Scotty's Castle Historic District Flood Rehabilitation

Death Valley National Park » Scotty's Castle Historic District Flood Rehabilitation » Document List

Death Valley Scotty Historic District (Scotty's Castle) consists of historic structures in Grapevine Canyon. Until the area was severely damaged by a flash flood on October 18, 2015, over 50,000 people per year took a ranger-guided tour into the main house.

The flood caused catastrophic loss of roads and utilities and extensive damage to many of the buildings and landscapes that comprise the historic district. Scotty's Castle is closed to the public until flood damage can be repaired and the campus is made safe for visitors.

The National Park Service (NPS) proposes to rehabilitate various historic and nonhistoric features in the Death Valley Scotty Historic District. The purpose of the proposed project is to rehabilitate and repair flood-damaged buildings, facilities, and landscapes in the Death Valley Scotty Historic District in compliance with current codes and standards, while meeting goals for preserving cultural and natural resources.

An environmental assessment (EA) was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to provide the decision-making framework that 1) analyzes a reasonable range of alternatives to meet project objectives, 2) evaluates issues and impacts on park resources and values, and 3) identifies mitigation measures to lessen the degree or extent of these impacts. Compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) is being done separately as designs are refined.

The park encouraged public participation throughout the planning process. There were two opportunities to comment formally on the project—once during initial project scoping and again following release of the EA.

Contact Information

Abby Wines
(760)786-3221