Mind the donkeys!!! Well, they are in fact wild burros and wander around aimlessly in Oatman Ghost Town, much like the people who visit.
Keep in mind these are animals with no traffic sense. You’ll see them standing in the middle of the road or dawdling in the bushes, also like the tourists!
They will even come right up to the car and stick their head in hoping for some nosh as this one did. Realizing I wasn’t going to give him something, he snorted and snotted over the camera before heading off!!!
The burros are tame and enjoy a tickle around their ears. Bags of burro food are available for about $1.
These are wild animals and really shouldn’t be given treats from tourists, especially junk food like chips, hamburgers, hotdogs and popcorn! This food is not only incredibly bad for them as they are grazers, which means THEY DON’T EAT MEAT! (We saw someone feeding one a hotdog! How ignorant!!), but can also make them aggressive.
I also discovered that carrots are a big NO-NO too, as they can cause significant health problems, due to the natural sugars. Go figure!
Of course, we did purchase a bag of donkey food for them, even getting chased by one!
Baby burros have stickers put on their heads telling visitors NOT to feed them. And PLEASE, show everyone that you can read and follow the rules. DON’T feed the babies! They do enjoy a cuddle though, so that is encouraged!
The miners used burros over 100 years ago. Some escaped or were let loose by the prospectors, and they thrived, now being one of Oatman’s permanent protected residents.
A short video about the oatman burros
a brief history of oatman
Oatman has a colourful history and named in honour of Olive Oatman, a young lady who was travelling west with her family. The Oatman’s joined a group of Mormons in 1850 who were on their way to the Yuma area to establish a Mormon colony.
14-year-old Olive and her sister, Mary Ann, 7, were kidnapped by the Yavapai and forced into slavery. Mary Ann died, and Olive sold to the Mojave tribe who adopted her as a daughter and tattooed her face in the custom of the tribe. She was rescued in a trade, in 1855.
In 1860 gold was found by Johnny Moss in the small tent city called Vivian. He staked two claims, naming them Moss after himself, the other, Oatman after the young girl who’s kidnapping was now legendary.
It was in the early 1900s that the town boomed and a post office was established in 1904, making Oatman an official town.
Oatman prospered until 1941. Due to World War II, the American Government ceased all gold mining in the town and ordered that minerals mined instead.
haunted hotel
The town has also had its share of Hollywood limelight. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard honeymooned here at the Oatman Hotel, and many movies have used this location. One of the most famous is How the West Was Won and more recently, Killer Holiday.
Drulin Hotel was built in 1902, comprising of eight rooms. After several fires almost destroying the town, Oatman was rebuilt. In 1920, the hotel was repaired and once again open to guests. In the 1960s, Drulin Hotel was renamed Oatman Hotel which coincided with the alignment of Route 66.
The Oatman has its fair share of hauntings too. It is said that Clark and Carole still frequent the establishment, as they have such fond memories of the place. Staff have heard laughter coming from inside their room.
The spirit of a chambermaid has been seen on the upper levels and is often taking naps in the beds, leaving imprints in the dusty bedlinen.
And then there is Oatie, an Irish miner, who once lived at the hotel. He is often heard playing the bagpipes and has a habit of pulling the bedclothes off the bed in the room he once occupied.
oatman – a living ghost town
Now a living ghost town embracing the Wild West, Oatman, tucked away in the Black Mountains, prospers from tourism.
They even put on gunfights and shoot outs for the sightseers. Neither time we were here, we didn’t see the fight.
The official website says 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm, but I would suggest that if you want to see one, to contact them directly.
We spent several hours looking around Oatman and snapping many photos.
Saying “Goodbye” to the donkeys and Oatman Ghost Town, we drove the original 66 towards Kingman and found it to be a little hair raising, narrow with switchbacks, sharp turns, and mountainous.
We definitely would advise against driving this section in a large RV, especially if you are towing.
There are no services on this stretch of the route, so make sure your tank is full, and you have plenty of drinking water. Cell reception is a little dicey too. Fortunately for us, we are forever topping up with petrol and do our best to keep the tank full.
We also always have plenty of water, fruit and snacks stashed in the cold box to be on the safe side. (I was once a Girl Guide, and our motto was “Be Prepared”.) OK OK, well, after this part of the trip, the above became true. We were running very low on petrol and pretty much coasted down the road with our stomachs in knots, willing the car to make it. Lesson learnt! (The water and snack bit is and always has been true. My stomach rules!)
Our Takeaway
We both like Oatman immensely. Probably because of the wild burros than everything else. The historic buildings are lovely to look at; there are fun little artefacts scattered throughout the town. The remarkable view when you are driving in gives you a real sense of how remote, but beautiful this place is.
In our opinion, it would be so much more fun if they kept the streets cleared of modern day vehicles. Maybe had some old wagons lining the road, and a few more mining town themed restaurants and bars would be nice.
Most of the shops are now just novelty stores selling the same sorts of items. When we see the same shirt and trinkets over and over, it spoils the mood.
location map of oatman ghost town
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