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Western & Eastern Treasures

Ghost Town USA Column Index for Arizona

Arizona was one of the last states to actually be admitted into the Union, joining in 1912. Prior to that time it was a rip-snorting territory. Arizona has a rich heritage of copper, silver and gold mining, as well as early Spanish colonization attempts. Stage lines and highways crisscrossed the state, and agricultural communities were started and failed. The Grand Canyon State also "hosted" two of the ten World War Two Japanese Internment Camps.

Arizona has a rich ghost town heritage dating back to the days of the Spanish and up to and including present day communities that are dying. Even though the state is experiencing tremendous growth, there are still around a thousand ghost towns out there waiting for the followers of Ghost Town USA to find and explore. Listed below are just a few of those 1000 or so ghost towns that await YOU in Arizona...The Grand Canyon State.

If you know of any ghost towns in the Grand Canyon State that are not listed here, or know the current status of towns listed with little information, please contact us…The towns listed here are just a tiny portion of the 1000 or so ghost towns I have listed in my AZ files.

Some of the vignettes below contain specific words that are listed on our DEFINITIONS page.  If you are unfamiliar with the meaning of the word in a ghost town sense, click on the link and scroll down to that term.  You can use the BACK button on the browser to return to this page.

HELP!  (NEW FEATURE) Please check here to find a list of ghost towns that various contacts are looking for.  IF you have any information on these places please e-mail me and I can respond back to those looking for info on these ghosts.

PLEASE NOTE: 

Where photos are indicated thusly (PHOTO!), please use your browser’s “BACK” button to return to this page.  More photos will be added over time.

BISBEE

Cochise Co.

Bisbee is a class E copper-mining town that is still an active community of 5575 people (2010 census), a magnificent museum to the glory days of mining, when it was booming city of 35,000 people.  It remains as one of Arizona's best preserved historic mining towns and is a must see. Narrow streets are lined with colorful buildings of all descriptions -- some open, some closed.

See our BISBEE page for additional details.

This is one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST TOWNS: Yesterday & Today^TM.

BRUNCKOW CABIN

Cochise Co.

The melted adobe wall ruins of this famous class B cabin site sit about 600 feet south of the Charleston road at the junction with Brunckow Road, 1.5 miles east of the San Pedro River, eight miles southwest of Tombstone.

·        NW¼ Sec 6, T21S, R23E, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 31.642312

·        Longitude: -110.153604

BUMBLEBEE

Yavapai Co.

Today’s Bumble Bee is a privately owned re-creation, but is open to the public. The original Bumble Bee on the same site dates to 1879 when it was a stage stop on the Phoenix-Prescott line. There was also some gold mining. A group of the remaining buildings are part of a re-created 1960s era tourist ghost town.  It is on Bumblebee/Crown King Road, just 1.5 AIR miles west of I-17.  It is reached off I-17 via Bumblebee Road EXIT, thence about 5.5 miles north on that road.

·        Ctr Sec 33, T10N, R2E, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 34.2008645 / 34° 12' 03" N

·        Longitude: -112.1529372 / 112° 09' 11" W

CHARLESTON

Cochise Co.

Charleston sits on the west bank of the San Pedro River, 3/4 of a mile north where the Charleston Road crosses the river, 9.4 miles southwest of Tombstone. The site of this 1880s class B milling town is owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and is part of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, as is MILLVILLE (another class B site), on the east bank of the river, directly opposite Charleston.  A post office operated here Apr 17, 1879-Oct 24, 1888.  The town was a ghost town by 1899.

·        SE ¼ Sec 2, T21S, R21E, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 31.6358000 / 31° 38' 09" N

·        Longitude: -110.1725000 / 110° 10' 21" W

CHLORIDE

Mohave Co.

This class D silver-mining town lies nestled in the Cerbat Mountains, four miles east of US 93, at a point 20 miles north of Kingman. 271 folks (2010 census), the post office and the Chloride General Store anchor the town that once had 2000 people. Other occupied and unoccupied structures remain, along with some ruins.  The 2010 census listed 164 of the 245 dwellings as occupied, an occupancy rate of 67%

·        NW ¼ Sec 3, NE¼ Sec 4, T23N, R18W, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 35.4144379 / 35° 24' 52" N

·        Longitude: -114.1994006 / 114° 11' 58" W

Christmas

Gila Co.

This old copper mining town is located about a mile west of State Highway 77 eight miles northeast of Winkelman and south of Globe.  It was famous for its CHRISTMAS cancellations on stamps. 

See our Christmas page for additional details.

CLIFTON

Greenlee Co.

Like Bisbee and Jerome, Clifton is a still-living class E copper-mining town, which draws on visitors rather than the wealth of its now closed mines. Unlike the former two towns, it is quiet and low key. Clifton’s long streets off US 191 are filled with colorful, historic structures, especially in the upper part of town, where the old downtown follows Chase Creek Street for a little over ¾ of a mile. Some of the nearby mining towns include Morenci (old and new) and Metcalf.  Clifton is the county seat of Greenlee County and in 2010 still claimed 3311 people.

OLD CLIFTON:

·        E-Ctr Sec 25, T4S, R29E, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        W-Ctr Sec 30, T4S, R30E, Gila & Salt River Meridian

NEW CLIFTON:

·        N½ Sec 31, T4S, R30E, Gila & Salt River Meridian

MIDPOINT BETWEEN OLD & NEW:

·        Latitude: 33.0508966 / 33° 03' 03" N

·        Longitude: -109.2961826 / 109° 17' 46" W

VISITOR CENTER:

·        Latitude: 33.054645

·        Longitude: -109.298161

EAST END of OLD DOWNTOWN CLIFTON:

·        Latitude: 33.056236

·        Longitude: -109.314625

WEST END of OLD DOWNTOWN CLIFTON (Chase Creek St.):

·        Latitude: 33.056587

·        Longitude: -109.301788

CONTENTION CITY

Cochise Co.

This class B milling town is located along the east bank of the San Pedro River three miles north of Fairbank. See Fairbank for directions.

·        NE¼ Sec 21, T19S, R21E, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 31.7689775 / 31° 46' 08" N

·        Longitude: -110.2020211 / 110° 12' 07" W

CROWN KING

Yavapai Co.

Crown King is an 1870s era, class D gold-mining camp. It is now a popular summer retreat, with a number of newer cabins mixed in with the old mining town buildings. The town once had 500 buildings, but has much less now. It is located in the Bradshaw Mountains 28 miles west of Bumble Bee and south of Prescott.

·        SW¼ Sec 14, T10N, R1W, Gila and Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 34.2055857 / 34° 12' 20" N

·        Longitude: -112.3384991 / 112° 20' 19" W

DOS CABEZAS

Cochise Co.

This sleepy desert mining town is located along SH 186, at the foot of the Cabezas Mountains, about 15 miles southeast of Willcox. This late 1870’s, class D mining town has many adobe structures, ruins, a well-maintained cemetery and a few remaining residents. Some of the remaining structures include the old post office, stage station and a dance hall.

·        N½ Sec 32, T14S, R27E, Gila and Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 32.1753571 / 32° 10' 31" N

·        Longitude: -109.6133977 / 109° 36' 48" W

FAIRBANK

Cochise Co.

Fairbank is a class C ghost railroad station/shipping center along the north side of SH 82, 5.9 miles west of SH 80, at a point four miles north of Tombstone. The site is owned and maintained by the BLM, and is a part of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.  At one time the main part of town was along the railroad to the south.  See our FAIRBANK page for additional details.

GLEESON

Cochise Co.

A class D copper-mining town sitting about 14 teeth-rattling, washboard miles east of Tombstone and a mile west of the end of pavement, nine paved miles west of US 191, at a point about 28 miles north of Douglas. There are a number of interesting ruins and standing buildings, along with a small population.

·        SE¼ Sec 31, SW¼ Sec 32, T19S, R25E, Gila and Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 31.7339802 / 31° 44' 02" N

·        Longitude: -109.8297941 / 109° 49' 47" W

GOLDROAD

Mohave Co.

This wonderful old class B gold-mining town lies alongside old US 66 several miles north of Oatman, and 25 miles west of Kingman. In June 2012 it was privately owned and posted against trespass due to an active gold mining operation on site.  However, the many roofless, rock-walled ruins are highly visible alongside the public highway and there are places to pull out to view them. 

See our GOLDROAD page for additional details.

This is one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST TOWNS: Yesterday & Today^TM.

Jerome

Yavapai Co.

Jerome is a fascinating class E former copper-mining town perched on the switchbacks of SH 89A, midway between Prescott and Sedona. This reborn town is a haven for artists and other urban refugees, but still maintains its pride for the past. Just don't call it a ghost town! See our Jerome page for additional details.

MINERAL PARK

Mohave Co.

This class B mining town is located in the Cerbat Mountains, east of US 93, at a point about eight miles south of the turnoff to Chloride, a dozen miles north of Kingman. There are active mines in the vicinity, so access may be restricted. The town dates to the 1870s and once had 200 people and a main street lined with adobe, rock and frame saloons, stores, and a post office.

·        NE¼ Sec 24, T23N, R18W, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 35.3708275 / 35° 22' 15" N

·        Longitude: -114.1530103 / 114° 09' 11" W

OATMAN

Mohave Co.

Hidden in the heart of the Black Mountains, this class D gold-mining town dates back to the early 1900s. Straddling old US 66, about 25 miles southwest of Kingman, this town is packed with a couple hundred citizens, scores of burros, and many picturesque buildings.  It is one of Arizona’s premier remaining mining towns and has rolled out the welcome mat for tourists and ghost towners.  

See our OATMAN page for additional details.

This is one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST TOWNS: Yesterday & Today^TM.

PEARCE

Cochise Co.

This class D gold-mining town sits at the junction of S. Ghost Town Trail/Pearce Road, a mile southwest of a large curve on US 191 at a point 18 miles south of I-10 at EXIT 331. Several photogenic buildings remain, including the old store and the jail building. There are also a number of interesting adobe ruins.

·        SW¼ Sec 32, T17S, R25E, Gila and Salt River Meridian (Cemetery)

·        S-Ctr Sec 32, T17S, R25E, Gila and Salt River Meridian (N of Pearce Road)

·        N-Ctr Sec 5, T18S, R25E, Gila and Salt River Meridian (South of Pearce Rd)

·        Latitude: 31.9050865 / 31° 54' 18" N

·        Longitude: -109.8206232 / 109° 49' 14" W

POSTON

La Paz Co.

(formerly part of Yuma Co.)

About 13 miles southwest of Parker, on Indian Route (IR) 1 (Mohave Rd/Parker-Poston Road) in the heart of the Colorado River Indian Reservation. POSTON was a World War II relocation center for Americans of Japanese ancestry, and was active from May 1942 until November 1945. I have not been to the site, so don’t know what if anything remains of the old camp.  It is in a rich agricultural area, so they may have been plowed under.  Poston Relocation Center was divided into three portions, and those are: Poston I, II, III.  The camp reached its maximum population of over 17,500 in September 1942.  All three portions of the camp were located along IR 1.  The community of Poston had a 2010 population of 285, and only four of its 85 housing units were vacant.

POSTON I:

Poston I is the present community of Poston and straddles the highway where Poston Road crosses it.  The original relocation center was on the west side of the highway and contained 36 residential blocks, each containing 14 barracks and associated support buildings for the evacuee’s use.  It also contained the entire camp’s main administrative offices, hospital, MP offices, warehouses, staff housing and other needed facilities.  A few miscellaneous facilities were outside the fence on the east side of the highway. 

·        E-Ctr Sec 35, W-Ctr Sec 36, T8N, R21W, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 33.9905733 / 33° 59' 26" N

·        Longitude: -114.3963424 / 114° 23' 47" W

·        Latitude: 33.943556, Longitude: -114.423530  (Administration Housing)

·        Latitude: 33.988545, Longitude: -114.402652  (Hospital)

·        Latitude: 33.993544, Longitude: -114.406536  (Elementary School)

·        Latitude: 33.991605, Longitude: -114.413788  (High School)

·        Latitude: 33.984586, Longitude: -114.415376  (Sewage Treatment SW Corner of site)

POSTON II:

Poston II was on the west side of the highway at the junction with Hopi Road, about 3.5 miles southwest of Poston I.  It consisted of 18 residential blocks and associated support facilities.  Staff housing was on the east side of the highway.  The High School was just across the street to the west of the present Poston School, which is located on the former recreation area.

·        S ½ Sec 15, NW¼ Sec 22, T7N, R21W, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 33.9461293 / 33° 56' 46" N

·        Longitude: -114.4216209 / 114° 25' 18" W

·        Latitude: 33.943556, Longitude: -114.423530  (Staff Housing)

·        Latitude: 33.941651, Longitude: -114.434366  (High School)

·        Latitude: 33.933898, Longitude: -114.436769  (Sewage Treatment SW Corner of site)

POSTON III:

Poston III is on the west side of IR 1, north of Navajo Road, about 3.8 miles further southwest. It also consisted of 18 residential blocks and associated support facilities. 

·        SW¼ Sec 33, T7N, R21W, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 33.904616, Longitude: -114.443293 (NE Corner of site)

·        Latitude: 33.903904, Longitude: -114.449601 (High School site – agricultural field)

·        Latitude: 33.898044, Longitude: -114.458544 (Sewage Treatment SW Corner of site)

SASCO

Pinal Co.

This class B milling town is about 15 miles southwest of Red Rock, which is off I-10, at EXIT 226, 30 some miles northwest of Tucson. The post office was established in 1907 and discontinued in 1919. At its peak, Sasco had 600 residents, stores, saloons, and hotels. Remains include foundations of the smelter, Rockland Hotel, and the jail.  Sasco was an acronym from the name of the Southern Arizona Smelting Company.

·        SE¼ Sec 20, T10S, R9E, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 32.5350680 / 32° 32' 06" N

·        Longitude: -111.4395581 / 111° 26' 22" W

SILVERBELL

Pima Co.

Two sites...

#1...Silverbell is a class B copper-mining town, on the northwest side of the Silver Bell Mountains, south of Sasco. Remains include the cemetery and tailing piles. There are no buildings. Silverbell dates to 1904, and once had 3000 people.  It appears to have been dislocated by a modern mining operation.

·        Sec 33, T11S, R8E, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 32.4306250 / 32° 25' 50" N

·        Longitude: -111.5381717 / 111° 32' 17" W

#2...Silver Bell was established in 1948, about four miles southeast of the old site on the southeast side of the Silver Bell Mountains,. Today, only a few foundations mark the second site just south of the huge modern mining operation. It is located 24 miles west of Rillito, which is on I-10 at EXIT 242, about 18 miles northwest of Tucson.

·        NW¼ Sec 14, T12S, R8E, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 32.3834038 / 32° 23' 00" N

·        Longitude: -111.5006893 / 111° 30' 02" W

SUPERIOR

Pinal Co.

Superior doesn’t make many ghost town lists, but then with a 2010 population 2837, it is too big for most folks to even bother looking at, even though it is way down from its 1970 population of 5028.  However, their loss is our gain.  This wonderful class E copper-mining town is located just off US 60/70, between Phoenix and Globe in the heart of Arizona’s copper country.  It is NOT a town on the go, and the population trends bear that out.  Overlook the modern façade along the main highway and stop to visit the colorful buildings lining Main Street in the old downtown. Here several blocks of predominately abandoned buildings with their faded signs hearken back to a day when this was a major copper mining town. Superior dates to 1910 when the Magma Copper Mining Company took over the old Silver King Diggings to get at the wealth of copper underlying the worked-out silver deposits.  These deposits were so rich that the mines produced through the depths of the Great Depression (1929-1933.) 

Today’s Superior is a movie-set like early 1900s downtown with a few growing gaps.  The old theater pictured in this 2003 view was torn down a few years ago and its site is an empty hole in the buildings.  A portion of the Magma Hotel has followed suit.  Few cars line the street, and the painted parking places almost seem like an oxymoron.  The café is empty and reflects the old hotel.  Another item that I’ve noticed happen between my visits in 2003 and May 2009 is the downgrading of the flashing signal light at Main Street & Magma Avenue to a stop sign.  Ahhh, reverse progress!  Hey, at least the old saloon is still open!

This is one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST TOWNS: Yesterday & Today^TM.

·        NW¼ Sec 14, T1S, R12E, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 32.3834038 / 32° 23' 00" N

·        Longitude: -111.5006893 / 111° 30' 02" W

SWANSEA

AKA - Signal

La Paz Co.

Philip Varney, Arizona's premier ghost town writer has called “The dusty ruin of Swansea, a premier ghost town...” This early 1900s class B copper-mining town is located four miles south of the Bill Williams River, 25 miles east of Parker. It has numerous ruins, but is accessible only via four-wheel drive road.

·        N-Ctr Sec 32, T10N, R15W, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 34.1700198 / 34° 10' 12" N

·        Longitude: -113.8460490 / 113° 50' 46" W

TOMBSTONE

Cochise Co.

This is a class E/F silver-mining town that caters to visitors. Like Deadwood (SD) and Virginia City (NV), Tombstone is one of the Old West's legendary mining towns. It is full of history, and is a magnet for tourists, especially non-Americans. The "Town Too Tough To Die" is on US 80, about 75 miles southeast of Tucson.  However, the true history is hidden behind a touristy glitz that attracts foreign tourists like a magnet.  Even so, it is an interesting and worthwhile stop.  It was the Cochise County seat from 1881-1929, when it lost it to Bisbee.  Despite that, it is a fun and fascinating place to visit and some 1380 folks still lived there at the time of the 2010 census.

·        Corner of Secs 1, 2, 11, 12, T20S, R22E, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 31.7128683 / 31° 42' 46" N

·        Longitude: -110.0675764 / 110° 04' 03" W

Two Guns

Coconino Co.

TWO GUNS is located on the south side of I-40/old Route 66 at EXIT 230, east of Flagstaff.  It was an old Class C road town/trading post/campground and has ruins and relics remaining from two separate boom periods. 

See our Two Guns page for additional details.

VULTURE CITY

Maricopa Co.

This is a privately-owned class C gold-mining town located on Vulture Mine Road, a dozen miles south of US-60 at a point four miles west of Wickenburg. It was active from the 1860s through the 1880s and is filled with picturesque ruins and standing buildings. 

This wonderful old ghost is now currently closed to the public.

See our VULTURE CITY page for additional details.

This is one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST TOWNS: Yesterday & Today^TM.

WHITE HILLS

Mohave Co.

The site of this class B silver-mining town is hard to find. It is located five miles east of US 93, 44 miles north of Kingman. A little rubble and the remains of a reservoir mark where a town of several hundred folks, a dozen saloons, several stores and other amenities thrived a century ago.  The GNIS arrow shows the site wrong.  The actual site is a bit south along White Hills Road at the junction just before entering the canyon about ¾ of a mile west of the reservoir.

SITE:

·        NE¼ Sec 14, T27N, R20W, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 35.730968

·        Longitude: -114.386934

RESERVOIR:

·        NW¼ Sec 13, T27N, R20W, Gila & Salt River Meridian

·        Latitude: 35.731342

·        Longitude: -114.374220

YUMA TERRITORIAL PRISON

Yuma Co.

Though technically not a ghost TOWN, this is a historic class C/F site and is located at Yuma, in the extreme southwest tip of the state. It is a state park, and is well worth a stop. This is the remains of the old territorial prison, and has extensive ruins, including the roofless  central cellblock, dugout cells, watch tower, and other restored structures.  The cemetery also remains.  Many of the prison cells still have the original heavy bars and some have had beds reinstalled to show how bad the conditions were. Walking through the entrance gate really takes you back into the real Wild West.

·        SE corner Sec 35, T18S, R22E, San Bernardino Meridian*

·        Latitude: 32.7278247 / 32° 43' 40" N

·        Longitude: -114.6152300 / 114° 36' 55" W

*NOTE:  A tiny portion of the Yuma area falls outside of Arizona’s Township & Range survey system and into the CA system.  The Yuma TP is in the far southeastern corner of that CA system, the southern line of which extends west down 1^st Street, then directly to the southern border of CA with Mexico.  On the south and east side of the park, thence south of that line is the AZ system.

There are over 50,000 ghost towns scattered across the United States of America. Gary B. Speck Publications is trying to capture as many of these historical locations as possible and is currently in process of publishing unique state, regional, and county guides called The Ghost Town Guru's Guide to the Ghost Towns of *** ™.  These original guides are designed for anybody interested in ghost towns. Whether you are a casual tourist looking for a new and different place to visit, or a hard-core ghost town researcher, these guides will be just right for you. With over 30 years of research behind them, they will be a welcome addition to any ghost towner's library.

For more information on the ghost towns of ARIZONA, contact us at Ghost Town USA.

E-mailers, PLEASE NOTE:  Due to the tremendous amount of viruses, worms and “spam,” out there, I no longer open or respond to any e-mails with unsolicited attachments, OR messages on the subject lines with “Hey”, “Hi”, “Need help”, “Help Please”, “???”, or blank subject lines, etc.  If you do send E-mail asking for information, or sharing information, PLEASE indicate the appropriate location AND state name, or other topic on the “subject” line.   

Thank you, and we'll see you out on the Ghost Town Trail!

IMPORTANT NOTE

These listings and historical vignettes of ghost towns, near-ghost towns and other historical sites in ARIZONA as shown above are for informational purposes only, and should NOT be construed to grant permission to trespass, metal detect, relic or treasure hunt at any of the listed sites.

If the reader of this guide is a metal detector user and plans to use this guide to locate sites for metal detecting or relic hunting, it is the READER'S responsibility to obtain written permission from the legal property owners. Please be advised, that any state or nationally owned sites will probably be off-limits to metal detector use. Also be aware of any federal, state or local laws restricting the same.   ALWAYS respect the rights of the landowners. 

When you are exploring the ghost towns of ARIZONA, please abide by the

Ghost Towner's Code of Ethics.