Death Valley Hot Springs (formerly Delight's Hot Springs Resort)

What to expect

Tecopa is a tiny desert community on the Amargosa River, southeast of Death Valley National Park, and it has been a soaking stop for a long time. Hot mineral water rises all along Tecopa Hot Springs Road, and several small resorts tap it. The property at number 368 was known for years as Delight’s Hot Springs Resort. It now runs under new management as Death Valley Hot Springs, and the old Delight’s name still shows up on maps, booking sites and in reviews. If you are searching for Delight’s, this is the place.

The layout is simple. A large outdoor main pool sits in the middle of the property, big enough to swim slow laps in. Around it are four smaller pools that vary in size and heat. Separate from those are four private bathhouses, each with its own small hot spring pool and a shower. The operator counts all nine as part of the guest pass. The hottest pools and the bathhouse pools are reported at about 102 to 104°F39 to 40°C, while the main pool runs cooler.

Every drop of water on the property is hot spring water and none of it is drinkable. Bring your own drinking water or buy it in Shoshone.

Around the pools are cottages, cabins, motel rooms and a few older houses, plus newer bungalows with private porches that face west across the desert for the sunset. An RV park and a small tent area sit at the edge of the property, with views toward the Nopah Range.

Recent guest reviews are mixed. Some praise the remodel, while others complain about higher prices than in the Delight’s era and poor lighting around the bathhouses at night. Bring a headlamp if you plan a late soak.

Getting there

The resort is at 368 Tecopa Hot Springs Road, just north of the village of Tecopa. There is parking on site and the pools are a short walk from the car.

• From Las Vegas (roughly 1.5 hours): Take NV-160 west over the pass to Pahrump, then follow the signs west on the Old Spanish Trail Highway into California and on to Tecopa. Turn north on Tecopa Hot Springs Road.
• From Los Angeles or Baker: Take I-15 to Baker and turn north on CA-127. Drive north toward Shoshone and turn right onto Tecopa Hot Springs Road.
• From Death Valley: Take CA-190 to Death Valley Junction or CA-178 to Shoshone, then drive south on CA-127 to the Tecopa Hot Springs Road turn. Furnace Creek is about an hour away.

All of these roads are paved. Fill up on fuel in Pahrump, Baker or Shoshone, since services in Tecopa are very limited.

When to go

October to April is the right season. Days are mild, nights are cold and clear, and hot water makes sense. Winter weekends and holidays are the busiest time, as Death Valley visitors stay in Tecopa.

Summer is brutal here, with long stretches far above 100°F38°C. A soak in 104°F40°C water is hard to enjoy when the air is hotter than the pool. At least one booking site listed the resort’s pools as closed from the end of May to the end of September 2025, so call before planning a summer visit.

Spring brings wildflowers in good years, but also biting horseflies around the wet ground in Tecopa.

Prices and booking

Rates below are from the operator’s website in October 2026.

Guest passes. Anyone on the property needs one.

• $35 per person, ages 5 and up
• $30 for seniors 65 and over, and for military
• $250 for a 10-pass bundle with no expiry date
• Valid from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., sold daily at the office

Age rules. Children under 5 are not allowed in any pool. Children from 5 to 17 must be with an adult at all times.

RV park and camping (per night, guest pass included):

• Full hookups (30 or 50 amp, water and sewer): $50 for the first person, $40 for each additional person
• Dry camping: $40 per person
• Weekly full hookups: $250 per person
• Monthly full hookups: $800 for the first person, $700 for each additional guest

The website says tent sites are limited and close to the public bathrooms. It describes them as first come, first served but also links to online booking, so book ahead if you can. Pets stay free in the campground.

Lodging is booked online through the link on the resort’s website. Prices vary by unit and season, so check there. Booking sites list check-in after 4 p.m. and check-out before 11 a.m.

Clothing and bathhouse rules are not posted on the operator’s website. Ask at the office when you buy your pass, especially before using the shared pools in the middle of the property.

Where to stay nearby

Staying on site makes the most sense if you want to soak at night or early in the morning. Other options along the same road:

• Tecopa Hot Springs and Campground, the Inyo County site on Tecopa Hot Springs Road, has tent and RV sites and its own bathhouses.
• Tecopa Hot Springs Resort, at 860 Tecopa Hot Springs Road, has cabins, motel rooms and campsites, with private soaking rooms for overnight guests only.
• Shoshone, a few miles north on CA-127, has a small inn, a café, a store and fuel.
• Pahrump, in Nevada, has chain motels and big grocery stores and is the closest large town.

Safety notes

• Hot water: Keep soaks short at 104°F40°C, drink plenty of water and get out if you feel lightheaded.
• Desert heat: In summer, even a short walk between pools in the midday sun can be draining. Soak early or late.
• Drinking water: Nothing that comes out of a tap or pool on the property is drinkable. Carry your own.
• Night footing: Paths between the bathhouses are poorly lit, according to recent reviews. Use a headlamp.
• Remote area: Medical help is far away. Carry a first aid kit and keep the car fueled.

Nearby stops worth adding

China Ranch Date Farm, in a canyon just south of Tecopa, grows dates along the Amargosa River and is known for its date shakes. A 6-mile trail along the river links it with Tecopa. The free, muddy Tecopa mud pool is another local soak, and Death Valley National Park is within an hour’s drive for Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point and the dunes.