Drakesbad Guest Ranch
Also known as: Drake's Baths; Drakesbad Resort; Hot Springs Valley
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Why it's listed
Drakesbad Guest Ranch is a summer resort in the Hot Springs Creek valley, inside Lassen Volcanic National Park in Plumas County, California. Edward Drake homesteaded the land and began a small hotel and bathhouse, and in 1900 Alex and Ida Sifford bought the property. The family expanded it into a full guest ranch, adding a plunge bath, tent cabins that were later partly replaced by frame cottages and duplexes, a kitchen and dining hall, a hay barn and a string of saddle horses. They drained and improved the wet ground into a meadow, built trails to thermal areas such as Devil's Kitchen and Boiling Springs Lake, and created Dream Lake for fishing. The district covers 440 acres and is described as a vernacular landscape. Its layout, land use, circulation routes and natural setting remain largely unchanged, and the ranch continues to host guests, which supports its listing as a historic district.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents Drakesbad as a historic vernacular landscape that has served as a summer resort for over a century. It reflects the Sifford family's development of a hot-springs, trail-ride and guest-ranch operation, and its spatial organization, land use, circulation and setting remain largely intact. Its history is also tied to the creation of Lassen Volcanic National Park and the national park idea.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 03001062, listed October 22, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Head of Warner Creek Valley, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Chester |
|---|---|
| County | Plumas County |
| Listed | October 22, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03001062 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Other: vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Conservation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still operating as a summer guest ranch (current function: recreation); some agricultural uses such as hay cutting and horse pasturing have stopped. |
| Acreage | 440 |
| Coordinates | 40.43939, -121.41864 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 03001062.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5305661
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.