Kingman and Northwestern Arizona
You actually have to ask yourself why anyone would want visit Kingman? It’s a dusty backwater town near the northwest corner of Arizona that most people only glimpse as they fly past on Interstate 41 on their way to somewhere else. This included ourselves on a previous RV trip to the southwest.
Those that are exploring Old Route 66 may find more compelling reasons to stop and spend some time here. We actually had another reason to visit Kingman. Linda’s sister and her husband had recently moved there from Detroit and we figured it was time to drop in for a visit and see why they might have chosen this small, unlikely Arizona town to settle down in, and we’re glad we did!
On the surface, Kingman is a typical small western town, dusty and a little rough around the edges. Founded In the late 1800’s, Kingman came to life when the railroad came through and it grew larger as mining and ranching began to grow in the area with access to the railroad.
Finally, the highway, Route 66 followed suit. This famous road was the main highway across the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s and with it rolling into town, it brought a whole new era of travel accompanied by all the ancillary businesses such as, gas stations, motels, restaurants and tourist shops.
Kingman
Kingman today is mix of a retro vibe embracing the past, with historic buildings and glowing neon signs with frequent classic car events that mixes with the modern city sprawl.
There are some things to do that are definitely worth checking out, such as historic downtown, the Powerhouse Visitor Centre, the Locomotive Park, and nearby natural areas to explore like the Cerbat Foothills Recreation Area and Hualapai Mountain Park.
We also couldn’t resist checking our a local distillery, Desert Diamond Distillery. They are best known for their award winning rum, but also produce whiskies and vodka.
Kingman also is a great jumping off point for lots of other points of interest like Grand Canyon West, Grand Canyon Caverns, the classic western town of Oatman, and Lake Havasu and the London Bridge.
Keepers of the Wild Animal Sanctuary
Our first adventure was about 20 minutes east to the Keepers of the Wild Animal Sanctuary Located in a 175-acre canyon in Valentine, AZ about 20 minutes east of Kingman, this sanctuary has rescued a bunch of wild animals including lions, tigers, wolves, bears, leopards, primates, arctic wolves and various wildlife indigenous to the Southwest. I wouldn’t say a it is a must see experience, but it was definitely a very interesting visit.
Cerbat Foothills Recreation Area
Next we went for a beautiful hike in the Cerbat Foothills Recreation Area very close to town. The trails take you through Mohave Desert scrub/semi-desert grassland traversing the foothills of the Cerbat Mountains. We saw lots of yucca, ocotilla, prickly pear, creosote, and mesquite and at this time of year, (February) lots of these plants are in full bloom. All this vegetation provides habitat for critters like mule deer, the Sonoran desert tortoise, coyotes, foxes, Gambel’s quail, mourning doves, several types of raptors, and many smaller mammals, birds, and reptiles and even cattle. And we did see cattle grazing, as this is considered open range.
Hualupai Mountains
My brother-in-law, Brad took me for a jeep ride in the Hualapai Mountains, a stunning backroad adventure through high Ponderoas Pine forest. Later during our visit, we would drive up into the mountains to the Hualapai Mountain Resort which was built as a feeding hall for the Civilian Conservation Corps working in the area during the depression. Back then it was known as the Pine Lodge. We went up for dinner in the beautiful rustic lodge with great view out large picture windows. As we were parking, we noticed a herd of elk loitering around the lodge…I think they get handouts from the kitchen. During dinner a large herd of mule deer went by the window!
Lake Havasu
An easy day trip from Kingman is Lake Havasu City, a small town on the shores of Lake Havasu, which is a man made reservoir on the Colorado River. It is a popular tourist and local spring break destination. It is also the location of the actual London Bridge, which was bought by a developer from the City of London when the bridge was replaced in 1968. He did it hoping to attract buyers to the region.
We did a short hike in Lake Havasu State Park which led along the lake shore to a beautiful cactus garden. Then we had lunch at nice spot which overlooked the London Bridge, and poked around some of the local shops nearby. Lake Havasu is a beautiful spot, but the town is a bit contrived and very touristy. While I’m glad that we saw it, I can’t say that we would ever go back.
Grand Canyon Caverns
Another day trip to the east of Kingman are the Grand Canyon Caverns. They are a few mile east of Peach Springs, AZ and are the largest the dry caverns in the U.S. The caverns are privately owned and as a result, the place is a bit cheesy. You can get tours through the caverns and even stay there, eat there and even book events such as wedding parties in down in the caverns. While not the most spectacular caverns we have ever been in they were certainly very interesting and well worth the visit! Interestingly, the caverns are also designated as an emergency shelter, you know, in case of nuclear attack and the what not. There is a huge stockpile of emergency supplies down in the caverns, which you will see on your tour.
On the way back from the Grand Canyon Caverns, we stopped at the Hackberry General Store located on the original Route 66 about 20 minutes out of Kingman. This place is definitely worth a stop for some snacks or souvenirs and just to look around! It is a general store and museum rolled all in one. It is a lot of fun to poke around and full of great photo ops!
Route 66 to Oatman
Old historic Route 66 runs from Kingman, up into the hills, and right through Oatman. Oatman is an old mining town situated in the Black Mountains surrounded by dry, sharp, rocky ridges. The drive over the mountain pass into Oatman is very interesting; a twisting, steep, narrow stretch of road. There are some pullouts with fabulous views of the surrounding area along the way. At the top of Sitgreaves Pass, the highest point along the way, you look down into the valleys and plains and you notice many old automobile wrecks and monuments to less fortunate drivers who left the road here many years before.
Oatman
Oatman is famous for its burros, which are descendants of the small donkeys used by miners’ during the early days of mining in the area. The town is home to more burros than people, and you will be guaranteed to see a bunch of them wandering the streets in Oatman, meandering over to see if they can mooch some treats. Don’t bring your own treats for them though! Apparently so many people were feeding them carrots that many of the poor critters were developing diabetes! You can buy inexpensive bags of alfalfa pellets right there, which they love, and are good for them too!
Being a major tourist town you will get your fill of gift and souvenir shops. There are lots of food spots and saloons as well. Oatman gets really busy, so it pays to get there early. If you hang around long enough you may also get to see a gunfight put on by the Oatman Ghost Rider Gunfighters who put on two free shows daily. The friendly performers ask the crowd to gather around in the street while they act out a heist, complete with loud gunshots. Donations are accepted and go to the Shriners Childrens Hospital.
We had a great time here! We loved the town and the burrows…definitely recommended!
Grand Canyon West
The West Rim of the Canyon is quite different from the South or North Rim of the canyon further east and while it may not have as many iconic views, it is still quite spectacular. There are several sights and attractions offered within the Hualapai First Nations run area of Grand Canyon West, including the famous Grand Canyon Skywalk. Once you’ve entered the Hualapai area, you park outside and a really good shuttle bus service get you to all the different sites including:
Eagle Point, which includes an amphitheater, art and gift store, and the Skywalk. There are no railings along the canyon here, just burly or should I say surly, park rangers yelling at people to stay back from the edge.
The glass floored Skywalk is interesting! It is a long way down under your feet… the first step out there kind of gets your heart going. They won’t let you bring anything onto the Skywalk, including cameras, I guess in case they get dropped and crack the glass?
Highpoint Hike is a trail that takes you out to Guano Point with 360° views of the Grand Canyon. At the end of the point there are remnants of a historical tram that once stretched to a guano mine in a cave on the other side of the canyon. The cave was discovered in 1930 and for 20 years miners rode the aerial tramway which spanned 7,500 feet across the river with a vertical lift of 2,500 feet.
We had lunch at the Guano Point Cafe, sitting outside enjoying the incredible views of the Grand Canyon and the antics of some ravens trying to mooch a bite.
Hualapai Ranch is kind of a entertainment park and has lodging, if you’re thinking of staying longer, gift shops, food spots and cowboy entertainment. It’s kind of fun to wander around, and it looks like a great place for families with kids.
All in all, we really enjoyed our visit to Kingman and Northwest Arizona. As I have said, it is an unlikely town to pick for a vacation, but it was great having family there so we did have the opportunity to visit and explore this part of Arizona that we otherwise would have missed. So if you’re cruising by, stop in and check it out!
More Pictures
To see more pictures of this great area or to purchase images for downloads, reprints or gifts, check out our sister website: Brakelightfoto – Arizona
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