Latest Articles - TecopaCabana

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…
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…
Sagebrush Sally: Sharing the Desert—Engines, Echoes, and a Little Etiquette

Dear Sagebrush Sally, With the new off-road season gearing up at Dumont Dunes, a lot of us in Tecopa are feeling the ripple effects—some good, some not so good. The…
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…
Sagebrush Sally: Brace Yourselves—High Season Is Coming

Dear Sagebrush Sally, High season is almost here, and you can feel the shift already. Trailers and vans will soon roll into town, bathhouses will fill up again, and businesses…
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…
Sagebrush Sally: Finding Balance in a Small-Town Drama

Dear Sagebrush Sally, Sometimes living in Tecopa feels like being trapped in the audience of a play you didn’t buy tickets for. There are personalities in town who cause no…
Sagebrush Sally: When the Crowd Gets Loud, Stay Grounded

Dear Sagebrush Sally, Sometimes living in Tecopa feels less like a community and more like a courtroom, where the loudest voices in town act as judge, jury, and executioner. I’ve…
Heard Around Town: Season 11 Takes Shape

Desert Festival ‘Tecopa Takeover’ Shifts to November 7–9, Confirms Lineup The desert’s most colorful fall tradition is officially back. Organizers have confirmed that Tecopa Takeover 11 will be held November 7–9, 2025 at the…
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…
Sagebrush Sally: The Fine Line Between Freedom and Friction

Dear Sagebrush Sally, I love our little desert town, but I’m getting concerned about some behavior from a few longtime locals—things like speeding through residential areas, driving under the influence,…
Tecopa’s Community Plan Explained

The unincorporated community of Tecopa, in collaboration with Inyo County, laid out its vision for the future after a series of public meetings starting in 2015, preparing a draft document…
Grimshaw Lake: A Desert Landmark Rooted in Local History

At the edge of the Amargosa Basin, where the Mojave Desert blurs into Death Valley’s outer reaches, a small, spring-fed wetland carries the name of one of Tecopa’s mid-20th century…
Sagebrush Sally: Tecopa’s Reputation Is Everyone’s Business

Dear Sagebrush Sally, Some of us in town are worried that certain local businesses aren’t treating customers well—and that it’s driving visitors away from Tecopa for good. On top of…
Heard Around Town: Quiet Work

Property tax assessments for Inyo County landed in Tecopa mailboxes this month, and many residents are facing valuations that have climbed as much as 20 percent over last year. The…
SIFPD Names New Volunteer EMT Trainee, Faces Questions Over Recruitment Practices

The Southern Inyo Fire Protection District (SIFPD) has confirmed that Daniel Leseberg has been hired as a volunteer firefighter/EMT and will attend Unitek’s “boot camp” EMT training in Arizona this…
SIFPD Fire Station Plans Spark Progress — and Debate — as County Awaits Key Details

The Southern Inyo Fire Protection District (SIFPD) has taken a significant step toward building long-awaited fire stations in Tecopa and Charleston View, but key details remain unfinished before the project…
Sagebrush Sally: Trust Runs on Truth

Dear Sagebrush Sally, I’m troubled by a recent public social media post that blames reporting by your website for the end of the Tecopa Hot Springs Park concessionaire contract, rather…
Three Decades Later, Unofficial Water Test Used in Official County Process

A water quality report from 1995 is being used by Inyo County officials in 2025 as supporting documentation in their search for a new operator for Tecopa Hot Springs County…
Newsom Eyes Special Election to Redraw Maps as Kiley Pushes Nationwide Mid-Decade Redistricting Ban

A political standoff over redistricting is quickly evolving into a national tug-of-war over the future of American representation—one that spans from Austin to Sacramento and has now reached Capitol Hill.…
Past Agreements, Future Stakes: Inside the Contracts Shaping Tecopa Hot Springs Park

As Inyo County prepares to select the next operator for Tecopa Hot Springs Park, prospective applicants would do well to study the evolution of the concessionaire agreements that have governed…
Upgrades and Earthquakes Shake Up Death Valley National Park

In the blazing heart of Death Valley’s off‑season, the desert is alive with motion. This is the time of year when the thermometer climbs to 115 and 120 °F, when even…
Sagebrush Sally: Change Starts Small, and So Does Resistance

Dear Sagebrush Sally, I care about this town and want to get more involved—volunteer, help organize events, maybe even join a local board. But every time I dip a toe…
Heard Around Town: Water, Wildflowers, and Willpower

SIFPD Declines Water Tank Offer, Focuses on New Fire Stations and 2026 Tax Measure At the most recent meeting of the Southern Inyo Fire Protection District (SIFPD), the board turned…
Sagebrush Sally: Scrutiny Builds Stronger Communities

Dear Sagebrush Sally, As you’re surely aware, the winds have been stirring up a bit of drama around town lately. Some folks around here say that asking tough questions or…
Inyo County Opens Door for Bold Proposals at Tecopa Hot Springs Bidder’s Conference

The path forward for the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools came into sharper focus this week as Inyo County officials fielded questions from prospective operators during a Bidder’s Conference…
New Records Reveal Tecopa Hot Springs’ Books

Prospective operators eyeing the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools are poring over Inyo County’s request for proposals, searching for clues and benchmarks that might help them craft realistic financial…
Sagebrush Sally: When the Desert Shakes, Hold Your Ground

Dear Sagebrush Sally, It feels like Tecopa’s about to get one heck of a shake-up. Between “Downtown Tecopa” being listed for sale for $50 million and the hot springs campground…
Big Fix, Big Risk: Inyo County Lays Out Hurdles for Tecopa Hot Springs Revival

The future of the historic Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools continues to be the biggest news in Tecopa as Inyo County seeks proposals for a new concessionaire to operate,…
New Bid, Old Problems: Inyo County Opens Search for Tecopa Hot Springs Campground Operator

Inyo County released a new request for proposals on Monday, seeking a qualified concessionaire to take over management of the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools — a move that,…
Final Notice: County Letter Reveals Why Tecopa Hot Springs Operator Walked Away

In Southeast Inyo County, the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools — a longtime draw for tourists and a vital amenity for local residents — is once again changing hands.…
Sagebrush Sally: It’s Hot Enough—The Attitude Doesn’t Have to Be

Dear Sagebrush Sally, As a new resident to the community, I have been told I have to volunteer for one of the community services in order to use the hot…
Records Trace Years of Noncompliance as Tecopa Hot Springs Operator Approaches County Deadline

Since issuing a formal 30-day notice last month demanding that the operator remedy longstanding deficiencies, Inyo County officials have largely refused to answer any questions about the status of the…
Sagebrush Sally: The First Amendment Isn’t Optional—Even in Tecopa

Dear Sagebrush Sally, Lately, it feels like free speech is on trial here in Tecopa—not in a courtroom, but on the streets, in businesses, and all over social media. Some…
Culture of Fear Alleged at Tecopa Hot Springs Campground as County Issues Ultimatum

A long-simmering culture of fear surrounding the management of the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground has come into sharper focus this week—just as Inyo County has issued a 30-day ultimatum to…
Inyo County Issues 30-Day Ultimatum as Future of Tecopa Hot Springs Campground Hangs in the Balance

The future of the Tecopa Hot Springs Park and Campground—one of Southeast Inyo County’s most treasured public amenities—continues in uncertainty, as the current operator has been given a 30-day deadline…
Future of Tecopa Hot Springs Campground in Question as County Enters Closed-Door Talks

As the slow summer season begins, Inyo County supervisors are entering closed-door negotiations over the future of Tecopa Hot Springs Park and Campground—a publicly owned, culturally significant site operated under…
Heard Around Town: Only The Resilient Remain

Tecopa officially hit triple digits ahead of Memorial Day weekend, signaling the start of the desert’s long, sun-scorched summer. With daytime highs soaring past 100°F (37°C), emerging snakes making the…
Sagebrush Sally: Speak Your Truth—Even If It Echoes

Dear Sagebrush Sally, Lately I’ve been feeling caught between wanting to speak up and wanting to keep the peace. Whether it’s about water use, reckless behavior, or local decisions that…
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.…
Sagebrush Sally: You Can’t Sue the Wind to Stop It from Whispering

Dear Sagebrush Sally, In a town as small as Tecopa, trying to keep something quiet can feel like painting it in neon. I recently saw a situation where someone tried…
Sagebrush Sally: Let the Wind Carry Your Words

Dear Sagebrush Sally, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about free speech and how important the First Amendment is—not just in theory, but right here in our little town. In…
Heard Around Town: Government Edition

TecopaCabana.com will be previewing highlights and offering special coverage of this week’s Inyo County Board of Supervisors meeting in Tecopa. The Board is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. on…
Sagebrush Sally: Ban the Bans

Dear Sagebrush Sally, It seems like anytime people in Tecopa have a disagreement, the first response is to ban each other from their businesses, bars, events, or even just their…
Heard Around Town: Artful and Deceptive

On our most recent rainy day, March 13th, Tecopa received 0.20 inches of precipitation at the Tecopa CEMP station, bringing the total for March to 0.35 inches and for February…
Ask Sagebrush Sally: Respect Runs Both Ways

Dear Sagebrush Sally, I’ve lived in Tecopa for a while now, long enough that I’m not considered a newcomer anymore. I love this town and the weird people in it,…
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…
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…
Southern Inyo Fire Board Works on Long-Term Plans Amid Delays and Recruitment Challenges

The Southern Inyo Fire Protection District (SIFPD) board convened to address long-term planning efforts on March 13, including recruitment efforts and two key fire station projects in the works. One…
Sagebrush Sally: A Follow Up on Newcomers

Dear Sagebrush Sally, Following up on your last column: We also shouldn’t be rewarding or ignoring shitty behavior by newcomers that are hurting our community. What does Sagebrush Sally recommend…