Backpacking Death Valley – Touring Scotty’s Castle

Known for its strange, desolate, “other worldly” landscapes, Death Valley is one of the best places I have ever visited.  During my first trip to Las Vegas, I rented a vehicle and did a self-guided day trip of the region.  Although it was my fascination with the landscape that drew my initial interest, taking a tour of Scotty's Castle is the best kept secret of the Valley in my opinion.

Scotty's Castle

Death Valley Scotty

Walter Scott (aka Death Valley Scotty) was born in Cynthiana, Kentucky on September 20, 1872.  Originally a performer for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, Walter gained notoriety as a con artist in the early 20th century by bilking many unsuspecting wealthy financiers for many of his “mining endeavours,” including his most famous target, Albert Johnson.

Scotty's Castle - The Main Foyer

Albert Johnson

Albert Johnson was an Ohio-born businessman who eventually became President of the National Life Insurance Company.  In December 1899 while in Colorado on a business trip with his father in search of new mining prospects, Johnson’s train was involved in a severe accident when it was rear ended in the back by another train.  This resulted in not only the death of Johnson’s father, but Albert himself suffered from a catastrophic back injury that would impair his health for the rest of his life.

Scotty's Castle - The Main Kitchen

Scotty’s Castle

Around 1904, Walter Scott met Albert Johnson through an intermediary trying to get Johnson to invest $2,500 US into a gold mine that Scott apparently found in Death Valley, California.  After several trips through the next few years, it was apparent that Johnson had been duped by Scott in one of his notorious mining schemes of the early 20th Century.

One of several tapestries inside Scotty's Castle

Despite the deceit, Johnson befriended Scott and grew to love the Californian desert so much so that he purchased a ranch in 1915 and began constructing one of several buildings in Death Valley so he could vacation here in the winters with his wife, Bessie.  It was also around this time that Johnson began noticing some significant improvements to his overall health despite the horrible effects he suffered from that train wreck back in 1899.

Scotty's Castle - The Dining Room

Johnson began construction on what is known today as Scotty’s Castle around 1922 in order to appease Bessy as she no longer wanted to “rough it” on the ranch during these winter vacations.  At a cost of around $2.5 Million, this villa was accidentally constructed on government land due to a surveying error as Grapevine Canyon, the area where Johnson purchased his ranch back in 1915, was a couple miles further up the valley.

Scotty's Castle - Spiral staircase leading up to the Tower

Unfortunately, the Stock Crash of 1929 had made construction difficult to complete while the Johnsons tried to figure out a cost-effective way to rebuild the villa on their actual property.  As a result, the Johnson left the castle at its current location and the United States National Park Service eventually purchased Scotty’s Castle via a charity that the Johnsons left the rights of the villa to in their will as they had no heirs themselves.

Scotty's Castle

Scotty’s Castle Tour

Scotty’s Castle receives about 100,000 visitors annually making it one of the least visited attractions in any of the National Parks across the United States.  While I was there, I opted for the House Tour and the Underground Tour, which gave me about 2 ½ hours to explore many of the rooms of Scotty’s Castle and a brief hike up to where Death Valley Scotty’s grave lies.

Death Valley Scotty's Gravesite

The tour itself covers all the background history I just discussed about Death Valley Scotty, the Johnsons, and Scotty’s Castle.  Many of the rooms that you see still contain original artwork, decorations or furniture that the Johnson had used when they were alive.  Even the tour guides sometimes dress in period costume, as well!

Scotty's Castle - View from Death Valley Scotty's Gravesite

Although the two tours will cost you about $30 US, I strongly encourage you to take both of them so you can also get a better understand how truly difficult it is for people to survive in Death Valley without some of the technology we developed in the early 20th century.  There is also a 2 ½ hiking tour through Lower Vine Ranch where Death Valley Scotty actually lived.  However, that tour was not available at the time of my visit (October 2007).

Scotty's Castle

For tour information about Scotty’s Castle, check out the official website of National Parks Services.