Oatman and the Oatman Highway

As I explained in my last post on Kingman, Arizona, we followed Route 66 out of Kingman until it ran along I-40. We then took the first right turn to cross I-40, then left on AZ 10, to continue on one of the most famous stretches of Route 66: the Oatman Highway. This was Route 66 between Kingman and Topock, Arizona, until 1952, when a new Route 66 “alignment” was built along what’s now I-40.

The Oatman Highway is known for three things: some of the most beautiful scenery along Route 66, the adorable town of Oatman, Arizona, and nerve-wracking hairpin turns, many with no guardrails. In fact, one of the highway’s nicknames is the Sidewinder. A sign in Oatman claims the road as 191 curves in 8 miles. Oatman Highway is perfectly safe if you drive carefully and the weather is good. But if you think you’d be too nervous to enjoy the drive, don’t go. After all, Route 66 is supposed to be fun! If you don’t want to drive a road with 191 curves in 8 miles but still want to see Oatman, drive up to Oatman and back from Topock—that stretch has far fewer curves.

About 18 miles past the turn onto AZ 10 is Cool Springs Station, built in 1926.

Cool Springs Station, Arizona

We stopped here to buy some snacks—I also treated myself to a Route 66 jigsaw puzzle—and enjoy the great views.

Past Cool Springs Station, the Oatman Highway starts to get dramatic.

Oatman Highway west of Cool Springs

About 10 miles before Oatman, we saw our first wild burros.

Burros along the Oatman Highway

Burros were brought to Oatman in the early 1900s as pack animals for the town’s gold mines. When the mines closed, they were set free. Today they approach tourists looking for treats. But they can get sick from most food, including carrots, so they should only be fed burro kibble sold in stores in Oatman.

Here one of the burros, clearly serving as a security guard, checked us out very thoroughly.

A burro checking us out along the Oatman Highway

When we assured him that we would only feed the burros approved kibble, he let us pass.

Now we began to see some of the Oatman Highway’s famous hairpin turns…

A hairpin turn on the Oatman Highway

…as well as some of its great views.

View from the Oatman Highway

About 4 miles before Oatman is Sitgreaves Pass with spectacular views. Fortunately there’s a pull-off here with plenty of parking.

View from Sitgreaves Pass along the Oatman Highway

There are a lot of memorials at Sitgreaves Pass.

Memorials at Sitgreaves Pass

I read that the memorials are tributes to loved ones who have died and whose ashes have been scattered here.

And then we reached Oatman, one of the highlights of any Route 66 road trip.

Oatman, Arizona

Oatman is a former gold rush town, founded in the early 1900s. It was named for Olive Oatman, who was captured by a Native American tribe when she was a teenager. While she was with the Mohave people, her chin was tattooed, consistent with Mohave tradition. After five years, she was returned to white society. She eventually gave lectures on her experience. Today it’s hard to tell how accurate her lectures were or what her true experience was.

Olive Oatman Restaurant in Oatman

At its peak, Oatman had thousands of residents. When the gold mines were tapped out, Oatman became a ghost town, and most of the buildings burned in a fire in 1920. Today it’s been transformed from a ghost town to a “Wild West” tourist town with a population of about 100. There are even wood sidewalks, just like in Western movies.

Some of Oatman's wood sidewalks

It was hard for me to tell which buildings are original and which have been built more recently to add to the town’s character.

The burros wander the town looking for treats from visitors (or, as one guidebook said, shaking down visitors for treats). Remember to feed them only burro kibble, available in some of the shops.

Oatman burros

And when I say the burros wander the town, I mean everywhere.

Oatman burros checking things out

Oatman’s business district is just a couple of blocks long, so it’s easy to see everything on foot. At 181 Main Street is the Oatman Hotel and Saloon. It was built in either 1902 or 1922 (sources give varying dates). There’s a legend that Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent their honeymoon here…but they didn’t.

Oatman Hotel & Saloon

On the north corner of Main Street and Rock Hound Hill Road is the former Oatman Drug Company, sometimes referred to as the Glory Hole.

Former Oatman Drug Company building

This building was built in 1915 and survived the 1920 fire. It was originally a saloon, then a drug store. 

Across the street is a sign commemorating your completion of the Oatman Highway.

Sidewinder sign in Oatman

If you look to the southeast, you can see Elephant’s Tooth Mountain, which is actually a volcanic plug.

Elephant's Tooth Mountain behind one of Oatman's shops

There are a lot of other fun buildings in Oatman. For example, this building at 280 Main Street has a ghost sign for Lee Lumber Company.

One of Oatman's shops, with a "ghost sign" for Lee Lumber

But, as I said, I’m not sure which buildings are old and which are just built to look old. I would love to know more about the story of Oatman's renaissance--how it happened and who was involved.

West of Oatman, the Oatman Highway (AZ 10) no longer twists and turns. It’s now a pretty straight drive to Topock, Arizona, and the California state line.

Oatman Highway (Route 66) west of Oatman