Goldfield Ghost Town, Day Trip on the Apache Trail Arizona
Goldfield Ghost Town is located on the Apache Trail at the base of the Superstition Mountains. Travel and Leisure named it one of America’s Coolest Ghost Towns and I agree. The Apache Trail is a 40-mile scenic drive that begins in Apache Junction and travels through the Superstition Mountains to Goldfield Ghost Town, Tortilla Flat, and Canyon Lake. Goldfield Ghost Town is a great day trip from Phoenix or Scottsdale.
Gold was found near the Superstition Mountains in 1890. The mining town of Goldfield emerged in 1893. At one point there were 4,000 residents, 3 saloons, a boarding house, a general store, a blacksmith, a butcher, a post office, and a school. In its heyday, there were 50 working mines in the district, and 4 million in gold was extracted. By 1898 the mine dried up and miners moved to the next boomtown. A second attempt to mine gold was made in the 1920s without success.
Bob Schoose purchased the abandoned town and mine in 1984 and restored the property. Today you can explore an underground mine, check out the view from a zipline, take a horseback ride in the desert, stroll the boardwalks and refurbished buildings, tour an old brothel, enjoy a narrow-gauge train ride around the property, drink a prickly pear lemonade, and watch a gunfight reenactment.
Watching a gunfight is a fun way to experience the Wild West and the Goldfield Gunfighters do not disappoint. Be sure to watch the shootout over a Wells Fargo money box every Sat and Sun 12-4 pm on Main Street, and stay for the surprise ending. Tip: grab a spot in the shade, the Arizona sun is hot.
Every ghost town needs a ghost, Goldfield is a trench-coated figure with a cowboy hat who enjoys making noises and scaring tourists. Mournful voices in the saloon and an apparition floating behind the bar have also been noted. The Travel Channels Ghost Adventures spent a night in Goldfield in 2015 and experienced paranormal activity. Watch the recap here.
While traveling the Apache Trail, consider a stop at the Superstition Mountain Museum to check out the memorabilia from the Apacheland western movie set. Tortilla Flat is an old stagecoach stop; pull up a saddle-covered bar stool in the Superstition Saloon for a burger at lunch. Dolly Steamboat offers narrated nature cruises around the Canyon Lake reservoir on the Salt River and the Superstition Mountains have several horse or jeep tours to choose from. The Barleen’s Arizona Opry dinner and the show is a great way to end the day on the Apache Trail.
Check the Goldfield Ghost Town website for current events
Arizona is full of great ghost towns. Tombstone, Oatman, Bisbee, and Goldfield are all fun to visit. Goldfield Ghost Town is a great day trip 39 miles from Phoenix or 32 miles from Scottsdale on the Apache Trail.
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