TecopaCabana: Year in Review 2025
Dear TecopaCabana readers, As we close out our first year of reporting, I keep coming back to the same thought: in a place as small and far-flung as the Amargosa Basin, the stories that matter most are rarely the ones that travel far. They are the ones that change how we understand our own roads,…
Food Commodity Distributions to Resume in Southeast Inyo After Federal Cuts
Food commodity distributions will resume in Southeast Inyo County on Jan. 15, restoring a critical source of supplemental groceries for residents in Shoshone, Tecopa, and Charleston View after federal funding cutbacks forced Inyo-Mono Community Advocates for Community Action (IMACA) to suspend deliveries to some of the county’s most remote communities. For Tecopa residents—and for neighbors in Shoshone and…
What Six Years of Cannabis Tax Data Tell Us About Inyo County’s Legal Market
For all the mystique that still clings to California’s cannabis economy, the financial reality inside Inyo County’s ledgers is far more modest — steady, predictable, and revealing in the spaces where the numbers fall silent. Newly reviewed county financials, spanning six fiscal years in the county’s six-year actuals comparison, trace a trajectory that mirrors the…
Fire Protection District Presses for Millions in Safety Funding as Solar Project Nears Approval
In Southern Inyo County, California, even the most basic lifeline of emergency response has begun to fray. For months, the district’s radios—its only reliable way to summon volunteer firefighters and EMT across 1,200 square miles—have been effectively dead. At the Nov. 20 board meeting of the Southern Inyo Fire Protection District (SIFPD), Fire Chief Bill…
Heard Around Town: Seasonal Traditions
Free holiday dinner doubles as fundraiser as SIFPD brings Amargosa Basin communities together in ShoshoneA winter evening at the Flower Building in Shoshone became something more than a seasonal gathering on Dec. 17, as the Southern Inyo Fire Protection District (SIFPD) hosted a free community holiday dinner and party that blended celebration with a practical…
Heard Around Town: Make it Rain
After a big weekend of music, art, and community at Tecopa Takeover — plus a successful SIFPD fundraiser that brought in $5,500 — the desert wasted no time shifting gears. The celebrations faded straight into four days of miserable weather: cold winds, low clouds, and a storm that dropped nearly two inches of rain across the Amargosa Basin. Last weekend made…
Heard Around Town: Desert Mornings and Mountain Snow
Autumn has arrived in the Amargosa Basin, bringing crisp mornings, clear skies, and — for the first time this season — snow on Telescope Peak. On October 14, residents spotted a fresh white cap dusting the summit of the Panamint Range, a sure sign that winter is edging closer to Death Valley.Down in Tecopa, the…
Heard Around Town: Rain, Renewal, and Resilience
It’s been a dramatic start to October in Tecopa, where the desert sky has delivered both a rare soaking and an early taste of winter.On October 9, residents watched dark clouds gather over the Amargosa Basin, bringing a flash flood warning and more than half an inch of rain — the third-largest rainfall in five…
Heard Around Town: Desert Winds and Civic Sparks
Autumn is settling into the desert, and with it comes a sense of motion — the wind picking up, the air sharpening, and the land itself waking after months of heat and stillness. Across Inyo County, that shift is visible everywhere: in the renewed rhythm of community meetings, conservation projects, and events, and in the…
Heard Around Town: Waiting on the Record
Inyo County has confirmed that it is still in the process of negotiating the concessionaire contract with the selected respondent for the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools. As a result, officials say, TecopaCabana’s public records request related to the submitted applications remains on hold. “This PRA will be resumed once negotiations are complete,” the…
Sagebrush Sally: Calling a Truce
Dear Sagebrush Sally, After the last couple of years in Tecopa, I feel like I’m living in the aftermath of several small wars. There’ve been public feuds, private fallouts, social media blowups, and more than a few friendships that quietly died without anyone naming why. I’m not innocent in all this—I’ve picked sides, spoken sharply,…
Sagebrush Sally: Talk Like You’ll See Them Tomorrow
Dear Sagebrush Sally, I’m struggling with the gap between how people in Tecopa act online and how they act in person. On the internet, a simple comment can turn into a misunderstanding or a full-blown argument—people assume tone, read things into words that weren’t meant, or pile on based on half a screenshot. But then…
Sagebrush Sally: A Good Neighbor Knows When to Rest
Dear Sagebrush Sally, I care a lot about Tecopa, maybe too much for my own good. I’ve gone to meetings, spoken up, helped with projects, and tried to support neighbors when things get rough. But lately I feel completely burned out. Every week there’s a new conflict, a new crisis, or a new situation where…
Sagebrush Sally: Don’t Get Drafted Into Someone Else’s Desert Drama
Dear Sagebrush Sally, It feels like no matter what happens in Tecopa, someone expects you to pick a side. Even when you don’t want to be involved in a feud, people assume your silence is support for the “other” side. How do you stay neutral and kind in a town that treats every disagreement like…
Sagebrush Sally: Stewardship Isn’t Ownership—Especially at the Springs
Dear Sagebrush Sally, The new stewards of the Tecopa Hot Springs Pools and Campground have barely settled in, but a lot of us are already uneasy. Not only did they fire a longtime local worker recently, but they also seem to be alienating the very visitor base that has kept the place running for years…
Sagebrush Sally: The Desert Doesn’t Need a Guest List
Dear Sagebrush Sally, I keep hearing certain folks in town complain about “too many newcomers,” but it seems like what really bothers them isn’t that new people are arriving—it’s that they’re not the ones who invited them. It feels like some residents want to control who counts as “acceptable,” as if belonging in Tecopa requires…
County Orders Airbnb Operator to Cease Unpermitted Rentals at Lake Tecopa
The Inyo County Planning Department has issued a formal notice ordering the operator of the Lake Tecopa Airbnb to stop all short-term rental activity, citing violations of county code that prohibit unpermitted vacation rentals in unincorporated communities such as Tecopa.In a letter dated June 23, 2025, Planning Director Cathreen Richards informed Adrian Wilton, owner of…
Dumont Dunes Ramps Up for the 2025 OHV Season
As the summer heat fades and the desert winds begin to cool, the familiar sound of engines returns to Dumont Dunes. Riders from across the Southwest are tuning up for another off-highway vehicle (OHV) season at this vast 7,620-acre sand dune system, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).Located about 40 miles north of Baker on…
New Concessionaire Recommended for Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools
Inyo County has recommended awarding the concession agreement for the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools to Flippin Happy Campers & Lance Hamrick LLC, opening the door to the next chapter in the stewardship of one of the Mojave Desert’s crown jewels.The County, which issued a request for proposals earlier this year following the termination…
Death Valley and Inyo County Expand Partnership in Face of Shrinking Federal Resources
In the sun-scorched expanse of eastern California, Inyo County and Death Valley National Park are tightening their coordination in the face of extreme weather, federal staffing cuts, and aging infrastructure. Together, they are managing a uniquely challenging intersection of rural resilience and world-renowned tourism.Death Valley National Park’s Superintendent Mike Reynolds and Management Analyst Abby Wines…
A Desert Oasis or a Destination in Decline? TripAdvisor Reviews Reveal Mixed Experiences in Tecopa Hot Springs
Nestled in the vast Mojave Desert, Tecopa, California, has long been known for its natural hot springs, remote beauty, and star-studded night skies. Once a well-kept secret among desert wanderers and hot spring enthusiasts, Tecopa has drawn visitors seeking tranquility, rejuvenation, and a break from the modern world. However, traveler reviews paint a more complex picture…
Exploring Dumont Dunes: An Off-Road Enthusiast’s Paradise
Nestled just over 20 miles south of Tecopa, the Dumont Dunes Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation Area is a sanctuary for thrill-seekers and nature lovers alike. Spanning an impressive 7,620 acres of public land, this Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) offers an unparalleled blend of heart-pounding OHV experiences, breathtaking desert landscapes, and opportunities for primitive camping…
