Windfall Equipment Gift, Radio Near-Disaster, and New Fire Station Dominate SIFPD Board Meeting
Fire Station Planning Advances as Site Survey Completed, RFP Process Nears Launch After years of planning, the Southern Inyo Fire Protection District’s long-awaited new fire station plan has cleared a significant hurdle. A completed site survey has locked in the building footprint, septic system, and leach field placement for the Tecopa station — moving the…
A Century of Commerce in Death Valley: Brian Brown Traces the Reinvention of the Northern Mojave
SHOSHONE, Calif., March 14 — When Brian Brown held up a small Colt revolver, the whole room gasped. The .32-20 Winchester, shown in a photograph of his great-uncle Howard Corkill at a local mining camp and long remembered in family lore as a woman’s handbag pistol, embodied the kind of desert history Brown had come…
Connecting Tecopa: First Sidewalks on the Horizon as Corridor Plan Moves Forward
Tecopa has never really been on the way to anywhere. Tucked at the end of long desert drives, it is a place people reach deliberately, not by accident. But a long-planned bicycle and pedestrian corridor now moving into its design stage could soon make the town itself part of a route — a safer path…
Still Here, Still Home: Timbisha Shoshone Mark 25 Years of the Homeland Act in Death Valley
On a clear late-January morning at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park, the visitor center felt less like a museum lobby than a civic hall. The packed auditorium seating, usually for visitors watching an interpretive film, faced a ring of seats, filled with the leaders and elders of the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe. Upon arrival…
Heard Around Town: Best in Show
After a week of relentless desert wind that sent dust across the valley floor and rattled every loose screen door in Tecopa, the Amargosa Basin is sliding into the familiar rhythm of late winter in the Mojave: warm days, restless gusts, and the steady arrival of visitors chasing the first signs of spring. Temperatures are…
Heard Around Town: Chasing Dreams
Wind and rain have tormented the region since Monday, shaking up travel plans just as Death Valley edges toward peak season. Southern California Edison has, in recent months, scheduled—and then canceled—equipment-upgrade outages more than once, and so far these storms haven’t knocked anything down. It did, however, offer a rare reward: the “snowpahs”—a fleeting, snow-bright…
Heard Around Town: Rain and Flowers on the Horizon
Death Valley is sliding back into the spotlight, and you can feel it in the small signals locals trade like currency—photos of fresh blooms tucked into washes, roadside petals cataloged like evidence, and “proof” shots posted the moment something new breaks open. With a superbloom widely anticipated over the next two months due to heavy rains…
Sagebrush Sally: What to Do When the Wonder Wears Off
Dear Sagebrush Sally, I’ve been living in Tecopa long enough to know that this place does something to people. And I don’t mean that in a bad way — I mean it changes them. I’ve watched hard-edged city folks slow down and soften. I’ve seen burned-out wanderers finally stop running. I’ve met people who came…
Sagebrush Sally: Respect Is the Price of Desert Freedom
Dear Sagebrush Sally, Lately it feels like Tecopa is split into two worlds that barely speak the same language. One half of town is trying to run legitimate businesses—keep things clean, safe, and sustainable, follow rules, pay bills, and make a living in a place where nothing is easy. The other half seems to treat…
Sagebrush Sally: Stay Kind Without Getting Caught in the Drama
Dear Sagebrush Sally, I have a question that feels a little delicate. I have a neighbor here in Tecopa whose behavior has me genuinely concerned and a bit worn out. They seem to need constant attention, turn every situation into a dramatic scene, and often retell events in ways that make them look like the…
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…
Hot Springs Etiquette in Tecopa: How Nudity and Showering First Protects the Amargosa River
Hot springs have long been revered for their therapeutic and spiritual benefits, from Japan’s ancient onsen culture to Iceland’s steamy geothermal lagoons. These natural baths provide relaxation, healing, and a connection to the earth’s mineral-rich waters. Yet, despite their tranquil allure, many newcomers overlook an essential etiquette rule: showering before soaking.In Tecopa, California—home to some…
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…
