Places of Interest - Western Death Valley

Sand Dunes      Stovepipe Wells Village      Aguereberry Camp & Point      Wildrose Charcoal Kilns

The western side of Death Valley includes the area from the Scotty's Castle turnoff road to the Park exit along the following routes: Wildrose road Hwy. 190 to (136) Lone Pine and Hwy. 395 Hwy. 190 to Olancha and Hwy. 395 Hwy. 178 to Trona and Ridgecrest and Hwys. 178, 14 or 395      In addition to the attractions listed in this section, there are beautiful vistas exiting the Park westerly via hwy. 190. Hwy. 190 is in excellent shape but signs advise that there are sharp curves and steep climbs along this route. The Emigrant Canyon and Wildrose roads are prohibited to vehicles longer than 25 feet. If you exit the park via the Wildrose canyon road you will encounter unpaved areas, and narrow winding roads along the way.      See Lodging, Shopping, Dining, Campgrounds and RV Parks and Other Services directory for amenities along these routes. Sand Dunes      Many people think that sand dunes comprise most of the scenery in Death Valley. Although there is far more to Death Valley than sand dunes, there are some pretty spectacular ones in the park. These dunes are easily accessible by auto and are located on hwy. 190 near the turnoff to Scotty's Castle. They are dramatic at either sunrise or sunset because of the shadows that softly engulf them. You can hike anywhere on the dunes but there is an exhibit and a trail leading out to them too. Here, the highest dune is around 100 feet tall. In the northern part of the park there are dunes that are about 700 feet tall accessible by travelling over 40 miles on an unpaved road.

Stovepipe Wells Village      When Bob Eichbaum envisioned a resort in Death Valley he could never have imagined that one day a million people a year would visit the park. Here at Stovepipe Wells Eichbaum's Bungalette City became the first major resort in Death Valley. Before he could build his resort, he had to build a road to it, which was called the Eichbaum Toll Road. At Stovepipe Wells Village you can see an exhibit of the road and the original resort that opened on November 1, 1926. In the spring of 1927 Eichbaum started another tradition in Death Valley--the Easter Sunrise Service at the sand dunes which brought people into Death Valley from all over California and was proclaimed, " the most unique and significant Easter Service that America has ever known".

Aguereberry Camp & Point      Pete Aguereberry was an unusual man among the prospectors in Death Valley. For one thing Pete, who was Basque, actually found gold and, rather than selling his claims to a mining company to develop, he worked them himself (in later years a nephew helped him) until his death in 1945. In 1906 he and Shorty Harris were travelling in the area together when Pete found a ledge that looked promising. When he showed it to Shorty, they both became excited. Pete filed claims on the north side of the hill while Shorty filed claims on the south side. They named the town that sprung up Harrisberry, after both of them. Later Shorty managed to change the name to Harrisburg. Long after the town died out and Shorty moved on, Pete stayed and worked in his Eureka mine, which today is open to the public during the spring and summer months. In the winter months the mine is the hibernating spot for the rare Townsend's Big-eared Bat and is gated to protect the population. Pete's cabin and a guest house he built in 1941 are still at the site. Around the corner from the mine is the ruin of the Cashier stamp mill. Further down the unpaved road is the view that Pete loved to show to visitors and was named after him by the AAA auto club. Aguereberry Point is a breathtaking panoramic view of Death Valley from almost 7,000 feet. The last section of the road to the Point is very steep, narrow and rugged.

Wildrose Charcoal Kilns      Located 63 miles from Furnace Creek and two miles on an unpaved section of road, the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns are an impressive example of the work that went into the mining operations of the area. They were constructed in the late 1800's to make charcoal which was needed for the smelting process for the Modoc and other mines in the Argus Range. These perfectly aligned beehive-shaped structures still smell of charcoal over 100 years after they were used! At this elevation you find pinyon pine trees which were (and are) an important food source for the Timbisha Shoshone people of Death Valley. The 8 mile round trip hiking trail to Wildrose Peak begins by the Charcoal Kilns. The 14 mile round trip Telescope Peak trail begins at Mahogany Flat campground which is a four wheel drive road that starts from the Charcoal Kilns area. Those without four wheel drive can park at the Kilns parking area for this hike.