Death Valley Scenic Byway
Death Valley History Tour
| Departure: | Death Valley National Park, California |
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| Destination: | Stovepipe Wells Village, California |
| Time to allow: | 2 days |
Death Valley National Park is known for its intense heat and for containing the lowest elevation point in North America. Come learn the lesser-known history of the park as you explore a castle that’s rumored to be built by gold from a secret mine. You’ll also learn about how borax and gold prospects faded into ghost towns and movie sets.
Day 1
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Start: Death Valley National Park
Begin your journey along CA-190 on the east side of Death Valley National Park, named by a group of pioneers who got lost in the valley in 1849.
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Stop 2: Furnace Creek Visitor Center and Museum
Directions from previous place: Drive northwest on CA-190 toward Furnace Creek Road. Turn left on Airport Road, then take a slight right into the Visitor Center parking lot.
Distance from Previous Site: 13.8 miles / 22.1 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 22 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 45 minutes Stop by the visitor’s center, pick up a visitor guide, and orient yourself to the park. Browse the museum and discuss your plans with a ranger.
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Stop 3: Furnace Creek
Directions from previous place: Exit the parking lot and get back onto Airport Road heading east. Turn right onto CA-178/CA-190 and drive south until you reach the Furnace Creek Ranch entrance.
Distance from Previous Site: 0.6 miles / 1.0 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 1 minute Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour While you’re in Furnace Creek, take time to explore the interpretive trails and museums. Don’t miss the Borax Museum, which will give you a background of the mining history of the area and prepare you for upcoming stops.
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Stop 4: Harmony Borax Works Interpretive Trail
Directions from previous place: Take CA-178/CA-190 north and turn left at Mill Road.
Distance from Previous Site: 1.9 miles / 3.0 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 3 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 40 minutes This route travels around the ruins of a borax processing plant, home to the original 20-mule team wagons, and was active in the late 1800s. Walk the short half-mile loop and learn from the interpretive signs along the trail.
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Stop 5: Rhyolite Ghost Town
Directions from previous place: At the end of Mill Road, turn left onto CA-178/CA-190. Take a right at the Daylight Pass Cutoff, then a slight right at Daylight Pass Road. Continue on NV-374 out of the park, taking a left in 8.8 miles. Take a slight right to the ghost town of Rhyolite.
Distance from Previous Site: 37 miles / 59.2 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 1 hour 7 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour The town of Rhyolite appeared after gold was found in the area, eventually spawning hotels, stores, a school, an ice plant, electric plants, foundries, machine shops, and a miner’s union hospital. Few of these buildings are still standing, including some walls of a three-story bank, part of the jail, the train depot (privately owned), and the Bottle House, which was restored in 1925 by Paramount pictures, then re-restored in 2005 with historic preservation funds. The ghost town of Rhyolite is on a mixture of federal and private land and is not within the Death Valley National Park boundaries.
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Overnight Point: Furnace Creek
Directions from previous place: Drive south, and turn right onto NV-374. After re-entering Death Valley National Park, continue on Daylight Pass Road, taking a left onto Daylight Pass Cutoff/Beatty Road. Merge onto CA-178/CA-190 south until you reach Furnace Creek Ranch.
Distance from Previous Site: 39 miles / 62.4 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 1 hour 9 minutes Fill your vehicle up with gas, stock up on water for tomorrow, and enjoy a calm, restful night in the cool desert air.
Total Distance Traveled in Day 1: 92.3 miles / 147.7 km
Day 2
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Stop 1: Scotty's Castle
Directions from previous place: Drive northwest on CA-178/CA-190 for about 18 miles, then turn right onto N Highway. Scotty’s Castle will be on the left in a little over 36 miles.
Distance from Previous Site: 54.8 miles / 87.7 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 1 hour 25 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 2 hours Learn about quirky prospector Death Valley Scotty, who made misleading claims that the castle was built from a gold mine nearby. Take a tour of the building for a glimpse into the 1920s and 1930s. Note: If you plan on visiting Scotty's Castle, plan ahead. The tours are limited to a certain number of people per day, and tickets are sold on a first come, first serve basis.
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Stop 2: The Wildrose Charcoal Kilns
Directions from previous place: Get back onto N highway heading south. Turn right at CA-178/CA-190 for 16.4 miles. Take a left onto CA-178/Wildrose Road for about 21 miles, then continue on Mahogany Flat Road to the kilns. Note: This is a narrow and windy road. There are length restrictions- vehicles over 25 ft. are not allowed. Drive slowly and enjoy the views.
Distance from Previous Site: 80.8 miles / 129.3 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 2 hours 20 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 40 minutes Considered to be the best surviving examples of this particular type of kiln, each of the 10 kilns stands 25 feet tall and has an approximate circumference of 30 feet. The last two miles of road to the kilns are gravel, and are passable by most vehicles.
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End: Stovepipe Wells Village
Directions from previous place: Return to CA-178/CA-190 via Mahogany Flat Road and CA-178/Wildrose Road. Drive east until you reach Stovepipe Wells Village.
Distance from Previous Site: 37.2 miles / 59.5 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 1 hour 13 minutes Spend some time in Stovepipe Wells Village, where you can spend the night at a resort and enjoy a dip in the swimming pool; or, you can pitch a tent or hook up your RV at a nearby campground.
