When I planned our summer road trip on roadtrippers.com, this offbeat attraction popped up along our route, and I knew we just had to stop!
The old Chloride ghost town was easy to find. It’s located just 4 miles off of Hwy 93 in the old historic town of Chloride, Arizona, which is the oldest silver mining camp in Arizona. Now, before you get your hopes up and think this is an actual ghost town (which at one point it apparently was or very close to it), there are homes in the town and even a restaurant. In the middle of town, there are old buildings, or possibly replicas.
The Chloride ghost town itself is still small and is worth making the quick drive around to look at the houses after you have checked out the original buildings in the center of the town.
UPDATE: Since coming home, I researched it more and realized that Chloride has an INN and even an RV park, along with a ton of other things to do!
I have heard people call it a tourist trap; however, it’s free, and when we went, no one was there, so we were able to take our time looking at everything and taking pictures. I should also note that many of the buildings have only their facades remaining, which makes me think that some, if not all, are replicas. However, it is still pretty neat to look at.
They also hold old West reenactments, but we missed one since we were passing through during the week in the late afternoon. I was hoping to grab a souvenir, but the little store near the center of the town was already closed up. The restaurant/bar was hoping, though. I kind of wish we had stopped there, but we were in a rush to get to Vegas before nightfall.
Anyway, hope you enjoy our pictures! We should definitely go back and visit sometime!
History of Chloride Ghost Town
Located in the Cerbat Mountains of Mohave County, it is widely recognized as the oldest continuously inhabited mining town in the state of Arizona.
Founded in the 1860s, its roots trace back to the pioneering prospectors who ventured into the rugged Cerbat Mountains after discovering silver chloride ore. As word spread, the settlement quickly drew fortune seekers, miners, merchants, and families hoping for a better life in the untamed Arizona Territory.
By the late 1800s, Chloride was a thriving hub with a population exceeding 2,000 residents. The town’s prosperity was fueled by more than 70 mining operations extracting not just silver but also gold, lead, zinc, and turquoise. Chloride soon boasted an impressive array of businesses and amenities for its time, including hotels, general stores, blacksmiths, a post office, schools, daily stagecoach service, and nearly a dozen saloons. The town even had its own newspaper, the Chloride Belt, chronicling local news and mine production.
Chloride’s colorful history features a cast of memorable characters. Among them was Mary “One-Eyed Molly” Sweeney, a saloon owner famed for her hospitality and her collection of thrilling tales from the mining frontier. Another local legend was Cactus Slim, a perennial prospector whose good luck and infamous parties became the talk of the town. These individuals embodied the adventurous, sometimes rowdy, spirit that defined Chloride’s early days.
Lore and legend preserve Chloride Ghost Town’s Wild West reputation. Tales abound of hidden outlaw caches left behind by notorious bandits passing through and of mysterious lights flickering atop Miner’s Mountain, stories that continue to spark the imagination of residents and visitors alike. Chloride’s historic cemetery is said to host restless spirits from the town’s boom times, with some visitors claiming to experience unexplained phenomena.
Chloride also played a role in wider Arizona history. The arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1898 made transporting ore and goods easier, further fueling the town’s growth. Yet like many boomtowns, Chloride’s glory days waned as ore deposits diminished in the early 1900s.
Mining operations slowed, businesses shuttered, and the population declined. Unlike many mining towns that vanished entirely, however, a small but resilient community remained. They preserved original buildings and shared stories with those curious about Chloride’s past.
Today, visitors can stroll among historic structures, view the vibrant Roy Purcell Murals along the mountainside, and meet friendly locals eager to recount these legends. Chloride Ghost Town endures as a living museum of Arizona’s mining past, where the Wild West spirit remains alive in every story and relic.
Chloride Ghost & Mining Town Website
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What town was this Bridget?
Chloride…I think that’s how you spell it
It’s a tourist thing now. They moved the old buildings to a central location in the town and hold gun fights on the weekends. We didn’t get to see that but it was pretty cool looking around. It’s still a really really small town. Most of the roads are still dirt roads.
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