Take A Thrilling Road Trip To The 10 Most Abandoned Places In Arizona
Monica Spencer
Author
Who’s up for a road trip? Of the eeriest kind, of course. If you’ve never visited these abandoned places in Arizona, then this road trip that takes you through the heart of the Northern edge of the state is well worth a Saturday adventure. From an abandoned trading post to desert ghost towns, there’s no ghostly place left unturned on this trip through the sun-bleached deserts of Arizona. Take a look and maybe plan a road trip of your own, friends. There’s nothing like a day spent exploring abandoned places in Arizona.
You can view the road trip map by clicking this link here. (Note: it is for viewing only, it will not allow you to make alterations.)
The ruins were home to the Sinagua people from about 1070 to 1275 AD and may have once functioned as a trading site. In addition to finding the usual pots and tools in the site, archaeologists have also excavated uncommon items such as macaw feathers and shell jewelry unique to the Pacific coast here.
After parking, you can walk a short trail right up to the ruins, where most of the rooms have been uncovered. Brochures are typically available on site with information for a self-guided tour. Expect to spend about 30 minutes walking around and learning about the area.
The area is now state trust land and is blocked off by concrete barriers just tall enough to prevent vehicles from stopping here. This hasn’t, however, stopped some people from pulling off the road just before or after the barriers and proceeding on foot. Stay safe and you might be able to get away with slowing down just enough to get a decent photo or two from your car.
The ghost town sits right on the edge of the Navajo Nation, making the area inaccessible to most Arizonans. The foundations of a few buildings sit on the south side of the tracks but more exist on the north side, which would require either dangerously crossing the tracks (I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS) or slowly driving many, many miles on dirt roads from Highway 99.
I have read a couple of rumors that the Navajo Nation is considering rebuilding a portion of the town for a tourist attraction but there’s no telling when that may take place. In the mean time, you can explore the area via Youtube.
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Today only remains of the building continue to stand.
While here, you might as well enjoy the crater and the new visitor center, so expect to spend about an hour or so walking around. If you get hungry, there is a Subway located here, so you can choose to eat there or wait until you get to Winslow.
This place was once the home of the world’s largest dreamcatcher—which has since been demoted by one in Russia—and the world’s largest map of Route 66. The map has fallen over and been destroyed by time and weather, but it still notes one of the most haunted places in Arizona.
Homolovi features four pueblos sitting along the Little Colorado River but only two of them are open to the public. Both are a short distance from the visitors center. Occasionally, the park will host guided tours to the other two pueblos in addition to workshops about petroglyphs, petrified wood, and Hopi culture.
Sunset, or rather what remains of it, is located in the same area and sits a few hundred feet west of the visitors center. The settlement was established in 1876 by a group of Mormons who were sent to colonize the Little Colorado River Valley. The group of 102 built small homes, a dining hall, and even set up a small post office and a newspaper. They stayed for only a few years before moving to other parts of the West. Today, all that remains is a little cemetery and a small plaque marking it as a historic site.
Ella’s Frontier Trading Post began in 1927 as a place called San Diego’s Old Frontier. It went through a couple of owners before landing in the hands of Ella Blackwell in 1955. Blackwell was a classically trained pianist who somehow ended up near Joseph City and ran the store until her death in 1984. Since then, the property has sat abandoned and nearly forgotten.
Nearby is the Big Arrow Campground, an abandoned camping site that was another casualty Route 66’s closure. You can find light posts, swing sets, and other fixtures still sitting here almost undisturbed.
How many of these abandoned places in Arizona have you been to? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments.
Want to explore Arizona through a road trip in another part of the state? Check out our article This Haunting Road Trip Through Arizona Ghost Towns Is One You Won’t Forget!
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More to Explore
Abandoned Places In Arizona
What is the most famous abandoned place in Arizona?
Arizona is known for its eerie desert landscapes, many of which are abandoned and left to the ravages of time, but perhaps some of the most famous abandoned places in Arizona are found in and around its now-defunct cities. Ghost towns, if you will. From the Twin Arrows trading post to the empty jailhouse in Salt River Canyon or the vacant dog track in Black Canyon City, there are all sorts of places rife with eerie inspiration. Visit the Tumacacori Mission ruins, if you have the chance, or visit Trotting Park in Phoenix. There’s no end to creepy places in Arizona, friends. You simply have to look for them.
What is the most haunted place in Arizona?
Arizona’s storied desert towns hold quite a few scary secrets. The Hotel San Carlos in Phoenix is known as a haunted hotel, where a young woman threw herself from the windows to the street below. Guests say they have seen a ghostly young woman wandering the halls, and screaming children have been heard late at night. If you’re willing to take the risk, then you just might want to book a night or two.
Can I go ghost hunting in Arizona?
You can go ghost hunting anywhere if you believe! Arizona hosts a series of ghost tours throughout the state, from the famed Tours of Jerome that walk you through classic haunted spots in the small town to the five tours and ghost hunts hosted by the Old Bisbee Ghost Tour company in Old Bisbee.