Located in what is known as the “last frontier in northern California,” the Desert Rose Casino is a great place to stop on your way to somewhere else. Stop in, win a little cash and get back on the road. Guests typically enjoy the casino, but in terms of a vacation destination, the city of Alturas lacks much of what travelers seek.
Open weekdays from 9AM to 11PM, weekends until 2AM, the Desert Rose Casino offers patrons a 6,200 square-foot gaming floor with 100 gaming machines, 2 gaming tables and a 60-seat Bingo hall. Choose from an array of classic slot machines and a couple of interactive electronic games or play Blackjack on the casino’s two tables. If you have some time, play some Bingo at the Bingo hall, where you’ll find very low entry costs.
If you decide to spend the night, there are a couple of places around to choose from. The Super 8 Alturas is a 48-room motel, which one reviewer aptly described as “a place to rest your head overnight.” Just because it’s rural, though, doesn’t mean it’s not quality. Each room of this motel is equipped with cable television, high-speed Internet access and very clean linens and towels. Also close by is the Best Western Trailside Inn with amenities very similar to the Super 8 Alturas.
If you get hungry, grab a bite to eat at the Rose Café at the Desert Rose Casino, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu is classic American and the food, according to reviews, is reasonable. A second restaurant onsite is the Black Bear Restaurant, a full-service facility where you’ll find a slightly classier dining experience.
During the winter, hit the slopes at one of the many area ski destinations. If you want to golf, there is a 9-hole municipal course only a mile from the casino. For a taste of nature the Lava Bed National Park is only 30-miles away. Also, since Alturas is 70 percent pristine wilderness, you can enjoy a rare opportunity to get out into the wild.
When the sun sets, options become pretty limited as Alturas is a fairly small town. However, there are a couple of local bars where you can wet your whistle with a tasty beer and enjoy some warm conversation with the townspeople.
If you want to see more of the nature around the Desert Rose Casino, there’s plenty of it. There are a couple of manmade lakes where you can find sailing, fishing, Jet Skiing and other great water sports. There is also the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, where you can see Bald Eagles and Brown Bear in their natural habitat.
To find the Desert Rose Casino, fly into the Alturas Municipal Airport via Los Angeles International Airport and take a 5-minute drive to Desert Rose Casino, 901 County Road 56, Alturas, California 96101.
