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The Desert Bar
Parker,
Arizona
(LaPaz County)
Last Updated:
05/25/2023
Trail Information
Highlights
Leave it to Arizona to have what could easily be the coolest desert destination in the U.S. The Desert Bar, aka "Nellie E Saloon," is just what it sounds like, a bar in the middle of the desert. But this isn't any old bar.
In 1975, Ken, a self-described hippy and societal dropout, bought an old mining claim with a few dilapidated buildings. He soon noticed numerous ATVs and Jeeps driving past on weekends. Acquiring a liquor license from a defunct local establishment, Ken began selling beer from a small three-walled trailside shack out of a cooler. Being an industrious hippy, Ken began building outlandish structures on the old mine claim, including a church. Solar power and batteries replaced the ice cooler, and the rest, as they say, is history. Today the mining claim looks a lot like Thunderdome from the Mad Max movies and draws huge weekend crowds. There's usually a band, food, and various libations. And it is still completely off-grid.
The surrounding desert boasts great wheeling and rock crawling. And then there's this totally crazy place to kick back and enjoy. Who offroader could ask for more?
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
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Josh Noesser
Official Crew
Trail Navigation
Trail Reviews
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 10/18/2019
The desert bar is officially open for business
https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/arizona/2019/10/15/when-desert-bar-opens-parker-az/3987049002/?fbclid=IwAR1RlV6kGmeuHUMBQVftBjNP7wOZRA9IZ1byHDRpT-Sa0bgQesLhVIYYVu0
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