DEATH VALLEY
Covering more than three million acres, and visited by more than a million people annually, Death Valley National Park's Nevada entrance is just minutes from Beatty and close to Pahrump.
While
a vast majority of the park is in California, Nevada lays claim to a triangular
area of this endlessly fascinating expanse of desert, which was designated
a national monument in 1933, and a National Park in 1994. Death Valley is
the original home of the now-famous twenty-mule teams and has one of the largest
borax deposits found in the world.
Death
Valley offers surprising mountain vistas surrounding salt-pan desertscapes,
colorful wildflowers in the spring, an array of fascinating desert creatures,
unique geology and fabulous hiking opportunities. The man-made attractions
include accommodations from camping to luxurious, casual to fine dining, an
18-hole oasis golf course, horseback riding, and many sightseeing opportunities.
Scotty's
Castle, built in the early 1920s for close to $3 million by wealthy
midwesterner Albert M. Johnson, offers tours daily. Originally called the
Death Valley Ranch, it became "Scotty's Castle" in honor of miner
Walter E. Scott, who had suggested the location to lifelong friend Johnson
and was a frequent guest at the castle. Following Johnson's death in 1948,
Scott was allowed to stay in the impressive structure until his own death
in 1954. The castle became a part of the Death Valley National Monument in
1970.