Take A Terrifying Arizona Road Trip That's Loads Of Scary Fun
Monica Spencer
Author
There’s no denying that Arizona’s roads were made for road trips. Our state has long stretches of highway and many of them are often quite empty at any given time of day, which makes travel and exploration both personal and fun. But you know what would make that travel even more exciting? A themed road trip. That is why we put together this terrifying road trip through Arizona:
Pack up some water, snacks, hiking gear, and an overnight bag and check out the recommended stops along the way. You can even access the map by clicking on this link here. Feel free to omit a couple of stops, especially if you are unable to hike.
Once the home of the old mining town Goldfield, very little of the original town exists. In the 1980s, a tourist attraction was built on the same site as the former town and serves as a replica for what the town may have once looked like. Plan to spend an hour or two here to check out the attraction and see some of the artifacts.
Named for the tale of a German immigrant who haunts his lost gold mine in the mountains, a stop at this state park will give you a closer look at the unique landscape and nature found in this part of the state. If you are able, try out a short hike on Treasure Loop Trail (#56). It measures 2.5 miles overall and is moderately difficult. If you want to make it a shorter hike, Jacob's Crosscut Trail (#58) cuts across the loop.
A remnant of the Old West, Tortilla Flat also happens to be about the centerpoint of Apache Trail. When you stop here, be sure to check out the old schoolhouse and grab lunch at the saloon. (It's perfect if you just completed a short hike at the state park.) You might even be able to witness a (staged) gunfight, which would have been pretty terrifying back in the day.
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Will most people consider this place "terrifying?" Probably not but I have a personal (and cultural) aversion for visiting and poking around old Indian ruins, so I consider a stop here spooky in the very least. These old Salado cliff dwellings offer a unique look at Arizona's history and are even accessible through hiking.
We recommend booking a room at the Noftsger Hill Inn, which at one time was the town's local school. This hotel is supposedly haunted, so it makes the perfect overnight stay for this road trip. If you need a dinner recommendation, get some Mexican food at Guayo's El Rey.
Would you go on this terrifying road trip through Arizona? What other stops around this area would you recommend? Share your thoughts here or on our Facebook fan page!
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Terrifying Road Trip Through Arizona
What is the most haunted place in Arizona?
There are many supposedly haunted places in Arizona, but which takes the cake for the spookiest one? Many would say that honor (or perhaps dishonor) would go to the Yuma Territorial Prison. This historic facility is full of a dark past. It kept more than 3,000 inmates during its 35-year run and over 100 of them died slow, gruesome deaths from things like illnesses. It was notorious back in the day and still is due to its high reports of paranormal activity. Many restless spirits allegedly haunt the place, especially in the "dark cell," or what we'd call solitary confinement today. People who dare step into the cell today are usually spooked out within minutes.
Are there any haunted hotels in Arizona?
If you're taking a road trip to scary places in Arizona, why not spend the night in a haunted hotel while you do? You can do exactly that at multiple hotels in the Grand Canyon State that are said to have permanent, ghostly guests. The Jerome Grand Hotel is one of them. Before it was a hotel, it was a hospital that was built in 1927. Many patients died there - some rather gruesomely - and it is said their restless spirits still haunt the now-hotel to this day. Hotel Vendome, located in Prescott, is another supposedly haunted place, but the ghosts are said to be friendly. If you're feeling up to it, you can spend the night there yourself and possibly see the ghost of a woman called Abby.
What are the most popular ghost stories in Arizona?
There are some truly chilling Arizona ghost stories. Out in the Superstition Mountains, there is a well-known ghost story many Arizonans have heard in various ways. It's the story of Jacob Waltz, or the Lost Dutchman, who supposedly found gold in the mountains and died, then haunted the area to protect his secret fortune. The luxurious Hotel San Carlos in Phoenix saw death only months after it opened, and the person who died is supposedly still haunting the place. It was a 22-year-old girl named Leone Jensen, who checked into the hotel in 1928 and never checked out. She wrote multiple suicide notes and then jumped to her death from the seventh story. According to people who have seen her ghost, she is either standing on the hotel's rooftop or in front of guest's beds. Creepy!