Places of Interest - Central Death Valley

Furnace Creek Ranch & Inn     Borax Museum      Visitor Center      Harmony Borax Works     Salt Creek

Hwy 190 runs east to west through the heart of Death Valley. The places listed in the central section are those from the intersection of hwy. 178 (Badwater road) to the intersection of the road going to Scotty's Castle. Included in this area are two major resorts and the main Park Visitor Center plus two museums and a number of attractions.      See Shopping, Lodging, Dining, Camping and RV Parks and Other Services directory for amenities available Furnace Creek Ranch & Inn      Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch Built by the Pacific Coast Borax Company in 1927, the Furnace Creek Inn is the luxury accommodation in the Park. From the moment you enter the lobby you are surrounded by an atmosphere of history that has been a retreat from a hurried world for over 70 years. Furnace Creek Ranch was a working ranch in the late 1800's and alfalfa for the 20 mule teams grew where the golf course is now. The historic date grove was planted in the 1920's as an experiment, which proved successful. Today this is the hub of Death Valley with the Death Valley post office, the borax museum and numerous amenities available.

Borax Museum      F.M. "Borax" Smith constructed this building in 1885. It was used as an office, bunkhouse, laboratory and ore checking station and was brought to the Ranch from 20 Mule Team Canyon in 1954. The equipment surrounding the building was used during the mining and farming periods of Death Valley and the Furnace Creek Ranch, which was called the Greenland Ranch until 1933. Not far from here the hottest recorded Death Valley temperature of 134 degrees was recorded in July, 1913 by Oscar Denton, the caretaker for the Greenland Ranch. Two of the most interesting exhibits in the yard around the museum are the Baldwin locomotive used to haul ore from Ryan to the Tonopah and Tidewater railroad at Death Valley Junction and a 20 mule team barn which was moved here from Mojave.

Visitor Center      At an elevation of 190 feet below sea level, the Furnace Creek Visitor Center was dedicated on November 12, 1960 and serves as the Park headquarters, museum and main entrance station. Here visitors can see a 12-minute orientation to Death Valley, attend a ranger program during the winterseason and learn about the natural and cultural history of Death Valley. Rangers can give you up to the minute reports on roads, hikes and attractions to see during your visit.

Harmony Borax Works      When Aaron and Rosie Winters filed claims on the borax deposits near Harmony in 1881, borax was so precious it was called " white gold". It was used in pottery glazes for china and porcelain enamel, as a flux and deoxidizer in welding, soldering, brazing, smelting and refining metals, as a mild antiseptic, soap and laundry aid, as a food preservative-- to name a few of its uses. Once William T. Coleman bought the claims and started up his mining operation in 1882, he faced numerous problems. J.W. S. Perry designed the transportation system of 20 mule teams to haul the borax along the rugged 165 mile journey. Getting a road through the valley floor in the terrain near the Devils Golf Course was achieved by sending the Chinese laborers with sledgehammers to beat a path for the 20 mule team wagons. The workers mined the borax by raking it from the valley floor and from there it was brought to the processing plant where it was melted down and hardened again before being hauled out. From 1883-1888 the famous mule teams hauled borax out of Death Valley. At Harmony Borax works one can see the old processing plant and a 20 mule team wagon. A paved path takes you around the exhibits from the parking area where you can imagine what the lives of the workers would have been like.

Salt Creek      In the spring months, visitors to Salt Creek can stroll along a one-mile wheelchair- accessible boardwalk to view one of the species of pupfish in Death Valley. These little fish were fresh water fish during the time that Lake Manly existed but as the lake dried up they were stranded in different streams and creeks where they adapted to salt water conditions. Salt Creek is the most attainable location for viewing pupfish in Death Valley. In the summer it's the best example of the evaporation rate in Death Valley as its flow will completely dry out during the hottest months.