Death Valley by motorcycle

(Page 2 of 2)

September/October 2008
Story and photos by Joe Berk 
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You can do Death Valley in a day, but it would be one long, tough day. A better idea is to spend the night in Baker, Calif., and then ride into Death Valley from the south on Kelbaker Road. “Must see” points include Artist’s Palette (a vivid collection of colors in the mountains formed by hardened volcanic deposits), Telescope Peak, Furnace Creek, and Wildrose Canyon’s charcoal kilns and 3,000-year old bristlecone pines.

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The roads through the main park are paved and in good shape, and Death Valley also has great dirt roads for dual-sport and dirt bikes. To make the ride through the main park and Wildrose Canyon Road (and even up to see the Wildrose Canyon charcoal kilns), a street bike will work just fine. Small portions of the Wildrose Canyon road are graded dirt, but these are in good enough shape for a street bike. 

The skinny
What: Death Valley National Park, a neat ride with great roads and scenery.
How to Get There: From Los Angeles, take I-10 to I-15. Exit at Kelbaker Road in Baker and go north. From Las Vegas, head northwest on U.S. 95 to state Route 373 south, then turn west on state Route 190.
Best Kept Secrets: Take two days to explore Death Valley. On the way in, take I-40 east out of Barstow 30 miles to old Route 66, paralleling the freeway east, then north on Kelbaker Road through the Mojave National Preserve. Spend the night in Baker, and enjoy dinner and breakfast at The Mad Greek restaurant (their Mediterranean food is outstanding!). If you plan to stay at any of the resorts in Death Valley, make your reservations months in advance!
Avoid: The warmer months, May through September.
More Info: www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm
More Photos: www.motofoto.cc/death_valley.htm

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