I was so excited to go visit Oatman, I have been wanting to go there since I was a kid. For years, tourists have fed the burros carrots and special burro chow that they could buy in just about every shop. Oatman needs to focus on their wild west theme, mining and burrows, They should remember they are a tourist attraction and not a political hub If you dont believe the big lie dont go. Maybe try typing in a faraway location like London, Hong Kong, Needles (California) (5 answers). Box 423 Oatman, AZ 86433 928-577-9139 928-234-0344 Official Website 28 miles (45 km) 45 minute drive Year Round Description Details Map & Directions TripAdvisor Oatman Shops Enjoy the majestic scenery that surrounds Oatman, experience live gunfights, costumed dancers, and be greeted by our friendly wild burros. Generally considered an easy route. Copyright 2014 - 2022 Road Trip Journeys, all rights reserved. The easiest way to get to Oatman is to rent a car and drive yourself. The Oatman burros come to town during the day and graze in the Black Mountains at night. The rate of crime in Oatman is 74.40 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. And if you know Yuma well, please help your fellow Get to know this 21.6-mile out-and-back trail near Dateland, Arizona. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard honeymooned at the Durlin Hotel after their wedding in Kingman, Arizona in 1939. wide (16 km). A classic since 1902. stay for about 1 hour and leave at 11:05 amdrive for about 1 hour, 12:12 pm Tortilla Flat Below are two old maps of the area close to Oatman between Topock and Kingman: Thumbnail of the 1935 Arizona highway map. Its yet to be seen if a lack of handouts will keep the Oatman burros out of town for good. Pubs & bars in Oatman . However, if you dont have access to a personal vehicle, dont worry there are still options for getting there without breaking the bank. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. next trip! It was formed when the lava flowing in a vent or chimney of a volcano solidifies. We then left Oatmen after being there only about 35 minutes, It was terrible, uncomfortable and not worth the drive in. Sounds very different than our encounters there! The staff there were completely rude and wouldnt help us with a table for 8, even though they were only a quarter full. **. Click for St. view. Kruger National Park: A Safari Guide This page contains affiliate links. Directory. Rent an Escape Campervan in Las Vegas and use it as your tricked-out adventure mobile! People who live in Oatman generally consider the west part of the city to be the safest. Elephants Tooth's Mountain. laid its route from California to Kansas, it chose the road through Oatman. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Your best bet is to spend the night in Kingman or Needles and make a day trip to Oatman. They run with a north-south alignment and measure 75 miles long (121 km) and some 10 mi. Looking east, to the right of the old Soda Fountain, along the ridge that runs with a north to south course beyond Oatman is an unusual rock formation with a white tint, the Elephant's Tooth Mountain (3,666 ft). Along the highway is Boundary Cone, a massive lava plug; and further afield is the lakeside resort at Lake Havasu City with beaches, marinas, nightlife and the original London Bridge!. I dont think the answer youre looking for is in the middle of nowhere, but that about sums it up! Therefore, you Don't let your life pass you by. Or get a full Yuma to Oatman (Arizona) flight plan. She gets rude and threatens me and threatens to "lock me up because I'm a threat and so is my dog" Check-in: Later the road features numerous switchbacks, but is paved, albeit a bit narrow. the road then dropped into Oatman, falling 915 ft. in a winding course along 4 miles. Inside, youll find the walls covered with signed one-dollar bills. 203. DON'T GO! It is published by the The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, a non-profit organization, dedicated to the preservation, protection, and promotion of both the surface, and the memories along Arizonas portion of Route 66. Want to plan the trip back? The tourism boom didnt last long in Oatman, thanks to the interstate highway system. $64,000. A 1951 photograph of the Soda Fountain and the now gone Honolulu Club and Arizona Hotel. Welcome to Oatman, Arizona a fun and quirky stop along Route 66 in northwestern Arizona. These are the descendants of working animals left behind when the miners left years ago. You will see about 10 or 12 of them in town, wandering around. Wickenburg Tortilla Flat This opened the way for settlers who used these trails to reach California. Oatman is a former mining town in the Black Mountains of Mohave County, Arizona, United States. This section could be endless, so rather than trying to Motorhomes will have problems coming from the Kingman, Arizona side due to the switchbacks. 380 days on Zillow Oatman is a former mining town in the Black Mountains of Mohave County, Arizona where wild donkeys roam the streets having descended from the pack animals associated with the town's early mining history. The town's burros and those living in the mountains as wild herds, were brought to the area by the gold miners to use them as pack animals to move out the ore. Driving West Automobile Association Developments Ltd. 2018 . So, if you do make it to Oatman for the annual egg fry, please reach out and let us know how it was! You will notice the donkeys roaming about, they are the famous "Burros": The word "Burro" (plural: Burros) is the Spanish name for a donkey (don't mistake them for similar looking mules or asses, which are cross-species hybrids between mares and jackasses). Living old west village on route 66. Oatman, Arizona, 86433 United States 35.0264, -114.3835 View on Google Maps . The burros in town today are descendants of the donkeys that were used as mining workers back in the early 1900s. Below is a "Then and Now" set of pictures of the now closed mine: A view of Tom Reed min in a late 1920s early 1930s postcard. A. Whittall, The old Glory Hole Saloon in Oatman. Cruise along the Mother Road, collecting stamps at locations along the way. who wants the trip to end? open-ended. This old hotel, renamed theOatman Hotelin the 1960s, is the only historic two story adobe building in Mohave County. Scott, our guide made the day very enjoyable. No, but it would have been nice to know this beforehand. Cool, off the beaten path place to stay overnight in Lake Havasu There is no public transportation to Oatman. Despite the fact that it was a weekday, in November, Oatman was still a very busy place. In 1921, a fire swept through the town destroying most of Oatmans buildings. Be careful with your bags, if the burros smell candy or food, they'll go for it. , What have you always wanted to be? Make sure you check road conditions Mohave Valley, Mohave County, Arizona, USA . I am ,at present, reading 'The captivity of the Oatman girls,among the Apache. The burros were vastly outnumbered by the Trump signs, Confederate flags and derogatory Biden signs. Credits, The resort town of Lake Havasu City on Lake Havasu has beaches along the lake's scenic shoreline, an active nightlife and the original London bridge (you can take a Tour to visit it). Laughlin Tours escorted us there from Harrah's in Laughlin. Oatman Arizona, little over two hours from Las Vegas in a good hour from Laughlin Arizona. City: round-trip one-way. One is even named as Oatman mayor. The burros were very friendly but lost some interest if you didn't have any feed for them. Located at an elevation of 2,710 feet (830 m), it began as a tent camp soon after two prospectors struck a $10 million gold find in 1915, though the area had been already settled for a number of years. Ahead lies the Negro Head mountain. Directions Today, the popular small town of Oatman is an interesting stop, with numerous gift shops and small restaurants. She was held captive for five years, and then was sold to a local tribe before being freed to her family in 1855, nearby what became Oatman. Summer months are the busiest and hottest. An afternoon is all youll need to explore thoroughly, but if you have time, I recommend meandering along the back roads, which will give you a glimpse of the hardscrabble life that existed here in years past, But first, park your car on the street, and take a tour of an iconic Arizona ghost town that refuses to die. Magical Candlelight Show st Las Vegas Magic Theater 810 S Las vegas blvd. Nearby cities include Bullhead City, AZ (28 miles away), Kingman, AZ (29 miles away), Needles, CA (22 miles away), and Lake Havasu City, AZ (54.2 miles away). Click the button below to explore more questions The Oatman burros are direct descendants of the beasts of burden used by the gold miners in the late 1800s. The Kingman area is served by about 35 hotels and motels, and over 100 restaurants, diners and cafes. The mining boom lasted until 1941 when the US entered World War II. Heres the plan for a perfect day in Oatman, Arizona, the best place to eat for miles and miles. We saw the burrows and learned about the mining history. Freedom to dash anywhere: Deliver near your home or in a city you're just visiting. Your chance of being a victim of crime in Oatman may be as high as 1 in 13 in the southwest neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 14 in the west part of the city. $70,000. uk breakdown; european breakdown; motorbike breakdown; report a breakdown; insurance; car insurance; home insurance . The Black Mountains to the east of Topock are part of the Warm Springs Wilderness Area. Fast Fannie's shop is filled with quality merchandise including whimsical wind chimes and authentic Native American jewelry all at reasonable prices. Ahead is the summit at Sitgreaves Pass followed by a winding descent with hairpin bends through Goldroad, a Mining Ghost town. Services: enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones, full-service food facilities, call for car rental service, taxi stand. Or get a full Phoenix to Oatman (Arizona) flight plan. Parking is free. If you want more accurate directions from your actual position or to a certain place or street, you may search street or place names directly. Burros (mare and foal) roaming free on Main St. 1951 photo showing Arizona Hotel and soda fountain. 10 Things to See on Route 66 in Arizona. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. I really enjoyed our visit. It mentions the For residential aspirations, the current RE zoning allows this parcel to be subdivided down to 20,000 sqft lots. There is enough of an old west feel about it to make it an interesting visit for a few hours. from MapQuest! overrun with tourists. On. Each passport comes with a free Traveler's Guide. Route settings Get Directions Route sponsored by Choice Hotels Advertisement Help This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. A classic since 1902. Although Arizona was part of the Spanish colonies in America, only a few missionaries and silver seeking explorers (Antonio de Espejo in 1583 and Juan de Oate in 1598) visited the area during the 1600s and 1700s. Learn to research where you are going, OK Now that I am done with that. The "people in charge did nothing), A donky gets spooked by one of the locals and moves towards me. The small settlement of Topock was bypassed as few cars left I-40 at Exit 1. Looking for ideas for more destinations within driving distance of Yuma? The part of the road passing through the mountains is a very narrow two-lane with no shoulders, Tornado Risk: read more about Tornado Risk along Route66. In 1992 the Addwest Minerals reopened it. This is a small town built back in the 1900s where the donkeys roam the streets, and you can kind of step back in time and see this quaint little town as you walk the streets visit the shops. Sorry to say that there was never time for just traveling or sightseeing or having fun. This little candy shop was one of the highlights of our trip to Oatman. During our last visit, one got pushy trying to steal my ice cream cone, which definitely wasnt appreciated! Access to the free digital map and passport is delivered instantly to phones and mobile devices after a quick sign-up., Read how the Passport works and how to get one: Arizona Digital Route 66 Passport, Read the Press Release here: Arizona Office of Tourism Launches Digital Route 66 Passport. This tradition was started when miners would sign and attach their money to the walls, to be used in the future when they were short of cash. Oatman, Arizona was sparsely settled starting in 1863 when a small bit of gold was discovered in the surrounding Black Mountains. because there's an entire community of travelers talking Keep in mind that feeding wild burros outside of Oatman is not legal. So whether you choose to drive your own car or rent one for the trip, enjoy the unique Wild West experience that Oatman has to offer. They depend on tourist dollars to stay up and running. Wide vehicles and vehicles over 30 feet in length should use extreme caution when driving this road. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Route 66 was built across the Black Mountains instead of following the route adopted by the railroad, which had easier gradients because it followed the National Old Trails If youre taking in the sights of Las Vegas, it is just over a two-hour drive; perfect for a day trip or to add a stop along your journey. Instead we bought the kids ice cream at Sallys where they know customer service. Try searching for places within 4 hours of Yuma. Another example is Bodie. Sitgreaves Pass on Route 66, elevation 3,550 feet, between Cool Springs and Oatman, Arizona. A tent city sprung up to cater to the prospectors who rushed in. So take a day and drive to Oatman either from the east side, Kingman Arizona or from the west side. Only one way to find out! Sign at the Undertaker Shop in Oatman: You just survived the Arizona Sidewinder: 191 curves along 8 miles of Historic Route 66! in 1926, bringing income from Declaring On. When you step into Olive Oatman Restaurant and Saloon, you'll feel like you're stepping back in time. Camping along the way? We did find that there were fewer donkeys in the area now that BLM had gathered up many of them and placed them up for adoption. Great views going up and down. Credits. Oatman Gold Road Chamber of Commerce Website is made 0 Garnet, Oatman, AZ 86433. For more Cool Springs information, history, museum gifts and more, visit By the way, the Gila River is the only one that crosses the entire state of Arizona. The Atlantic & Pacific Railroad (later the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad) reached the area in 1882 but went around the Black Mountains along the flat Sacramento Valley to the east and south of them. who wants the trip to end? Oatman is definitely one of our favorite backroad adventures and one of our. Ben Taddock strcuk gold in Oatman in 1902 and filed a claim. Needles (California) Route 66 followed this course from 1926 until 1952 when it was realigned via Yucca, following a safer and straighter course, without the grades and sharp mountain-road turns of the old highway. You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving Follow the signs for Oatman, 23 miles. When traveling and navigating using a map it is a good idea to have either printed out directions, A compass or even a GPS to accompany it to ensure you'll make it to your DESTINATION with ease. Oatman miners were then ordered to excavate minerals for use in World War II, instead of mining for gold. Head to Oatman for the annual Oatman Sidewalk Egg Fry, which happens at high noon every Fourth of July. 98% of travelers recommend this experience. Hackberry General Store There arent. Notes - This record contains unverified, old data from shelflist card. From its famous guests to its otherworldly inhabitants, the Durlin, today known as the Oatman Hotel, is a must-visit attraction in Oatman. Driving from Kingman to Oatman, Arizona on Route 66 The Route 66 stretch from Kingman to Oatman starts out flat and fairly straight.