Oatman

Oatman is a remarkably authentic Route 66 remnant town on the old Beale Wagon Road in the Black Mountains of western Arizona, about 30 miles east of Needles, California. Founded in 1906 after a major gold strike, Oatman grew to 10,000 residents at its peak and produced $36 million in gold ore before the mines closed following the United States' entry into World War II, when the government mandated gold mine closures to redirect resources toward the war effort. The town's most immediately visible attractions are entirely live: dozens of wild burros — descendants of mining-era pack animals released into the desert when the mines closed in the 1940s — roam freely through the main street, accepting handouts of carrots and hay cubes sold by local shop owners for a few dollars. The burros are officially protected and have become Oatman's defining attraction, drawing visitors who would otherwise bypass this remote Black Mountains outpost. The Oatman Hotel, a two-story adobe structure built in 1902, is where actors Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent their honeymoon night in March 1939 following their marriage in Kingman. The room is preserved and available for viewing. The Route 66 approach to Oatman through Sitgreaves Pass (3,556 feet) is one of the most scenic and challenging stretches of the original highway, climbing 2,700 feet from the desert floor through hairpin turns with extraordinary views down toward the Colorado River Valley. Daily gunfight reenactments on the wooden main street are staged by the local Oatman Gunfighters throughout the afternoon. The town's permanent population of approximately 150 sustains itself almost entirely through tourism from Route 66 road trippers and visitors from across the world drawn to its eccentric authenticity.