The National Park Service kicks off limited guided exterior tours of Scotty’s Castle on October 10, ending an 11-year hiatus that began when a catastrophic flash flood buried the historic estate in mud and rock. These Saturday and Sunday walks, led by rangers and guides from the Death Valley Natural History Association, offer the first public access to the grounds since the site closed in October 2015.
The scale of the original disaster was staggering. On October 18, 2015, the region received 2.75 inches of rain in just five hours—roughly equal to a typical year’s total precipitation. The resulting flood, flowing at an estimated 3,200 cubic feet per second through Grapevine Canyon, destroyed much of the eight-mile Bonnie Clare Road, washed away more than 20 power poles, and piled debris several feet deep against the buildings.
Recovery has been a slog. The total repair bill sits at approximately $71 million, a figure inflated by funding delays, the pandemic, and a destructive fire in April 2021 that gutted the historic Garage while it was 60% restored. Yet the resilience of the new infrastructure proved itself in 2023, when flood controls successfully protected the district during the remnants of Hurricane Hilary.
Despite the name, the Spanish Revival estate was not built by Walter “Scotty” Scott but by Chicago businessman Albert Johnson in the 1920s as a winter retreat. While the castle interior remains off-limits, the exterior tours allow visitors to witness the ongoing preservation work and the unique desert architecture that made the site iconic.
Full reopening is not imminent. The NPS targets November 2028 as the earliest date for regular interior visits, contingent on completing repairs to the parking lot, Longshed, and Gas Tank House, as well as returning historic furnishings to the castle. Until then, the limited tours provide a rare glimpse into one of Death Valley’s most elusive landmarks.