Scotty's Castle in Death Valley California

Scotty's Castle, Death Valley California

This is a place that makes you scratch your head. How and why did someone build all this, starting in the early 20s through the last work in the early 30s when the Great Depression contributed to the end of construction. Back then this area was more than just remote. Construction equipment and transportation were both primitive, making this a real accomplishment. The story behind the how and why is fascinating, especially if you have much interest in the "Old West".

It's named for Death Valley Scotty, who's real name was Walter Scott. This was NOT his castle and he didn't build it but most likely if not for him the place would not exist today. Scotty was a hustler who convinced a rich business man named Albert Johnson from back east to invest in his gold mine in Death Valley. That gold mine never materialized but over time the two became unlikely friends and eventually the Johnsons decided to build the castle as their summer vacation home out west. This page isn't intended as a history lesson so I'll leave it to you to do as much homework on Scotty and the Johnsons as you want. Suffice it to say, Scotty pretended the place was his to the hundreds of curious, and some very famous, visitors. The Johnsons were content to allow this behavior, allowing them some measure of anonymity and escape. Scotty was their in house entertainer.

The Johnsons both died in the 1940s and are buried back east. Scotty, even though it wasn't actually his home, is buried on a hill overlooking the castle grounds with his beloved dog Windy beside him.

Finding the place is easy. From US 95 in Nevada you turn at Scotty's Junction (surprise, surprise) onto Hwy 267 which eventually turns into Scotty's Castle Road. This is one of the main routes into Death Valley NP and you'll drive right by the castle. From the south it's just as easy. Hwy 190 runs right in to Scotty's Castle Road and in a few miles you're there.

You can spend as much time as you like roaming the exterior grounds at no cost. The property is gated with a daily closing time of 6 PM winter and 5:30 PM summer. Parking, even for RVs, is usually no problem. They actually have an RV area on the right as you enter the gate. There's a nice little park like area that's somewhat shaded, with grass and a limited number of picnic tables. Restroom facilities are clean but not overly plentiful. If you arrive at a busy time, especially with a tour bus or two on the grounds, there can be a waiting line. You shouldn't have any trouble finding a place to get off your feet and rest, but in the summer it will be HOT with not much shaded seating.

The NPS has a small gift shop on site with VERY limited food and drink available. It's smart to bring your own. They do have a small "cafeteria" which is really just a room with some tables and chairs, where you can get out of the sun to eat. There was a truck delivering pre-packaged sandwiches all the way from Mukilteo, Washington! (1068 miles and 18 hours driving time). YUMMY!!!

The Park Service offers a tour of the house, an underground tour and an off site tour for Scotty's residence. Remember, he didn't actually live here. We've included an assortment of pictures from the interior house tour and some from the underground. Unfortunately we ran out of time and were unable to make the Lower Vine (Scotty's residence) tour. That one is several miles away and only happens a few time per week by appointment.

Tours are available year round but and you can call 1-877-444-6777 for advance tickets. You shouldn't have any trouble getting one of the regular tours. The day we were there the house tours were scheduled about every 15 minutes. We only waited about 40 minutes for ours to start. The tour schedule varies depending on the season but arriving early in the day will just about guarantee you'll get in. If you want to do both tours the same day early arrival is even more important. There's more to the underground tour than you might imagine so don't short change yourself by skipping this one.

Adult prices are currently $15 per tour or $7.50 for an Interagency Senior or Access Pass holder. There's also a discount available for doing both tours the same day. The Lower Vine Ranch adult tour price is currently $20, with the Interagency pass prices at $10. Kids 6-15 pay half the regular adult price and under 6 is free.

Tour guides are dressed in period style civilian clothing so it's a little more personal than a uniformed park ranger. You'll have a different guide for both tours. Ours were both very well informed and friendly.

You can't buy fuel or spend the night at Scotty's Castle these days so make sure you fuel up and have a place to stay arranged before arriving in the park. The closest fuel in the park is at Stovepipe Wells 45 miles away. There's also a motel, RV park and store in Stovepipe Wells but you probably won't have any luck finding a room or RV spot without reservations well in advance.

Now that you have a "little" taste of this extraordinary place make a date to see it for yourself.

All the pictures below are clickable for a much larger view and even the larger images can be zoomed in and out. If you have pictures you'd like to see included they can be emailed to us here: Comments