A historic, dual-property resort in Furnace Creek featuring spring-fed pools, Spanish Mission architecture, and the world's lowest-elevation golf course.
The Oasis at Death Valley stands as a historic, privately owned resort complex located on an active desert spring in the heart of Death Valley National Park. Originally built by the Pacific Coast Borax Company, the property opened on February 1, 1927, as the Furnace Creek Inn, conceived by company president Richard C. Baker to generate passenger traffic for the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad. The resort is fueled by a subterranean aquifer that originates in the Amargosa Range, channeling thousands of gallons of warm, mineral-rich water to the surface daily. This reliable water source sustained the Indigenous Timbisha Shoshone for centuries before it became the foundation for a luxury retreat. Today, the property is owned and operated by the Xanterra Travel Collection, following a multi-million-dollar revitalization that modernized the historic lodgings while preserving their mid-century and Spanish Mission-style heritage.
The resort is divided into two distinct properties located about a mile apart: the upscale, AAA Four-Diamond Inn at Death Valley and the family-oriented Ranch at Death Valley. The Inn features 66 elegantly restored guest rooms in its main building, along with 22 private, one-bedroom casitas that were added during the recent renovation. Built from local stone on a low hillside, The Inn showcases classic Spanish Mission architecture with red-tile roofs, stone patios, and wood-beamed ceilings. Its centerpiece is a historic swimming pool, fed by natural hot springs that maintain a constant water temperature of approximately 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Surrounding the pool are private cabanas, a pool cafe, and the Tranquility Spa, which offers massage treatments in dedicated therapy rooms. Dining at The Inn centers around the Inn Dining Room, where regional flavors are served against a backdrop of the Panamint Mountains, alongside a refined cocktail lounge and stone verandas.
A mile away, The Ranch at Death Valley offers a more casual, activity-focused atmosphere with 275 guest rooms, including newly constructed cottages designed for families. The Ranch is centered around a Spanish-style town square that houses the Last Kind Words Saloon, a themed restaurant decorated with Western memorabilia, historic firearms, and taxidermy. Guests at The Ranch also have access to a spring-fed swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, a playground, and an ice cream parlor. Directly adjacent is the Furnace Creek Golf Course, an 18-hole, par-70 course that holds the distinction of being the lowest elevation golf course in the world at 214 feet below sea level. The Ranch also preserves the region's industrial past at the Borax Museum, which displays vintage mining equipment, stagecoaches, and a steam locomotive used during the valley's late 19th-century mining boom.
To experience the resort's historic luxury, book one of the private stone casitas at The Inn, which come with a complimentary personal golf cart to navigate the lush palm gardens.
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