China Ranch Date Farm & Bakery — Attraction in Pahrump

Another Death Valley region gem!

In summer of 2016 I took my first ever trip through Death Valley. It was a hot 114 degree day and I had to take a break from driving, so I happened arrive at Stovepipe Wells Village. Badwater Saloon was open, so I pulled over and ordered a cold beer to settle my thirst , then hunger hit! One of the items I tried on that day was what they called "China Ranch Stuffed Dates". These were dates stuffed with goat cheese and jalapenos wrapped in Applewood bacon and a touch of prickly pear syrup; del-freaking-icious!!! So I asked the bartender where China Ranch was and he told me.

A couple of months later when I had more time to explore Death Valley, I picked up my Mom in Las Vegas and we hit the road! One of our stops on that trip was China Ranch Date Farm. The location is amazing by itself! You would never know it is there because it is hidden amongst hills and surrounded by desert. You drive on a dirt road that is cut amongst barren hills and as you make the last turn there is a green oasis full of palm trees!

Believe it or not humans have lived in this area for at least since the Shoshone and Ute people first arrived in the area around 1,000 A.D. Then came the Spanish ranchos, mining and railroad!

The name "China Ranch" comes from a Chinese mine worker named either Quon Sing or Ah Foo who settled in this oasis in the late 1800s, built the irrigation system and developed a fruit garden and planted vegetables, and raised meat for the local mining camps. Then came a nasty roughneck named Morrison who illegally chased him off the property. The legend goes that Morrison may have even killed the Chinese owner and disposed of his body, because no one ever saw him leave.

Morrison eventually sold the property, but the name "China Ranch" had stuck. Ever since then the property has had many owners who turned it into a fig farm, cattle ranch, hog farm, alfalfa farm, and others. Finally in 1970, Charles Brown Jr. and Bernice Sorrells purchased it and to this day it remains in these families.

China Ranch offers numerous delicious date products, such as breads, pastes, syrups, delicious date shakes made fresh to order and of course plenty of varieties of dates, including Deglet Noors, Medjools, and Honey dates. Depending on the season, they also sell other varieties including a China Ranch exclusive hybrid date. My personal favorites are Black Beauty Dates.

They also have a gift shop and a small museum. There are a few picnic tables outside in case one wishes to sit and enjoy the surrounding for a while. For hikers, there are a few hiking trails to choose from. SO there is a little bit of everything for everyone!

If you are ever in the area, do not miss the opportunity to visit, you will be...

I had the good fortune to visit China Date Ranch with some family while they were in town, and it was incredible.

Aside from being a tremendously beautiful and special place, it's one that's steeped in history dating back to the early 1900's. These are all things you can easily confirm with even a cursory pass at the ol' Google. What is not so easily learned is that the staff are incredibly warm and hospitable - they went out of their way to make everyone feel welcome on the farm, and their love of the farm and their work there was evident.

Surrounding the area are some stunning hikes and unbelievable views that I can't wait for an excuse to get back to. Bring sun protection and water - there isn't a lot of cover in the area, and the exposure is palpable. That being said: there's a cute bird refuge (home to over 200 identified species of migratory birds), water that crisscrosses the area from the many springs in the valley, and (supposedly) a very worthwhile hike out to a waterfall. If you're into camping, I saw a sign for a HipCamp area attached to the farm as well.

The Bakery produces some excellent date bread, muffins, and cookies, as well as selling cold brew coffee, date shakes (don't miss this!), or "special coffee date shakes" (my personal favorite). The gift shop has many very fun date-derived products (date sugar, date syrups, date samplers, among others), pickled and canned preserves produced on the farm, a wide assortment of minerals and gemstones, as well as more typical gift shop offerings (post cards, stickers, etc.).

And a final note: I'd never been a particularly big fan of dates prior to visiting China Ranch Data Farm - but their dates are OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD. Some of that may be how fresh they are, but certainly no small part of the credit must go to the passion and dedication of the people who work the farm. I couldn't stop eating the box of dates we picked up there, and I'm already planning a run back out to get more.

Thank you so much for your hospitality and excellent food, China...

Tourist trap, speed trap and god awful customer service. I would never recommend this place to anyone. The place looks nice enough but the manager (female, blonde hair and glasses) has a real problem with people. Rude, obnoxious & unprofessional. The guy we dealt with was much nicer. But she was the manager (and oh boy did she let us know) and what she said went. It's really a shame because we planned to make it a regular stop but no way now. Also, watch for the cops. It's 25mph then it says "end 25 mph" but they never tell you want the new speed limit is and the cop rides on your bumper trying to get you to go faster to pull you over. The trinkets in the gift shop are WAY overpriced. What sells on ebay for $10-$15 with free shipping they charge $50 for! Buyer beware!

My answer below is a response from "the owner." The lesson I was trying to show my child was two fold. First is that "there really are nice people left in the world." So you blew that one. The second is that I was going to buy the bigger one he wanted and spend another $30 to get it and pick up a few shakes for our way home to show my appreciation for being nice. You blew that one too. David clearly knew good business practices and you are clueless on good customer service. I got angry with you because we spent 2 hours driving based on your employees statement and you refused to honor your representatives agreement. If David had said "I'm sorry we can't do anything" I would not have been upset. I was only upset because we spent 2 hours of our day wasted based on what your employee told us on the phone and your belligerent attitude.

Also the woman writing the review is not "the owner." She is the manager as she explained to me. Unless her name last name is Brown, in which case she could be related to the owner. And yes, this woman created a huge incident over a $20 rock. Let...