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Crown King Road
Black Canyon City,
Arizona
(Yavapai County)
Last Updated:
01/01/2023
Trail Information
Highlights
In 1863 the Bradshaw brothers, William and Isaac, came to Arizona from the declining goldfields of California. By 1864 they found gold in the forbidding mountains that would eventually bear their family name. Miners and prospectors flocked to the area despite the ruggedness of the mountains and the fierceness of the Yavapai natives, that still claimed the lands as their home. William, more an entrepreneur than a miner, laid out the Bradshaw Trail and started a ferry across the Colorado River at Ehrenburg, charging unsuccessful California miners a nice fee for access to the new goldfields of Arizona. Mines like Senator, Tip Top, Blue Bell, Tiger, and Ora Belle began highly profitable operations. Rod McKinnon located gold in July 1875 deeper into the Bradshaws than any find to date. The resulting Crowned King Mine became the largest operation in the Bradshaws and spawned the bustling town of Crown King. Crown King got its post office in 1888. Electricity and the telephone arrived in 1897, both still a rarity in Arizona. The Saloon was moved from Oro Belle board by board in 1906 and reassembled on the present site, which was at the time beside two Chinese Restaurants and the feed store. The upstairs featured seven cribs where the town's soiled doves practiced the world's oldest profession. It is now Arizona's longest-operating saloon. The historic photos lining the walls of the bar serve as a museum of sorts. The Bradshaw Mountain Railroad, a true feat of engineering, reached Crown King in 1904 via switchbacks and tall trestles. The railroad ceased operation in 1926 after the mines played out and most of the population left. The rail bed was converted into the scenic Crown King Road with its dual ghost towns of Bumble Bee and Cleator. Today there's only sporadic mining in the Bradshaws. But Crown King has become its jewel. With roughly a hundred full-time residents and perhaps a thousand that have cabins and summer homes atop the mountains, Crown King's population swells every weekend as offroaders and adventurers come to the mountaintop town for a taste of Arizona history. The Magic Bridge transports visitors from the desert below to the towering pines and cool breezes of Crown King. The saloon has live music most weekends. The general store sells a lot more t-shirts than mining pans these days. Campsites near town are filled with happy campers. Even with most of the gold gone, the mountains of the Bradshaw brothers remain full of treasures. Drive on up the iconic Crown King Road and see what you can discover.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
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Trail Navigation
Crown King Road climbs 3800 feet into the Bradshaw Mountains along its 26.23 miles. The dirt road is maintained year-round since it is the most reliable route to the small town of Crown King. In its lower section, the road is wide and smoothly graded, except, of course, for washboard or corrugations, as the Aussies would say. Above Cleator, the road follows the railroad bed of the defunct Bradshaw Mountain Railroad as it climbs high into the Bradshaw Mountains. There are numerous narrow cuts through hillsides and ridges, with quite a few one-lane bridges and two sets of switchbacks. Near the top, there are also blind curves. Slow down and be aware of other traffic. This is also cattle country. Watch for bovines on the road. Almost any vehicle can traverse Crown King Road.
Weekends bring lots of traffic and ATV/UTVs. Watch out for traffic in extremely narrow sections and blind curves.
Trail Reviews
4.1/5 (14 reviews)
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 11/15/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On
Took the trail up to Crown King and then on to Senator Highway on the way to Prescott. Peacefull drive on a simple dirt road. The views of were impressive as you get up the mountain and when you get up to Crown King there are pine trees. The plan was to have lunch at the Crown King Saloon a historic bar (https://crownkingsaloon.com/). While online it says it's open each day currently it is closed on Tuesdays. There is another restaurant that had decent burgers and beer on tap with ice cold mugs. Next time I am going to call to make sure the saloon is open. Also, I was told to check out the general store as they are known for thier fudge. On the weekends I've heard it can be hard to find a place to park.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 08/12/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On
This one is always fun after a day in Crown King. After running the Senator Hwy to Crown King, I stopped for a beer and some wings to cap the day off before heading back to Prescott. Since it was drizzling and the road was damp, it wasn’t the huge Dust Fest it normally was.
Open
Rated
4/5
Visited: 06/04/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On
We took the Road to Crown King from East to West entering off Bumblebee and the I-17. The trail was washboard so airing down a bit probably a good idea. Saw some wild horses in Bumblebee. Totally unexpected for us was the town of CLEATOR, what a great place with a general store and a bar.. Go in the General store and the shop keeper gives you the history of the oldest building in AZ and make sure you join the YACT club! The elevation climb from Cleator to Crown King was awesome with several switchbacks and one lane roads.. At the top of the mountain is a walks trailhead that goes straight back down.. We chose to keep going.. Overall Great 2 hours...
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