So this place is called Sierra Vista which is kind of funny because we live in Sierra Vista…read moreArizona but I'm from Lone Pine going up to the reunion so we stayed one night here which is a great deal for military $35 a night or so they had a nice restrooms and showers and places to cook your food and entertainment and entertainment they also have a bowling alley on the base and gas, a commissary And a place to eat

Traveling home wanted to check out a few rv parks. We discovered this place is actually on the…read morenaval base. We explained to the guard we were just checking the rv park out. The guard wasn't sure we could stay there because my husband isn't retired military so our adventure began. Found the park. It is nice and someplace we would stay. Caution! After getting lost on the base and our encounter with a different guard station we finally found where to go to get a base permit. So, unless you are active military or retired you can't stay here.

These guys are great. Coming down from Mt Whitney on Sunday 8/4 my group of 6 backpackers had car…read moretrouble at Whitney Portal and ultimately had to have the car towed by AAA into Lone Pine late Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately the towtruck only had room for 2 of us so we had to leave 4 members of our party at the Portal with the promise we would find someway to rescue them once we got to Lone Pine. The good folks at the Dow Villa Motel recommended Eastern Sierra Transport so I rang them up and talked with Bob, who I believe is the owner. Bob arranged for an Eastern Sierra Transport van to swing by the Dow Villa and pick me up and drove me up to the Portal to retrieve my 4 comrades. I thought the price at $15 per person was pretty reasonable given the circumstances. The van rolled up to the motel within 5 minutes and was neat and clean and the driver (wish I could remember his name) was very friendly and knowledgeable of the area and a great conversationalist. We zipped up to the portal, retrieved the 4 hikers, and were back at the Dow Villa in time for a pizza feast over at the Pizza Factory. Very satisfied with the service and would highly recommend them. They apparently provide trailhead transport services all over the eastern Sierra Nevada and Death Valley.

We are visiting a friend who works in Ridgecrest, unable to stay on China Lake RV park, Bertrands…read morewas recommended. Very simple, all level sites, most are dirt. They're very wide, a couple trees, $30 a night for 50 amp full hookup. Would definitely stay again if ever in the area. They do not take reservations, first come, first served.

If you are attending Gem-O-Rama in Trona California this is the place to stay. Most people do,…read moreusually you'll be amongst several hundred other campers. Located about 5 miles north along 178 this wee campground is dry desolate and parched. But it's the desert!!!!! For only $5 we were able to pitch our tent anywhere in the overflow parking lot. We arrived at night, around 8:30pm and a super friendly and nice sheriff something (I couldn't really read the patch well) chatted with us and registered our vehicle. After setting up our tent, we went in search of the bathrooms, and noticed that they have a swing set, an empty area where once a pool was, there are restrooms and portable toilets, fresh water at 3 faucets, an outdoor shower to wash the salt and mud off after field trips, and a trash receptacle. There are also tennis courts where some other camper had set up a projector showing Alvin and the Chipmunks. Kids were running around playing soccer under the fluorescent street lamps but everyone seemed to quiet down around 10pm (which is the quiet time) and I was able to hear coyotes nearby. It got really cold at night, so I recommend bringing extra blankets and dressing warmly. There are only barrel fires allowed here, no ground fires and sadly we didn't have time nor a barrel to have a fire. Literally we walked around for a little while, marveled at the stars and then went to bed having to be up at 6AM to get in line for pancakes and register for our field trip back in town. What I liked about this site, is that they let you set up where you wanted. We were able to find a place as far away from the 100 or so boy scouts as we could. I probably wouldn't camp here under any other circumstances than for Gem-O-Rama. http://www.yelp.com/biz/gem-o-rama-searles-valley But it's perfect for this event!

Beautiful new facility with helpful staff. Doug was able to find a place to fill our RV water…read moretanks. ( At the fairgrounds) They have lots of great maps for free and cool postcards for sale.

Very friendly. We were able to get free maps and brochures for the area. If you have interest in…read morefinding out what there is to do in the area, go take a visit! The ladies there are well involved in the community. The last time I went we chatted about a local photographer and some of the more famous spots in town for restaurants.

If you love Death Valley history and lore, this is a must see spot for you! We stopped here along…read morethe way from Russel's Cabin headed towards Furnace Creek, and ended up spending extra time checking out all the cool buildings, the cool water spring, and swimming pool! Be mindful of stirring up dust inside the structures, as the threat of hantavirus is real. Lots of evidence of rodents here, but still worth the risk. There are interpretive panels that discuss the history of the property, as detailed in the previous review. Our favorite part of exploring this area was the mining equipment and kitchen area of the ranch house. The smoke trees shade much of the buildings, and it was cooler here than other areas of the park. To the east of the buildings you can see a mine, cut deep into the hillside. We didn't explore that area this time, but will for sure on our next visit. Driving in we did see several burros as well, a special treat for my wife who is a huge fan of the furry desert dwellers. Be sure to check out the old empty swimming pool that is on the north side of the main building. You can almost hear the echoes of swimmers from the desert past, enjoying a break from the baking sun to relax in it's once cool waters. We stopped for a group photo here in the shallow end of the pool, a great spot to set your camera's self timer! Inside one of the rooms there is a very nice stone fireplace, that looked recently used. In the same room we also discovered poker chips and a couple of beer bottles...desert poker anyone? This spot is just one of the must see's of Death Valley's immense mining history, and from what we read this spot was the most prolific in production at it's hey day. Don't miss this really cool area as you drive through to other DV locales!

Mining in Death Valley got its start in the 1849 Gold Rush, when prospectors were scouring…read moreCalifornia for the bright yellow ore and the instant wealth it promised. The vaguest of rumors would bring hordes of miners, merchants, swindlers, and criminals flooding into an area, only to abandon it overnight when another rumor surfaced elsewhere. Most of the 50-plus ghost towns in Death Valley date from this period. Some others, like Warm Springs, are more modern. These came out of the search for the less glamorous talc and borax deposits found here by tough pioneers like Louise Grantham. In the 1930s, Louise bought the Gold Hill Mine on the west side of Death Valley and established the Warm Springs Mining Camp. Louise brought in 50 miners and mined talc here until her death in the 1950s. After her, the Pfizer Company took over, finally abandoning the area in 1982. Today, the camp that Louise built is almost perfectly intact. Apart from the mine shafts, the remains include the main building, a bunkhouse, three varieties of ore crushers, and a swimming pool. Warm Spring still bubbles up out of the ground above the camp most of the year. Everything looks exactly the way it did in Louise's day. The Mitchell Scale measures roads from I to IV according to the difficulty of access. The unmarked road up to Warm Springs is Class I (light SUV) and II (4-wheel drive). Beyond the camp, it degenerates to Class III (difficult) all the way up to the Mengel Pass and the crest of the Panamint Mountains, and then Class IV (military 4WD) down Goler Wash to Barker Ranch, where Charles Manson hid out with his family in 1969. There are definitely more accessible ghost towns in Death Valley, but none are more intact or more evocative of the eccentric people who sought their fortunes here.

Let me start by saying that I am not claiming this is a 4-star hotel. Just like there is no Taco…read moreBell that is a five-star restaurant, but you bet there are some Taco Bell's that deserve 5 stars. I'm giving this hotel 4 stars based on how it meets my needs and expectations. I initially started on some hotel discount booking site where this location had I think two stars. So I initial thought was that I should definitely stay away. When I actually clicked the reviews I saw that all of the recent reviews were quite good. People were happy with their stay and it seemed the hotel had been updated. The pricing was also considerably less than my other options. So I decided to give it a shot. When I arrived the hotel was from the outside less modern than I had expected. It's squeezed directly in between some other small hotels just like it. On the main strip in town. You could definitely see that it was an older hotel/motel. I got my room key and was given a metal key instead of a high tech swipe card. The woman at the front desk was very personable. I told her my car was full of boxes from moving and that I was worried that it would be broken into even though there is nothing of value. She said that they had never had any problems and that she was frequently around the parking lot or at least looking at it and would keep an eye out for me. I got the least expensive room apparently because it doesn't have a bathtub shower but it does have a normal old are not large but totally usable tile shower. She offered to let me look at the room before I booked it. The pictures I saw online looked to be much more updated rooms, but my room was nice enough and not completely out dated. It came with a mini fridge, a microwave, a window AC, and a nice flatscreen TV. When I checked in she gave me a Wi-Fi password. The bed had zero stains or anything gross visible. That is always my biggest concern in an older hotel. Especially an older less expensive hotel. I am generally picky about the comfort of a bed. I can sleep just about anywhere but I will wake up very sore if the mattress is not comfortable. I had a great nights sleep. Even when I was awake in the room I did not hear a lot of sound from outside. One complaint I did see in other reviews was that the pool was closed/empty. That is still the case today and I did not ask for more information about if or when it would open. Oh yeah there is a super cool little patio on the second floor overlooking the pool and main drag. Patio table and chairs. If it wasn't 1,000,000° it might be nice to sit out there during the day. If you are looking for an inexpensive hotel and don't mind cracked tile or walls in need of touchup paint, this is a great option.

Great rooms ,clean, friendly staff very helpful very quiet and peaceful got a great night's restread more

The staff is super friendly. Jimy and Danny go out of their to accommodate the guests. The rooms…read moreare recently renovated and modern. Love everything about this place- I'd recommend it to anyone coming to town for work or leisure for Death Valley

Dont go all Ihave to say and dont book on priceline . Non refundable bill crap. I waited 10 mins no…read moreone came to the desk I rang the bell and everything . Had several people looking at my truck and my belongings . I didnt feel safe and left . Not a good part of ridgecrest . Only vehicles in parking lot was mine and another group of not so good people. Sketchy as hell . Best bet is to go to best western . Down the street.