Death Valley Run
Relive history at Scotty’s Castle and Rhyolite Enter Death Valley National Park along NV-267 north of Beatty on the first leg of this 247-mile trek. Descend into Grapevine Canyon to Death Valley Ranch. Better known as Scotty’s Castle, this unique stone edifice offers a fascinating glimpse into privileged desert life in the 1920s and 30s. Make reservations in advance for the two available tours. Led by docents in period dress and character, the first tour includes a walk through the house and gardens. The second tour provides access to the structure’s subterranean tunnels and reveals some of its remarkably advanced technological features. From Scotty’s Castle, Wildflowers in Death Valley
travel south through the park to Daylight Pass Road. Head northeast out of the valley to catch a
W I l d f l o w e r s a n d b a d wat e r B a si n c o u r t e s y N ati o n a l Pa r ks S e r vic e /Al a n Va n Va lk e n b u r g ; B ADWAT ER S I G N AND S C OT T Y ' S C A S T L E c o u r t e s y N ati o n a l Pa r ks S e r vic e / B o b G r e e n bU r g ; RY H O L I T E : Wikim e d i a c o mm o n s / Ta h o e n ath a n
photogenic sunset at Rhyolite ghost town before heading home. (US-Hwy 95 to NV-257 to Scotty’s Castle Road to Daylight Pass Road to US-Hwy 95)
Badwater Scotty's Castle
Whitney Portal
Highs, lows and wildflowers
The ruins of Rhyolite
Roll through some of the best wildflower viewing areas of the Eastern Mojave on this 285-mile route to the Sierra Nevada by way of Death Valley National Park. Even in late spring, you may still find blooming fields of purple mat and yellow pepperweed just south of Pahrump on the way to Shoshone. Inside the park, Ashford Junction is a likely place to see desert gold, purple sand verbena and, if you’re very lucky, some of the more fragile and fleeting spring flowers. Continuing north through Death Valley, look for yellow-crowned brittle bush on the sides of the road. From Badwater, at 262 feet below sea level the lowest spot in North America, traverse the valley floor, the Panamint Mountains and the Owens Valley before ascending to the trailhead at Whitney Portal. Enjoy the crisp air and lofty views at nearly 8,000 feet before winding down the steep road back to US Highway 395. (NV-160 to CA-178 to CA-190 to Whitney Portal Road)
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