By July, Death Valley will be reaching blistering air temperatures of over 120 degrees. And once, in 1913, it hit a record setting 134 degrees, which is the second-highest recorded temperature anywhere on the planet.

Fortunately for adventure seekers, right now (and sometimes into June) is the best time to visit while temperatures remain stable in the 70s. Otherwise, Death Valley is one of the most inhospitable places on earth and its iconic Badwater salt flats mark the lowest, hottest, and driest location in North America with one stop taking visitors 282 feet below sea level.

Death Valley Tours Begin With A Stop At A Ghost Town

There are dozens of scenic locations in Death Valley, beginning with the very first stop. What makes Rhyolite unique?

In August 1904, gold was discovered in the Bullfrog Hills and what was once a mining encampment quickly grew to become one of the largest cities in Nevada. Almost overnight, the people who flocked to the area built an entire town with electric lights, water mains, telephones, newspapers, a hospital, a school, an opera house, and a stock exchange.

Then, as quickly as Rhyolite grew up under the promise of fortune, it was mostly abandoned by 1911, which marked one of the shortest boom cycles in history. As a town, Rhyolite survived six years. And by 1920, the population was close to zero.

All that remains in Rhyolite today are a few quiet giants once known as Cook Bank, the Porter Brothers Store, and the infamous Bottle House. The latter building, built by Tom Kelly over a period five and a half months, was mostly made out of Adulphous Busch bottles (better known as Budweiser), presumably after he and his saloon patrons drank them.

You can learn a little about the house's history here. Amazingly, it is the only one of three bottle houses to survive long enough to be preserved. Part of the credit belongs to Paramount Pictures, which restored and re-roofed the home in 1925 for a movie. People lived in it, on and off, until the 1960s.

There is much more to see in Rhyolite, including other remains and the ghostly statues built by Albert Szukalski. Since he first began making fiberglass casts, several other artists have made contributions to the sculpture garden. The most famous still belongs to Szukalski. The life-sized sculpture of the Last Supper remains one of the most photographed.

Rhyolite is only the first stop along the full-day Death Valley Tour. Other scenic wonders include places such as Hell’s Gate, Artist’s Palette, Zabriskie Point, Devil’s Golf Course, and the sand dunes. The entire tour is an unforgettable contrast to the colorful lights of Las Vegas. And it all begins with free pick-up from your hotel by Death Valley Tours.