Day trips

These are the stops between the ranch and the park. The drive itself, with the times we use, is on Places to stay near Death Valley.

Not affiliated, details change, check before you go.

Tecopa Hot Springs

Tecopa Hot Springs Resort describes private hot-spring tub rooms on the southeast edge of Death Valley. Day passes for soaking are listed at $20 a person. The season on the site runs from mid-October to the beginning of June. There is no Wi-Fi or cell service. Private tubs

China Ranch Date Farm

China Ranch is a family date farm near southern Death Valley, with a gift shop and a bakery. The site mentions date nut bread, muffins, and cookies, and says the Old Spanish Trail is within walking distance. It places the farm 85 miles west of Las Vegas, off Highway 127, on the way to the park. The phone is (760) 852-4415. China Ranch

Amargosa Opera House

Marta Becket’s Amargosa Opera House is in Death Valley Junction. Tours are listed daily at 9 am and 6 pm, $20 for adults and $10 for children, paid at the front desk. Opera house

Ash Meadows

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge describes itself as the last remaining oasis in the Mojave Desert, with Devils Hole, the Amargosa pupfish, and boardwalks. The visit page lists the visitor center Sunday through Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm. The Crystal Spring boardwalk is about 0.9 miles round trip, wheelchair accessible, behind the visitor center. The refuge homepage says the Point of Rocks boardwalk is closed from September 15, 2026, to November 15, 2026, and that Crystal Spring and Longstreet stay open during that work. Plan a visit Ash Meadows

Rhyolite

The Bureau of Land Management describes Rhyolite as a historic ghost town, known for the Cook Bank Building and for Nevada’s best preserved bottle house, built of glass bottles. It is day use only, with no camping, 4 miles west of Beatty on NV 374. Rhyolite

Goldwell Open Air Museum

The Goldwell Open Air Museum is near the ghost town of Rhyolite and the town of Beatty, about 5 miles west of Beatty off State Highway 374. A free self-guided tour brochure is available. Museum hours are listed as 24 hours, 7 days a week. The visitor center is listed Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm, and the site says those hours are approximate and that in summer the center usually closes by 2 pm. Plan your visit

The house is on The Lowdown. The photos are in the gallery.

Not affiliated, details change, check before you go.