Quick Answers
- Oatman is a Route 66 ghost town in the Black Mountains of western Arizona, where wild burros descended from miners’ pack animals still roam the main street freely
- ⚠️ The Oatman Road through the Black Mountains is NOT safe for large RVs; steep switchbacks and hairpin turns make it dangerous for rigs over 25 feet; all large rig travelers must park in Golden Valley and drive a smaller vehicle in
- Black Mountain RV Park on Oatman Road is the closest RV park to town at ~8 miles, self-check-in, basic facilities, $35 per night
- Tradewinds RV Park in Golden Valley is the best full-service commercial base camp for the Oatman corridor, with large gravel sites, a dog park, and Passport America rates
- Three Hookhub private land listings in Golden Valley start at $29 per night with full hookups, the most affordable base camp option in the corridor
The wild burros of Oatman, Arizona, do not belong to anyone. They wander in from the surrounding desert at their own convenience, walk through tourists photographing them on the wooden sidewalk, accept carrots from gift shop vendors, and occasionally block traffic on Route 66 when they decide the middle of the road is an acceptable place to stand.
The Bureau of Land Management protects them as feral animals descended from the donkeys and mules left by miners when the gold played out and the population scattered. They have lived in the Black Mountains since the 1940s and intend to continue doing so.
The town around them is one of the best-preserved Route 66 ghost towns in Arizona, a wooden main street of 1902-era buildings that survived the mining bust, the Route 66 bypass, and several decades of near-abandonment before tourism discovered it. Oatman today has gift shops, a café, daily gunfight shows, gold mine tours, and the Oatman Hotel, where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard reportedly spent their honeymoon night after a 1939 elopement in Kingman.
It also has one of Arizona’s most RV-unfriendly roads, which is why experienced RV travelers leave larger rigs in Golden Valley or Kingman and drive into town.
What Is Oatman and Why Is the Road a Problem?
Oatman sits in the Black Mountains of Mohave County, Arizona, at about 2,700 feet elevation, reachable via the original Route 66 alignment that climbs from the Mojave Desert floor through dramatic volcanic terrain with hairpin switchbacks, sheer drop-offs, no guardrails on most sections, and zero turnaround space for vehicles over 25 feet.
The road is spectacular and genuinely one of the most dramatic surviving Route 66 alignments in existence. It is also completely inappropriate for full-size motorhomes, large fifth wheels, or any trailer combination that cannot back out of a situation with nowhere to go.
The practical solution is the same one experienced Route 66 travelers use for Oatman: base camp in Golden Valley or Kingman, drive a tow vehicle or passenger car to Oatman, and spend the day on foot. If you decide to take Old Route 66, leave the camper at the park. There are some very narrow curves and no guardrails in most places, but it is well worth the trip.
Golden Valley sits approximately 10 miles east of Kingman on the I-40 corridor, and the approach to Oatman via SR-68 and Oatman Road adds another 18-20 miles. The full drive from Golden Valley to Oatman in a car takes approximately 35-40 minutes.
What Can You Do in Oatman?
The wild burros: Every visit to Oatman includes at least one burro encounter, and most visitors spend as much time with the animals as they do in the shops. The burros are habituated to people but remain genuinely wild; they approach on their own terms, accept carrots and vegetables sold by nearby vendors, and are not domesticated in any meaningful way. The BLM monitors their population and health. Feeding them processed food or anything other than carrots, apples, and hay is discouraged. They are most active on the main street in the morning and late afternoon.
The Oatman Hotel and Route 66 history: The Oatman Hotel, built in 1902, is the oldest two-story adobe structure in Mohave County and the social center of the town’s Route 66 identity. The Clark Gable and Carole Lombard honeymoon room is still visible as a display. The hotel’s café serves coffee and meals and is the primary sit-down dining option in town.
Gunfight shows: Staged Route 66-era gunfight performances run on the main street on most weekend afternoons, a tourist tradition that draws families specifically during the October through April visitor season. Check current schedules on arrival.
Gold mine tours: The Black Mountains surrounding Oatman produced significant gold strikes beginning in the early 1900s. Several historic mining sites and guided mine tours help visitors understand Oatman’s gold rush history, while abandoned mining structures remain visible throughout the surrounding hills.
Route 66 driving: The Oatman Road approach from Topock on the California side of the Colorado River is the most dramatic and historically significant section of surviving Route 66 in Arizona. Driving it in a passenger car with time to stop at overlooks and pullouts is the full Route 66 experience that large rig travelers access by leaving their rigs in Golden Valley. Needles, California, sits about 30 miles west of the California state border, and the drive from Needles to Oatman over the Black Mountains, the original Route 66 crossing, is one of the corridor’s most rewarding single-day drives.
Bullhead City and Laughlin day trips: Bullhead City sits approximately 15 miles north of Oatman on the Colorado River. Across the river from Bullhead City, Laughlin, Nevada, operates a casino corridor with riverfront hotels, golf courses, and entertainment. The Colorado River beach and swimming areas between Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City provide summer water recreation within reach of a Golden Valley base camp.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Oatman?
October through April is the only comfortable season for Oatman. The town sits in the Mojave Desert at relatively low elevation, and summer temperatures on the desert floor regularly exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit from June through September. The burros seek shade, and the main street empties by 10 a.m. in July. October through April delivers mild temperatures in the 60s to mid-70s, active burro street presence throughout the day, and the peak visitor season when the gunfight shows and mine tours run on full schedule.
Winter (November through February) is actually the most pleasant season, warm enough by midday to walk the main street comfortably, cool enough in the morning to see wildlife activity in the surrounding desert, and quiet enough that weekend crowds are manageable. Temperature contrast between the desert floor and the mountain road creates occasional mist and dramatic low cloud conditions that make Oatman’s wooden storefronts look genuinely atmospheric.
Spring wildflower season (February through April) can add a visual dimension to the Black Mountains approach; the lower desert slopes sometimes produce poppies and brittlebush blooms during good rain years.
Where to Park Your RV Near Oatman
⚠️ Repeat critical note: The Oatman Road through the Black Mountains is not safe for large RVs. All rigs over 25 feet must park in Golden Valley or Kingman and drive a passenger vehicle to Oatman. This applies without exception to Class A motorhomes, full-size fifth wheels, and any loaded trailer combination.
Black Mountain RV Park: Closest to Oatman
Black Mountain RV Park is located about 8 miles from Oatman on Oatman Road in Golden Valley, the closest RV park to the ghost town. The owners are friendly, and this is not a chain, so they take pride in their service to travelers passing through. Spaces are clean and level.
The practical realities: there is no staff on location, you fill out a form, put in your $35, and slip it through a drop box. Bathrooms, showers (at an extra charge), and laundry facilities are on site but locked; call the owner’s number to gain access. No store, no vending machines on the property. The closest full grocery store is in Kingman, about 25 minutes away. If you don’t want to drive into town, pack everything you need before arriving. Despite its primitive character, Black Mountain RV Park is the correct choice for travelers who specifically need the closest possible overnight proximity to Oatman. Despite Oatman being only 8 miles away, it’s at least a 30-minute drive through twisty mountain roads.
Tradewinds RV Park: Best Full-Service Base Camp
Tradewinds is a comfortable and welcoming RV park in Golden Valley, Arizona, an ideal base camp for Las Vegas, Laughlin, Bullhead City, Kingman, and Route 66 RVing. The park is very friendly, clean, and offers large RV sites. Level gravel sites with full hookups, a dog park, a recreation room, and what multiple reviewers describe as one of the best laundry rooms they have encountered in any RV park, large with many washing machines, exceptionally clean. Passport America is affiliated for member discounts. Monthly rates are available for long-term RV travelers using the park as a winter base. The landscaping includes an antique farm equipment display that gives the park genuine character above the standard commercial RV park aesthetic.
Hookhub Private Land: Golden Valley
These three listings are on Hookhub, which produced this guide. All three are in Golden Valley, the I-40 corridor base camp for Oatman travelers who want full hookups at private land pricing.
Golden Valley RV Space has two spacious sites at 60 feet wide by 100 feet long with full hookups at $29 per night, the most accommodating private land site in the immediate corridor for large rigs. Pull-through parking. Full mountain views to the south. Electric is billed separately from the nightly rate.
Relax in Glorious High Desert has three pull-through sites at 30 feet wide by 50 feet long with a sewage hookup at $29 per night. Pets welcome. Open desert setting with sunset views across the Mojave corridor toward the Black Mountains.
Fenced 1/2 Acre with Hookups and TREES is a third Golden Valley option on a fenced half-acre property with hookups and tree cover, notable for its shade in a desert corridor where most open sites have none. Check current availability and pricing directly through the listing.
Search current Golden Valley private RV parking for all three listings and availability.
Practical Trip Planning
Fuel and groceries: Kingman has full commercial services on Andy Devine Avenue and the I-40 interchange. Golden Valley has limited local services. The closest full grocery store to Oatman is in Kingman, about 25 minutes away. Plan all resupply before reaching the Oatman Road area.
Getting to Oatman from Golden Valley: Take SR-68 west toward Topock, then turn south on Oatman Road before reaching Bullhead City. The road through the Black Mountains is paved, signed, and navigable in a passenger vehicle; allow 35-40 minutes from Golden Valley. Alternatively, approach from Topock on the California side via I-40 west and the original Route 66 for the full mountain driving experience. GPS may route you through Bullhead City; both approaches work.
Cell coverage: Reasonable in Golden Valley and Kingman. Coverage disappears on the Oatman Mountain Road and is limited in Oatman itself.
Day trip additions: Lake Havasu City is approximately 35-40 miles south, the famous London Bridge, relocated stone by stone from England in 1968, spans the channel between the city and Lake Havasu. The bridge and the English Village surrounding it make for a half-day add-on during an Oatman-area stay. Joshua Tree National Park is approximately 80 miles west of California for multi-day loop travelers.
FAQ
Can I drive my large RV to Oatman on Route 66?
No, not safely, and not advisably. The Route 66 alignment through the Black Mountains between Kingman and Oatman involves steep grades, hairpin switchbacks, and a narrow two-lane road with minimal clearance and no turnaround space. Every experienced Route 66 traveler recommends the same approach: park the rig in Kingman or Golden Valley and drive a passenger vehicle or tow vehicle to Oatman. Black Mountain RV Park, 8 miles from Oatman on Oatman Road, is the closest overnight parking to the town accessible by larger rigs. From Golden Valley via SR-68, a passenger car reaches Oatman in approximately 35-40 minutes.
Are the Oatman burros safe to approach?
Yes, with reasonable caution. The burros are BLM-protected feral animals that have been habituated to tourist interaction over decades; they approach people voluntarily and accept food from visitors. They are not domesticated, and their behavior remains unpredictable at close range. Do not approach a burro from behind, do not feed them processed or salty foods, and keep children supervised during interactions. Carrots, apples, and hay are the recommended offerings and are sold by vendors on the main street. The BLM monitors the herd’s health and population.
What is the best time of year to visit Oatman?
October through April. Oatman’s desert floor location at low elevation means extreme heat from June through September, temperatures exceed 110 degrees regularly in July and August, making the main street uncomfortable past 9 am. The October through April window provides mild temperatures for walking the main street, comfortable conditions for the Black Mountains drive, and the peak schedule for gunfight shows and mine tours. Winter weekdays in January and February are the quietest and most atmospheric time to visit.
Ready to plan your Oatman trip?
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