4 Best Hotels in Death Valley National Park, California
It's difficult to find lodging anywhere in Death Valley that doesn't have breathtaking views of the park and surrounding mountains. Most accommodations, aside from the Inn at Furnace Creek, are homey and rustic. Rooms fill up quickly during the fall and spring seasons, and reservations are required about three months in advance for the prime weekends.
Outside the park, head to Beatty or Amargosa Valley in Nevada for a bit of nightlife and casino action. The western side of Death Valley, along the eastern Sierra Nevada, is a gorgeous setting, though it's quite a distance from Furnace Creek. Here, you can stay in the historic Dow Villa Motel, where John Wayne spent many a night, or head farther south to the ghost towns of Randsburg or Cerro Gordo for a true Wild West experience.
Panamint Springs Resort
Ten miles inside the park's west entrance, overlooking Panamint Valley's sand dunes and unusual geological formations, this rustic, mom-and-pop-style resort has a wraparound porch, as well as a restaurant and bar, a gas station, and a general store. One room has a king-size bed, and several rooms and cabins accommodate up to six people. Tent cabins and tent and RV (six with hookups) sites are also available.
The Ranch at the Oasis at Death Valley
Originally the crew headquarters for the Pacific Coast Borax Company, this ranch-turned-resort is more like a town, with two restaurants, an ice-cream parlor, general store, saloon, golf course, riding stables, and comfortable rooms that are great for families. The newest additions are 80 cottages with private laundry facilities, a lounge, patio, and rooms with either one king or two queen beds. More affordable rooms are in the original four buildings that overlook green lawns and the surrounding mountains. The property also has an RV campground with 25 nonhookup sites, as well as tent sites. The spring-fed pool here is popular, but the multisport complex also offers basketball, tennis, volleyball, a playground, and a small driving range.
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Stovepipe Wells Village Hotel
If you prefer quiet nights and an unfettered view of the starry sky and nearby Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and Mosaic Canyon, this property is for you. Rooms are simple yet comfortable and provide wide-open desert vistas. On-site amenities include a refreshing pool, and the Toll Road Restaurant and Badwater Saloon, which serve American breakfast, lunch, and dinner favorites, from omelets and sandwiches to burgers and steaks. RV campsites with full hookups ($40) are available by reservation.
