The Road to Crown King

Crown King, located in the Ponderosa Pines of the Bradshaw Mountains can be best described as a Ghost Town with residents. At approximately 5900 ft. in elevation, it's a close get-away from the summer heat of Phoenix and home to many a summer cabin along with a handful of fulltime residents.

On our last trip to Crown King we had a goal in mind when we set off on our backroad ride. Vicky and I are big fans of Cemeteries and Crown King's had been on our list for some time.

While there are 2 roads to Crown King from Phoenix, we decided for this trip the more leisurely route, not wanting to have to engage 4 Wheel Drive in our Jeep, for a change this trip wasn't about 20 miles in 4 hours. This backroad can be done in a 2 wheel drive sedan.

Heading north from Phoenix on Interstate-17, on a beautiful early summer morning, we passed Pioneer Living History Museum, Anthem, New River and mile-upon-mile of Saguaro cacti as we climbed higher into the northern reaches of the Sonoran Desert. Passing another of my favorite backroads, Table Mesa Road, we continue north to Black Canyon City and the steep climb up the escarpment from the Sonoran Desert to the high desert of central Arizona and the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains.

We exited I-17 about 3.5 miles north of Black Canyon City at the Bumble Bee/Crown King exit, turned left and this is were the backroad adventure begins.

Very quickly the pavement ends and you hit the washboard of an Arizona dirt road.

First up is a wide spot in the road known as Bumble Bee. Originally a U.S. Cavalry outpost in 1863, it later became a stop on the Prescott-Phoenix Stage. How the town got it's name is up for some debate. I tend to lean toward the disturbing of a bee hive by prospectors rather than the story of military attachments claiming that Indians in the area were as thick as Bumble Bees.

Bumble Bee is a great first stop on this trip. On the right, straight across from the crumbling townsite built in the 1930's as a tourist attraction is the Trading Post. The Trading Post is housed in the old Bumble Bee school and serves a great hamburger, cold beer and stories stop. Among the decor, you'll find at the counter gold nuggets recently found in the area and housed under glass. Behind the counter you'll find a body willing to talk about them, but don't expect to get the exact location of where the nuggets were found. This is gold country after all.

Heading out on the road to Crown King from Bumble Bee you'll travel the washboard across the desert and be taken by the stark beauty. Mountain's rise all around on the near horizon topped with pine coverd oases and yet you're surrounded by desert. At this point you know that the pine forest is only a switchback or three up the 4000 ft. mountain's around you.

About 9 miles from Bumble Bee you'll pass through Cleator. If Bumble Bee is a wide spot in the road, than Cleator is a pull out. Cleator lies at the base of the Bradshaw Mountains and was a train stop for the gold ore coming from the Crowned King.

Remaining in Cleator are miner shacks, town buildings and the one building that still is inhabitated on certain hours on certain days. Cleator was center of the gold ore moving beyond the Bradshaw Mining District and to this day you can stop into the saloon in Cleator and talk about the old days... as long as it's open.

Named after James Cleator who aquired the town ca. 1905, the town is still owned by the Cleator family. Cleator is also the beginning or terminus of the Impossible Railroad depending on which way you're headed, and from this point forward you are driving in the tracks of the Impossible Railroad all the way to Crown King.

Frank Murphy began construction of the Impossible Railroad from Cleator to Crown King in 1895. Disbelivers said the railroad couldn't be built because of the steep terrain and called the venture impossible. By 1904, the narrow gauge railroad was complete and today you and I travel over the road bed to Crown King.

Leaving Cleator, you'll drive across the desert and then begin climbing up into the Bradshaws. Along with the mine tailings and shafts you'll see to your left and right you will also notice that as you make your way up the road, that you are in a series of switchbacks. These switchbacks, each about a mile, allowed the train engineer to push and pull his train up the mountain, or if headed the opposite way, to be pushed and pulled down the mountain.

Right outside Crown King the road narrows to one lane around an outcrop in the mountain. Once past that, the town of Crown King awaits your exploration.

Crown King formed around the Crowned King Gold Mine from which the town get's it name. The first claim in the Crown King area was filed in July 1875. Crown King was officially established when a Post Office was opened June 29, 1888. Currently, Crown King's downtown boasts a General Store and Saloon (moved from the ghost town of Oro Belle, just down the road). There are also many original buildings in the area but beware, most are occupied.

The cemetery is a bit hard to find and even with directions I got lost. The cemetery is located in nice stand of Ponderosa Pine and provides a great history lesson on the people who lived in Crown King during it's mining heydays. For directions to the cemetery, inquire at the store.

Tips on Arizona Backroad Travel

• Carry plenty of drinking water
  
• Let someone know where you're going and when you plan to return - If traveling from out-of-state let your concierge or front-desk know.
  
• Check weather conditions before leaving.

Additional Reading

Guide to Arizona Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails
Arizona Ghost Towns and Mining Camps: A Travel Guide to History
Backcountry Adventures Arizona: The Ultimate Guide to the Arizona Backcountry for Anyone With a Sport Utility Vehicle ·