A lil ol’ town that refuses to die…

Come spend the day in Oatman. This family friendly town has so much to offer. From the history, to the relics, to the gunfights, to the mine tour, to the shops, to the souvenirs, to the photo opportunities, the wild burros in the streets, the “Arizona Sidewinder”, and so much more. Not to mention the people of Oatman. We hope to see you soon.

Nestled between Laughlin, NV, Kingman, AZ, and Needles, CA lies the historic mining town of Oatman, AZ. Situated on a desolate stretch of road, in the middle of the Mohave desert. Oatman is prime example of so many other gold rush towns in America. In the late 1800’s, only a handful of prospectors were in the area, then a select few struck a BUNCH of gold, and thousands flocked to the area to try to get a piece.

Seemingly overnight, the population exploded to as many as 10,000 residents in the “Oatman area”. At one point, there were as many as two banks, seven hotels, twenty saloons and ten stores. Nowadays, all of the buildings have been turned into stores, many of which are in the original buildings. The population, at is seasonal peak, is only around 100. However, that doesn’t keep Oatman from being a thriving town.

You see, in the early 1940’s, the mining all died. However, in 1926 the federal government designated the east/west roadway system known as “Route 66”. Luckily for Oatman, it came right thru town!! So the miners were replaced by tourist traffic, and that is what has kept Oatman alive to this day. Unlike so many other recreations of wild west towns, Oatman is no recreation. It is the REAL DEAL.

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