A flash flood in 2015 washed away the road to Scotty’s Castle. It’s closed until 2020, according to the National Park Service. You can get your current status on the Death Valley National Park website.
It will take a long time because the damage was extensive. In just two days at the end of 2015, Scotty’s Castle received four inches of rain. That’s four times what you usually get in a year. The castle itself was not seriously damaged, but the visitor center did. Not only is it necessary to remove mud and debris, but it is also necessary to repair electrical, water and sewer systems, as well as the nearby road. It can cost up to $ 20 million to fix everything, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
In the meantime, if you’d like to see this landmark, you can take a Scotty’s Castle Flood Recovery Tour through the Death Valley Natural History Association. Tours depart from the Grapevine Ranger Station and guests travel to the home in groups.
If you go to Death Valley, there is still a lot to see. Use this guide to plan your perfect trip.
The strange story of Scotty’s castle
It’s not really a castle, just a big house with a tower, and Scotty never had it. Its formal name is Death Valley Ranch, but everyone calls it Scotty’s Castle. This large house in the California desert has an interesting and colorful history, all related to the man for whom it is named, a California character named Death Valley Scotty.
Walter Scott was born, but when he came to Death Valley, he had been a rodeo cowboy and a Wild West entertainer. He claimed to own a gold mine in Death Valley. Albert Johnson, president of the National Life Insurance Company of Chicago, invested in the mine but was suspicious of Scotty’s intentions. He headed west to California for a visit, and instead of having a confrontation with the scammer, he began a lifelong friendship with an unlikely person.
Johnson’s health improved in California’s desert climate, and he built a vacation home here. Johnson visited it occasionally, but Scotty was the one who settled in the house, claiming that he built it with his profits from the gold mine and calling it Scotty’s Castle. Read more of his story here.
Visiting Scotty’s Castle
When it reopens, you can visit Scotty’s Castle and take a tour. Until then, the trail is also closed, so you can’t even go outside to look around. I suggest you take it seriously. The Review-Journal reports that the violation is punishable by a fine of up to $ 5,000 or six months in jail, according to a sign posted inside the park.
Tour points are sold on a first-come, first-served basis and lines can be long, so go early. There is an admission fee, but children under the age of 5 are admitted free. It is on the north side of Death Valley. Allow one to three hours to see it, depending on whether you take both tours
We like Scotty’s Castle for its quirk in the desert. In addition to the home, Death Valley Ranch also includes an electricity-generating power plant, a solar water heater (built in 1929), a steeple, stables, guesthouses, and a kitchen. Some can only be seen from the outside. To enter, join a ranger-led tour. They go into the house, underground or even on a hike to Scotty’s royal house (winter-spring only).
If you have free time while waiting for a tour, it is only a quarter mile walk to Scotty’s Grave and you can also check out the exhibits inside the visitor center. Near the parking lot is the only shaded picnic area in all of Death Valley.
You can buy dry snacks and water at Scotty’s Castle, but that’s about it. They had a gas station years ago, but now it is closed.
More castles you can visit in California
Get to Scotty’s castle
Scotty’s Castle
Death Valley National Park
California
Scotty’s Castle website
Scotty’s Castle and Museum is located on Scotty’s Castle Road at the northern end of Death Valley, 53 miles from Furnace Creek. Take CA Hwy 190 North to Hwy 267 and turn right. Scotty’s Castle will be on the left.
