For general information about Death Valley National Park, check out the National Park Service Web site, www.nps.gov/deva. Call the park at 1-760-786-3200, or write to P.O. Box 579, Death Valley, CA 92328.
Death Valley has nine campgrounds with more than 1,400 camp sites. Reservations can be made up to five months in advance, Oct. 15-April 15, at the Furnace Creek and Texas Springs campgrounds. Visit the Web site reservations.nps.gov or, for Furnace Creek only, call 1-800-365-2267.
Lodging is available at several concessions within the park, including 75-year-old Furnace Creek Inn and its nearby ranch (1-760-786-2345); Stovepipe Wells (1-760-786-2387) and Panamint Springs (1-775-482-7680).
Scottys Castle, the famed Spanish-style mansion built by one-time prospector "Death Valley Scotty," offers living history tours. Tour fees are $8 for adults; $6 for those 62 or over; $4 for adults with a disability and for children 6- to 15-years old. Children under 5 are admitted free.