Death Valley National Park - Scotty's Castle

Scotty's Castle, or more formally Death Valley Ranch, is located in Grapevine Canyon about 53 miles north of Furnace Creek. In 1904, Walter Scott, also known as Death Valley Scotty, conned Chicago millionaire Albert M Johnson into investing $2500 into a fictional gold mine in Death Valley. Even though he had been swindled, Johnson and Scott became friends. Johnson found the winter weather was good for his health, so he purchased a ranch in Grapevine Canyon in 1915. He started construction on the house in 1922 for his wife, Bessie. Construction is estimated to have cost between $1.5 and $2.5 million. In 1927, he bought adjacent property to expand his ranch to 1500 acres. The park service acquired the house in 1970.

Two different tours of the house are conducted by the park service. Tickets for the living-history tour of the main house are conducted by rangers dressed in period costumes and cost $15 per person. The Underground Tour is only offered during the winter season. This tour goes into the tunnels underneath the Castle to look at the historic and modern technology used to operate the house in such a remote location. The Underground Tour lasts about an hour and is not wheelchair accessible. This tour also costs $15. We chose not to take either tour on our February 2015 visit.

A small visitor center is open daily during the winter and weekends during the summer. Tour tickets can be bought and park entrance fees can be paid at the visitor center. The center also houses an information desk, museum exhibits, and a small bookstore and snack shop. Restrooms with running water are located in an adjacent building

This coyote beside the road was waiting for a handout according to rangers

Visitor Center

1914 Packard in the visitor center museum

Bookstore and exhibits in the visitor center

Main entrance to Scotty's Castle

View of the castle from the swimming pool

Part of the never-completed swimming pool

Castle from the swimming pool

Clock tower

One of the outbuildings on the ranch

Two more of the outbuildings on the ranch

800' high hill behind the ranch (peak is just over 3800' elev.)

An entrance fee of $20 admits all the passengers of a single vehicle for seven days. Other options include an annual Death Valley National Park Pass for $40, an Interagency Annual Pass providing access to most national park, national forest and BLM fee areas for $80 and a lifetime Interagency Senior Pass for those age 62 and older for $10.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm.