Atomic Inn - The gateway to Death Valley

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

We will be happy to plan your Death Valley Adventure at our front desk, or you can also look at our online Death Valley trip planning page.

Death Valley National Park is the largest National Park in the lower 48 States at 3.2 million acres. There are so many astonishing and unusual natural wonders to see that it would take months to really explore all the unique features of Death Valley. To learn more check out the National Park Service Death Valley website or you can go to see some points of interest to plan for here.

Titus Canyon Tour

Tours of Titus Canyon are available from the Atomic Inn. Guided 4x4 tours are available at the front desk - minimum two people per tour. The absolute most dramatic entrance into Death Valley National Park. Travel over twenty miles through steep canyon walls with only inches to spare on both sides through over 500 million years of earths geological history and exit out onto the Death Valley floor. All via a comfortable Landcruiser 4x4.

The tour takes approx. 3-4 hours with stops at Rhyolite Ghost Town Ruins, Goldwell Open Air Museum, and Leadville Ghost Town. See a short video. Call (775) 553-2250 for more tour information.

Wildflowers of the Mojave Desert

Spectacular Desert Wildflower and Cactus Flower displays abound in this area of the Mojave Desert. The wildflowers are in bloom from late February through April. Heavier winter rains bring heavier blooms. The year 2005 was a superior display, Spring 2008 and 2009 were good displays as well. See a video from the 2009 wildflower season here.

Goldwell Open Air Museum

You'll encounter a life-size, ghostly interpretation of the Last Supper painting by Leonardo Da Vinci; a 25-foot high pink woman made of cinder blocks; a 24-foot high steel prospector accompanied by a penguin; a blossoming tangle of gleaming chrome car parts; and an exquisitely carved winged woman reaching for the sun from high atop a wooden pillar by the original Belgian artists, as well as new pieces by contemporary American artists. Check out the Goldwell Museum website and check out these three Goldwell artist links...www.juneunderwood.com, www.davidlancaster.net and www.samdavisart.com.

Nevada Atomic Testing Site

Wow - this is a real photo of a nuclear test which involved firing a nuclear tipped 12" shell from a cannon in the 50's (the cannon was nicknamed Atomic Annie). You can actually see Atomic Annie (one of three made) across from the main entrance to Fort Riley Kansas (between Manhattan and Abilene) upon a hillside. You can climb on it!! Well Kansas is a long way from the Nevada Test Site however. All nuclear weapons tests were discontinued during the early 1990's. You can't gain entry but you can see Mercury, Nevada - Test Site headquarters when you are driving between Las Vegas and Beatty. It’s a pretty large military emplacement.

Make a day trip to see the Smithsonian Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas. This is the only Smithsonian Museum outside of the East Coast. It is rated as one of the Las Vegas areas Best Attractions - that is saying a lot in a city that is full of world class attractions. Go to their website.

Area 51

Area 51 requires no introduction; however, if you want to learn more go here.

Additionally, you can check out Area 51 tour options at the following two links...www.aliensonearth.com and www.vegastours.com

Scotty's Castle

Hidden in the green oasis of Grapevine Canyon in far northern Death Valley, the Death Valley Ranch, or Scotty's Castle as it is more commonly known, is a window into the life and times of the Roaring 20's and Depression 30's. It was and is an engineer's dream home, a wealthy matron's vacation home and a man-of-mystery's hideout and getaway. Walter Scott, Death Valley Scotty, convinced everyone that he had built the castle with money from his rich secret mines in the area. Albert Mussey Johnson actually built the house as a vacation getaway for himself and his wife Bessie. Scotty was the mystery, the cowboy, and the entertainer, but he was also a friend. Albert was the brains and the money. Two men as different as night and day, from different worlds and with different visions - who shared a dream.

Scotty's Castle the fantasy house and Scotty's Castle the story are available every day. Take a living history tour and step back into 1939.

Don't forget to check out our Death Valley Vacations page.