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For some, surviving via a global epidemic may be something of the post-apocalyptic experience, however for others, wandering around deserted and undoubtedly haunted locales across Arizona could be the answer. Arizona may have just passed a lifetime mark, but it continues to have a few long-forgotten sites and things scattered over its vast, parched landscape. These once-vibrant locations are actually empty and accumulating dust. Arizona's arid deserts, hills, and valleys are littered with nearly as many abandoned locations since it's saguaros. Some sites bear merely traces of the individuals who had resided there, while some appear to be forbidden.
Let's take a look into a few of Arizona's banned sites, which function as relics from the state's forgotten past and places we don't recommend going solo.
Gila River Memorial Airport
This derelict former airport in Chandler still sits in the heart of the desert, having a half-dozen huge planes in varying degrees of disrepair. Manchester international, that was built in 1942, once served as a base for aircraft operations during WWII. Bold taggers, photographers, videographers, and ambitious Instagrammers make it a well known location.
However, the rotting planes can be found around the Gila River Indian Settlement, and visiting or photographing them requires a permit. If visitors are reluctant to smooth talk their way to avoid it of a trespassing charge, don't even consider scoping out this location.
Getting There
- Address: E Airfield Ln, Chandler, AZ 85249, Usa
The Decaying Dog Tracks
Both of the deserted dog paths detailed below happen to be widely worn by urban explorers and trespassers in the past.
The Black Canyon City Dog Track
About 40 miles to the north of Phoenix, the Black Canyon City Dog Circuit is a haven for nomads and concrete explorers as well as an interesting study in ruin. The Funk family constructed the dog track in 1967, also it held greyhound racing events till 1982. Since the late 1980s, this large property has been rapidly deteriorating, also it remains one of the Valley's most accessible abandoned locations.
- Address: 32801 Maggie Mine Rd, Black Canyon City, AZ 85324, Usa
Phoenix Trotting Park
The building of Phoenix Trotting Park started in 1964 on the bleak strip of desert near Goodyear that is today the bustling I-10. Because of minimal turnout and it is remote site, the park was closed in 1966 for only a few races. The huge structure has stood unoccupied as well as in withering abandonment since. It is also said to be haunted by a few.
Getting There
- Address: 17758 W Roosevelt St, Goodyear, AZ 85338, Usa
The Boneyard
Over 4,000 military jets and choppers happen to be laid to relax in the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), often known as "The Boneyard." It's the world's biggest airplane cemetery, displaying over 3000 aircraft on Davis-Monthan Airbase near Tucson. The aircraft, unlike Gila River, are either in storage or in the course of being refurbished or renewed.
There will also be public tours available. The tours are only available during the week at the Pima Air & Space Museum. Photo identification is required for tour participants aged 16 and up, and stringent security protocols apply.
Getting There
- Address: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona, 85730, United States
The Father christmas Ghost Town
The village of Santa Claus was established in 1937 like a flamboyant tourist attraction and would be a prominent Route 66 attraction for a few decades until trade deteriorated in the 1970s. Throughout the mid-'90s, the Christmas-themed town in Mohave County was declared a ghost town.
Nina Talbot, an eccentric realtor, envisioned the hamlet like a year-round destination. The Father christmas Lodge, the town's only dining, would be a success during its peak, as did the town's mailbox, which received an overflow of emails to Santa. The town's only resource of Christmas cheer is a dilapidated wishing well, destroyed, boarded-up structures, along with a bright pink train which has derailed and it is rotting. It is definitely one of the tropical places that no family should think about vacationing.
Getting There
- Address: US Route 93, Mojave County, Golden Valley, Arizona, 86413, Usa
- Directions: The city is between your milepost 57 and 58 on US Route 93, fourteen miles (23 kilometers) northwest of Kingman, Arizona, approximately north of Hermit Lane, and just below Grasshopper Intersection, Arizona.
Casa Grande Domes
Ever because the 1980s, this cluster of strange, crumbling circular shapes in Casa Grande has already been abandoned. The domes are the skeletal remains of the never-built computing devices center.
On another hand, these intriguing modern ruins resemble an abandoned extraterrestrial spacecraft rather than a relic of a bygone era of technology. Supernatural fans, urban explorers, graffiti makers, conspiracy theorists, and native youths searching for a private place to get inebriated have been attracted to the huge, UFO-shaped artifacts.
The strange structures have even been featured on Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures. After the biggest dome collapsed in December, the district banned the domes. Even though the structures are set to be demolished, they will still remain in one of Arizona's mysterious places where tourists are forbidden, otherwise the creepiest.
Getting There
- Address: 8109-7467 S Thornton Rd, Casa Grande, AZ 85193, United States
- Directions: Visitors can approach the locations from Casa Grande through the Interstate 8 Thorton junction. Then visitors should go one mile south around the eastern roadside to locate it.
From abandoned mining towns to Route 66 remnants, Arizona is home to an array of eerie locations in various states of decay. These locations, which were once thriving and flourishing with energy and kitschy mystery, now stand as forlorn, hollow bones from the bygone era.
