Stovepipe Wells is the second, smaller hub of Death Valley, a little settlement on Highway 190 at the edge of the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. The name comes from a length of stovepipe that early travellers stuck into the sand to mark the location of a well, which was often buried by drifting dunes. Today there is a hotel, a general store, a restaurant, a campground and fuel, which makes it a welcome stop after the long ride across the valley.
The dunes are the main attraction. They rise to about thirty metres and cover several square kilometres, and they are easy to reach from a parking area just east of the village. Walking out onto them at sunrise or sunset is one of the classic Death Valley experiences: the sand glows gold and pink, the ripples cast long shadows, and the only sounds are the wind and your own breathing. Kick off your boots and the sand is cool and soft at dawn, and painfully hot by late morning.
The ride from Furnace Creek to Stovepipe Wells is a long, open stretch across the valley floor, past salt flats, mesquite and creosote. The road is straight and fast, with few curves, and the views of the surrounding mountains are vast. Further west, Highway 190 climbs steeply up Towne Pass into the Panamint Range, with long, sweeping curves and gradients that test both rider and machine. In summer, overheating is a real risk on that climb, and there are radiator water tanks along the road for cars.
Mosaic Canyon, just south of Stovepipe Wells, is a short drive up a gravel road and a lovely walk through polished marble narrows. The rock is smooth and banded, polished by flash floods into swirling patterns.
Fuel is available at Stovepipe Wells, but it is expensive, and you should fill up whenever you can. The nearest town outside the park in this direction is Beatty, Nevada, about fifty kilometres northeast via Daylight Pass, a small town with fuel, food and motels. Near Beatty is Rhyolite, a ghost town from the gold rush of the early twentieth century, with ruined banks and a house made of bottles.