China Ranch is a family owned and operated small farm, a lush piece of greenery amidst the forbidding Mojave Desert near Southern Death Valley. Imagine towering cottonwoods and willows by a wandering stream, date palms and abundant wildlife, all hidden away in some of the most spectacular scenery the desert has to offer.
Named after Paiute-Shoshone Indian chief Tecopa was a hard-rock mining camp in the late 1800s, though today, it is best known for its hot springs. Natural hot water is contained in separate bath houses for men and women, operated by a concessionaire with RV sites and a small store. Its population was 120 in 2020.
Shaded with soft colors, the Nopah Range is composed of sedimentary rocks capped at about 4,200 feet. The California Valley extends into the eastern Wilderness. Desert bighorn sheep may be seen here, especially in the northern portion, along with wild horses and wild burros. A few prairie falcons have been spotted hunting over the low desert regions.
Villa Anita in Death Valley has views and access to one of the most untouched and pristine places on earth. Surrounded by panoramic scenes of mountains all around, you will see the stars of the milky way at night, hear coyotes howling at dawn, and feel your thoughts melt away into the magnetic quiet of the desert.
