noon and still find something in the upper loop. The common mistake is showing up after 2 PM on a Friday and assuming there will be availability. There will not be.

What the Official Website Does Not Mention

Rangers will tell you that the upper loop is the better bet if you value quiet and views. The lower loop is convenient to the bathrooms and the pay station, but it also catches more road noise from CA 190 and foot traffic from people passing through. The upper loop sites sit higher, with sightlines east across the salt flats and toward the Funeral Mountains. Some sites have partial shade from mesquite trees - not enough to call it wooded, but enough to offer relief during the middle of the day.

No generators are allowed anywhere in Texas Springs. That is a significant detail if you are used to boondocking with a generator for power. The campground is intentionally quiet - what you hear is wind, ravens, and the occasional vehicle pulling in. Battery-powered fans, solar chargers, and portable power stations are fine. Gas generators are not.

Cell service drops out at the entrance road and does not come back for most carriers until you drive back down toward the visitor center. Verizon sometimes catches a weak signal from the upper loop if you are on a hill. AT&T and T-Mobile users should plan to be offline. The pay stations work on battery and cellular backup, so they remain functional even without your personal service.

Amenities and Practical Realities

Texas Springs has vault toilets. They are cleaned regularly during the operating season, but they are vault toilets - bring hand sanitizer and your own toilet paper as a backup. There are no flush toilets, no showers, and no dump station at this campground. The nearest dump station is at Furnace Creek Campground, about a mile away.

Water is available at the campground, but not at every site. There are spigots located at central points in the loops. The water is potable, and park service tests it regularly. Fill your containers when you arrive rather than walking back and forth.

The fee machines accept credit and debit cards only. If you arrive with cash and no card, you need to drive to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center to pay. The machines issue a receipt that you place on your dashboard or campsite post.

Nearby Services and Gas Situation

Furnace Creek Ranch is a five-minute drive down the hill. It has a general store, a restaurant, a bar, and a gas station with 24-hour pumps. The research data notes that gas at Panamint Springs Resort is only available from 7 AM to 9:30 PM daily as of 2026. If you are coming from the west, fuel up at Panamint Springs during operating hours or plan to push through to Furnace Creek where gas is available around the clock.

The Furnace Creek Visitor Center is the main information hub. Rangers there can answer questions about trail conditions, backcountry road status, and weather forecasts. The visitor center also sells maps and guidebooks, and the park newspaper is free at the front desk.

The Camping Experience in Practice

The trail narrows here - figuratively, in that your options for camping in this part of Death Valley are limited during winter and spring, and Texas Springs is the best first-come option in the Furnace Creek area. The other first-come campground, Sunset, sits right on CA 190 and is more exposed, dustier, and noisier. Texas Springs benefits from being set back in the hills.

Early morning is your best bet for site selection. If you are arriving the night before and need to wait for a site to open, you can park at the Furnace Creek parking lot overnight and check the campground at first light. Rangers discourage parking at the campground entrance to wait - it blocks the road for others - but the overflow lot near the visitor center is an acceptable alternative.

The elevation gain from Furnace Creek to the upper loop is modest - maybe 150 feet - but it is enough to catch breezes that the valley floor does not get. Summer temperatures are the reason the campground closes entirely. By mid-April, daytime highs regularly exceed 95°F, and by May they hit 110°F. The late fall through early spring window exists for a reason.

Pack extra water for this stretch if you are hiking from the campground. The trails into the Funeral Mountains start from the same general area, and there is no water on those routes. Fill up at the spigots before you head out.

Practical Takeaways

• Arrive early. Before 9 AM on weekends and holidays. Before noon on weekdays. This is not negotiable during peak season.
• Pay at the machine. $20 standard, $10 for Senior/Access Pass. Cards only. Cash requires a trip to the visitor center.
• No generators. Gas generators are prohibited. Battery systems are fine.
• Tent-only sites exist. 26 of them. Look for the tent symbols posted at the site marker.
• Water is available at central spigots. Fill containers when you arrive.
• Cell service is unreliable. Download maps and directions before you enter the park.
• Gas at Furnace Creek is 24 hours. Panamint Springs gas closes at 9:30 PM as of 2026.
• Check the closure dates. The campground closes April 15 and reopens late fall. Verify exact dates on the complete visitor guide.

For a broader look at where to stay in the area, see the guide to all campgrounds in Death Valley.

Final Thoughts

Texas Springs Campground occupies a specific niche in Death Valley camping. It is not the most developed campground in the park - that would be Furnace Creek with its flush toilets and dump station. It is not the most remote - that would be Wildrose or Thorndike up in the Panamints. What it offers is a reliably good location near the main visitor services, a quiet atmosphere enforced by the generator ban, and first-come access for people who plan ahead. If you show up early, pay at the machine, and claim a site in the upper loop, you will have one of the better camping setups in the Furnace Creek area. Show up late and you will spend the afternoon driving to Stovepipe Wells hoping for an opening. The difference is entirely a matter of timing.

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