Need roadside assistance in Death Valley? How about $2,000 a tow?

Death Valley, Calif., is a lonely place. The major settlement is the palm-studded Furnace Creek oasis, ground-zero for tourists and the headquarters of Death Valley National Park.

Few roads are paved. Most are dirt, and of those, some are barely passable. And so, we were reminded lately in the Moon Handbook "Palm Springs," it's always wise to ask rangers at the Visitor Center in Furnace Creek about road conditions before setting out on a back road adventure. The book's author Lix Hamill Scott writes:

"Particularly at the north end of the park, razor-sharp volcanic rock can scatter across roads, not just cutting but actually shredding all but the heaviest duty all-terrain tires. The road to the Racetrack is the worst: it's not unusual for Hummers to lose more than one tire and end up stranded more than a dozen miles from the nearest paved road or source of help. Add to that the fact that most cell phones receive no signal anywhere in Death Valley and you have a recipe for disaster."

Scott points out that there is only one towing company in Death Valley and that it "happily charges whatever they want to help you.

"If they've got a spare tire or two your size, the service might only cost you $800-$1,000. But if you need a tow back to civilization, expect to shell out upwards of $2,000 for the privilege."

Her advice: "Listen to the rangers if they tell you that a certain road is treacherous."

SOURCE: MOON SPOTLIGHT: Palm Springs Including Joshua Tree & Death Valley National Parks