Death Valley North
Scotty's Castle, Stovepipe Wells Village, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Mosaic Canyon
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Duration
4-5 hours Distance 128 miles/ 207km from Furnace Creek to Panamint Springs 97.5 miles/157km all sights |
Maps and more details are listed under the Death Valley National Park’s webpage: http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/things2do.htm
The following sights are listed in an order assuming you are driving from Las Vegas to Death Valley. |
For the sake of completeness: Scotty’s Castle
Scotty’s Castle is another attraction in Death Valley since this villa is built in a Mission and Spanish Revival style not common for this area.
The story behind is that Walter Scott, a miner, convinced a Chicago millionaire to invest in his gold mine at Grapevine Canyon.
The millionaire named Albert Johnson and his wife were traveling quite often to the gold mine in winter and decided to build a vacation villa next to their investment. The main reason was the warmer climate that seemed to have an impact on Johnson’s health. He had some health issues that apparently improved during his visits to Grapevine Canyon.
Since the millionaire and his wife didn’t have any relatives the villa was given to a foundation after their death. In 1970 the National Park bought the villa from the Foundation and started offering tours through the villa and its grounds to visitors.
Walter Scott who somehow initiated the construction was living with his wealthy friends in the villa and is buried aside the villa that was nicknamed after him.
Scotty’s Castle is another attraction in Death Valley since this villa is built in a Mission and Spanish Revival style not common for this area.
The story behind is that Walter Scott, a miner, convinced a Chicago millionaire to invest in his gold mine at Grapevine Canyon.
The millionaire named Albert Johnson and his wife were traveling quite often to the gold mine in winter and decided to build a vacation villa next to their investment. The main reason was the warmer climate that seemed to have an impact on Johnson’s health. He had some health issues that apparently improved during his visits to Grapevine Canyon.
Since the millionaire and his wife didn’t have any relatives the villa was given to a foundation after their death. In 1970 the National Park bought the villa from the Foundation and started offering tours through the villa and its grounds to visitors.
Walter Scott who somehow initiated the construction was living with his wealthy friends in the villa and is buried aside the villa that was nicknamed after him.
1st stop: Stovepipe Wells Village
Stovepipe Wells originated as lodging camp during the road construction in 1906 connecting Rhyolite and Skidoo mine. Next to lodging it was offering food to travelers and workers. When an entrepreneur started a hotel business in 1925 the former camp changed to a tourist village in Death Valley.
Beside the hotel you will find a grocery store and gas station here. After checking the gas prices I doubt you are filling up here. I hope you were smart enough adding gas to your tank before entering Death Valley. Passing the village you will see beautiful dunes in the far, if you have some time and energy left you can hike them (a more detailed description follows below). Behind Stovepipe Wells you are slowly leaving Death Valley driving through the mountains towards Mt. Whitney and the Sierra Nevada.
2nd stop: Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Within an awesome 2-mile (3.2 km) roundtrip hike you are getting to the highest dune with a height of 100 ft (30m). You have to find your own way following marks, since there is no trail marked. The best time to hike the dunes is in the morning or afternoon if you want to take pictures. During that time the light is marvelous. The dunes are surrounded by mountains and were often used for Hollywood film scenes, including Star Wars. This hike is not recommended in summer!
3rd stop: Furnace Creek
Furnace Creek is an oasis located at today’s intersection of HWY 178 and 190. It is the home of the Death Valley Visitor Center, the Furnace Creek Resort and its golf course. Adding all this together you can imagine how busy this area is during high season. But don’t worry it’s still bearable.
Furnace Creek is an oasis located at today’s intersection of HWY 178 and 190. It is the home of the Death Valley Visitor Center, the Furnace Creek Resort and its golf course. Adding all this together you can imagine how busy this area is during high season. But don’t worry it’s still bearable.