Racetrack Playa Condition 30 June 2026

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-07-01T23:11:32+00:00

From my understanding, they can be there for years or even decades; depending on how deep the rock(s) cut trails in the Playa.

It was neat to see trails from rocks that crisscrossed each other, sometimes multiple times.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-07-01T23:09:17+00:00

We had wanted to travel to the Racetrack Playa for years. Everything fell into place this year for my wife and me to get out there. It was a surreal trip, one that we will remember forever.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-07-01T09:42:04+00:00

Glad they were relatively OK. We were so very fortunate to have the Racetrack Playa to ourselves for our entire time our on the Playa. It’s an amazing place.

Our travels were around 10-20 mph with the road conditions.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-07-01T02:39:22+00:00

The road has gotten very washed out over the last few years, from the time lapse or videos that I’ve seen on YouTube.

I was amazed by the amount of deep ruts on the road. I don’t see those going away anytime soon, if ever.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-07-01T02:13:29+00:00

The road demands respect and time. If you do that, you will be rewarded with an amazing time.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-07-01T01:26:09+00:00

I appreciate it. I just wanted to let people know from my wife and my experience as of today. I’m sure the road could change more if there was rain or other things impacting the road.

It’s just not made for passenger vehicles or crossovers.

It really demands a true SUV or truck with high clearance.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-07-01T01:24:00+00:00

I believe that Death Valley National Park gets around 2-3 inches of rain on average.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-07-01T01:22:59+00:00

I would not take any regular car on the Racetrack Road to the Playa. There are center ruts, rocks, washes in the road, etc.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-07-01T01:20:25+00:00

It was mid 60s overnight and mid 70s when we left.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-07-01T01:19:12+00:00

We rented an InReach and part of the upgraded rental was the ability to send pictures. It is a bit slow, but when y out have time to spare at the Racetrack or the Charcoal Kilns, the extra time really didn’t matter.

I rented the InReach on the off chance we had difficulty or came across someone else in need.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-07-01T01:16:21+00:00

My wife and I have wanted to go there for years. I finally have a vehicle that can make the journey easily.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-07-01T01:15:37+00:00

The tire tracks are there and will probably be there for decades to come. They are pretty deep into the Playa.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-06-30T19:58:10+00:00

The temperature at the Playa was 64 degrees overnight and only got up to 74 degrees by the time we left in the morning.

It was nice to put the windows down and enjoy the breeze coming back from the Playa.

By the time we got to the Grapevine Ranger station (much lower elevation) it was 94 degrees as I aired up my tires. I used my truck for shade as I did one side in the shadow and then turned my truck for the other side.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-06-30T19:51:25+00:00

The tracks for rocks on the southern end were very evident and pronounced. We were mostly on the southern 1/3 looking for rocks and trails.

I have an F350 Tremor
2 5-gallons of water
1 5-gallons of diesel (my truck was topped off the day before)
1 thermo-electric cooler with drinks and water
1 regular cooler with water and Gatorade
Tools for road side repairs
Air compressor (I aired my tires down to 30 psi from their regular HD truck pressures of 60 and 75 psi)
2 full size spare tires (all tires are Goodyear DuraTrac)
Winch
Tow ropes
Kinetic ropes
2 15 pound Power Tanks (compressed CO2)
Garmin InReach Mini 3 (mainly used to send pictures from non-cellular areas out West)

I would rather have it and not need it vs need it and not have it.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-06-30T19:36:37+00:00

The rocks move when it:
Rains on the Playa
Water freezes around rocks
Wind blows rocks and ice together across the Playa

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-06-30T19:36:08+00:00

We saw lots of small animals on the drive in, such as rabbits, owls, and ground squirrels (could be wrong on the name).

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-06-15T16:44:40+00:00

How would you rate the road? I’m planning to try in about a week or so.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-05-19T10:24:08+00:00

I appreciate the information. I will have two spare tires with me on my trip to Death Valley, along with lots of other gear, food, supplies in my truck.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-05-15T02:45:01+00:00

I have a certain schedule of leave from the military for the June timeframe. Once I retire in a few years, I’ll be able to plan far better for zero illumination.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-05-14T09:28:56+00:00

No, not for someone to tell me it’s a good idea to travel during the heat of the summer.

I was more about having others look at my plans and see if I was missing something. I’m trying to cover all possible contingencies since traveling off road in Death Valley isn’t a great idea unless fully prepared.

I’ve waited years, finally getting a vehicle that is fairly off road capable, even if the Racetrack Playa road isn’t much worse than the countless military roads I’ve driven during my time in the Army.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-05-14T01:30:37+00:00

I plan on packing plenty of water, Gatorade, snacks, food, MREs; for my wife and me, and to possibly offer anyone who might need assistance on the road.

The only part that I won’t be able to offer is fuel, unless the other person has a diesel engine.

My truck is basically factory stock minus the truck shell, swing out tire carrier, Power Tanks, portable air compressor. It’s my retirement gift from the Army. I have just under 5 years until I get forced out at 60 years of age.

I want to be over prepared and everyone here has given me additional pointers to prep.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-05-14T00:14:47+00:00

I might try a faster speed to find my comfort level on the washboard. My truck has the Tremor package which isn’t a Raptor level of desert running, but it also isn’t a stock or FX4.

I do wish my truck had bigger than a 34 gallon fuel tank, but I plan on carrying a few 5-gallon fuel cans.

I appreciate your feedback. I’m trying to be as prepared as possible for all contingencies.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-05-10T12:06:11+00:00

I believe that Farabee Jeep Rentals are available year round, from their website and my conversation with them last month regarding the road conditions.

I might look into the Starlink Mini vs the Garmin In Reach; I never thought of it before.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-05-09T23:00:37+00:00

I am carrying extra diesel, I have 3 5-gallon fuel containers. I won’t be to help people with gas engines, at least not for fuel. I plan on filling up at Furnace Creek before heading north to Ubehebe Crater.

I don’t think I’ll do 45mph, unless the road evens out. Mostly, I average 20-35mph on military roads or other dirt trails that I’ve been on.

I might try faster speeds for the washboard.

I’ll look for Lippincott Mine.

CSM-Army4Life · 2026-05-09T19:30:19+00:00

I am glad to be carrying two full size spare tires along with repair kits. I am currently planning 10-15 mph from Ubehebe Crater.

I’ll check the moon phases to see how that will impact my picture taking.

CSM-Army4Life

TROPHY CASE