Ranch House Inn

We were told the hot springs smelled like burnt sulfur, which is a very uncomfortable smell to be around for a length of time. I found that not to be true in the least, or should I say we never ventured any farther to any other hot springs after staying here. What a wonderful first time experience and time we had in their little cabin homes. I wanted to live there forever. You're not bothered by anyone, including the owners, no matter what time of day or night you arrive or depart. They work with you, and you have a wonderful time and experience with their delightful hot springs.

I understand that, unfortunately, the hot springs is under PRIVATE rule now, it's co-ed, and clothing is mandatory 24 hours!!! I'm grieving!

I stayed in this hostel in July 2003. I stopped there between Los Angeles and Death Valley. The owner was VERY friendly (I got lost and arrived there quite late and she waited for me). The hostel in itself was very clean and cozy. At that time it was very quiet, too (only one couple and me).

Well, you'll have to pay for the hot-spring use now!! NEW OWNERS!!

This is an amazing place that I highly recommend if you are going by the area. The hostel is a little far from the center of Death Valley, but that's exactly why it is so amazing! You feel as if you are in the middle of nowhere. The quiet, the Tecopa Hot Springs (open 24 hours!!), and the stargazing on the tower (where we ended up falling asleep) was truly an amazing experience. I also recommend Zabriskie Point at sunset...and probably at sunrise, too, although I didn't make it that early! This place made me respect the desert. Thanks for the hospitality.

I have been to this hostel twice, and I'm returning there again next week. The owner/manager is a wonderful, friendly woman who has given me many travel tips in the area. I love the silence of the surrounding area, the low price to stay at the hostel, and the coziness of it all.

An amazing and beautiful place. Great people and a great place to stay if you're going to see death valley. Perfection in the middle of nowhere!!

I stayed in this hostel in 1997, then again in 2000. The stillness and beauty of the area is amazing, the hostel is comfortable and I would love to return some day soon. Tacopa and the whole area get under the skin. Once experienced, never forgotten. Highly recommended.

Ever since my first accidental first visit to the hostel I have been returning over and over again. Partly because I was so relieved to actually find an affordable and easy going welcoming place where I could swap travel stories with other hostel connoisseurs, and partly because where else in the middle of nowhere does one encounter genuine hospitality and a sense of adventure right here in the states? Perhaps it's the hostel owner's world-travelled manner that rubs off on you and you feel you are right away amidst other travelers of the extreme, as opposed to other tourists. One more thing that really seduced me to the place was the night I spent sharing a room with bunk beds with one other traveler listening to the ultra wild desert winds dance spirals around the roof while the wole trailer swayed side to side ever so gently. A night of stargazing from the tower must be experienced!