Places

Scotty's Castle
Hidden in the green oasis of Grapevine Canyon in far northern Death Valley, the Death Valley Ranch, or Scotty's Castle as it is more commonly known, is a window into the life and times of the Roaring '20s and Depression '30s.

 

Inn at Death Valley
The historic Inn at Death Valley, was originally named Furnace Creek Inn and opened in 1927. It was built by the Pacific Coast Borax Company and played a pivotal role in the transformation of Death Valley from mining wasteland to treasured national park.

 

Harmony Borax Works
The Harmony Borax Works near Furnace Creek processed borax ore from about 1884 to 1888. Twenty Mule Team wagons hauled that ore to the railhead 165 miles away.

 

Keane Wonder Mine
Once the most productive and richest gold mine in Death Valley, the Keane Wonder Mine is temporarily closed to public access due to mine safety hazards.

 

Death Valley Ghost Towns
Scattered throughout Death Valley are the silent ruins of broken dreams.

 

Rhyolite Ghost Town
100 years ago, Rhyolite was the largest city in southern Nevada with more than 10,000 residents. Yet after only a decade, the town became a ghostly remnant of itself.

 

Wildrose Charcoal Kilns
These ten beehive-shaped structures are among the best preserved in the west. Built in 1877 to provide fuel to process silver/lead ore, they still smell of smoke today. The last 2 miles of gravel road to the kilns are passable to most vehicles. Located in upper Wildrose Canyon in the Panamint Mountains.

 

Barker Ranch
Barker Ranch was built by recreational ranchers who wanted to live in solitude and enjoy the simplicities of life. Bluth and Helen Thomason aquired the property in the 1930s in a location where they both wished to try their luck at mining. In 1940, a stone cabin was built that had a spring nearby for drinking water and electricity was generated by a windmill. After Jim and Arlene Barker purchased the ranch in 1955 they enlarged the house to have large family gatherings. The infamous Manson family occupied this ranch for a brief period of time from 1968 to 1969. Some of the family members burned an NPS tractor which caught the attention of law enforcement officials. After Barker Ranch was raided and the Manson family members were jailed for vandalism, it became apparant they were involved with horrific murders in Los Angeles. In May 2009, Barker Ranch was destroyed in an accidental fire.