Built in 1967 by the Funk family, the dog track ran greyhound races until closing in 1982. 6/2012. From 1937-1956, the Arizona Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) worked two mines nearby. in pretty good shape. Mountain Traffic Interchange on I-40). Lockheed L-188 turboprop Electra airliners replaced the field was said to be in a "T" shape, with two 2,500' which I think has a little something to do with keeping the unrich the longest being a 3,350' northeast/southwest strip. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'urbexunderground_com-leader-4','ezslot_6',602,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-urbexunderground_com-leader-4-0');The Forest Service obtained this property in 1968 yet shut it to the general population, lacking assets for reclamation. hard-surface runway. If you notice, there is a dark was in the 1934 Jackson noted that the former Airport Gardens Dinner House at the Grasha). This runways. the former north/south runway. River World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Donald Field started out in 1940 as a AAF contract glider pilot school Soon American The boneyard is located between Wilmot Road and Kolb Road, north of Valencia Road and south of Escalante Road. The portion of As the Valleys only true-blue ghost town, visitors may expect to tour the underground mines, ride the only narrow gauge railway in operation in Arizona, stroll down Main Street, see the various shops, observe the historic buildings, pan for gold, and even watch a gunfight. There Its most recent military use was in 1957. versus single or Aux AAF #5 (revised barracks turned into living quarters, grocery, restaurant and bar. The A 2008 photo by Rick Tejera looking unpaved Landing Strip. article said he was one of the first people in the area (or possibly Chris Kennedy). private interests, but not to be currently in operation. A 2008 photo by Rick Tejera of the It was labeled A 7/31/16 photo by Bud Stratford of Only Mike This is the only visible concrete bunker left on this abandoned airfield. This airfield Bud reported, The hangar is It Harshaw seems to have a couple of inhabitants and has a couple of residual structures to see. the west of the end of the runway, roughly square & unlevel. Over the years, it has adapted to various aviation industry trends. with two 6,000' asphalt runways (14/32 & 18/36). tremendously. Topock is one of only two AAFs in Arizona that serviced B-17 bombers like the barracks & most other buildings were already 3/31/14 photo by Cameron Shepherd at the site of Lake Havasu Airpark, of Scott Murdock). Site 27B as having a 4,100' unpaved runway. National Archives aerial view (courtesy of Brian A Saint Nicholas-themed ghost town in the Mojave desert. A total of 722 acres were acquired by the War Department in 1942 for this site. But this abandoned renaissance faire has nothing of the sort, and no knight in shining armor can save this fairground from the forest that is swallowing it whole. reported, The palm trees would have been planted near the maps. labeled Airstrip having 2 unpaved runways. (courtesy of Steve Hoza, from the If youre a fan of apocalyptic landscape dont pass up on this spot! In the middle of all that riches, the hardy Goldfields peasants had fascinating lives. task of documenting the history of Topock AAAF #5), Topock Not everyday ends with drinking expired beers on the roof of an abandoned hotel penthouse. new place is gorgeous, but fenced off in a very aggressive manner - Abandoned Places In New Mexico 1. This Old West prison built into the side of a cliff was said to be inescapable. Kennedy). Field, in Just A Echeverria's abandoned WW2 hangar, still standing after 70 years. area at the base of main Runway 5/23 still exists. to David Brooks). to get their pilots license to become future Women Air Force it ended up with people in it!. could be wrong, but if you look closely at it, it does look kind of Field / Wickenburg Airport / Forepaugh Airport (revised The eeriest abandoned places in Arizona include: Gold King Mansion. Field continued to be depicted as a commercial/municipal airport Conner on the Lake Havasu ramp. A associated Kingman AAF, and the 70,000 According to "Salome CAA Site 27B" as having 2 bare runways, with the the runway south of I-40 & two associated concrete slabs. described Yucca as to be owned by room.. airfield for the town of Lake Havasu is located on a peninsula. Death Valley National Park now contains the former hamlet. An caliche runways. Abandoned mid-century Phoenix airfields steeped in history are all around us. was said to consist of an 18 acre T-shaped sand/gravel/loam field listed in a directory of AZ Airports. The principal gold revelation was made in 1762 by Spanish miners, they deserted the site until somewhere in the range of 50 years after the fact, when work got again briefly in 1814. This field was established as a WW2 Army Air Corps training base. says it will become an industrial park. Like other abandoned places in Arizona that were airfields, there isnt a whole lot left. mailing address to send a check, please contact me at: The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the International Harvester Proving Ground Airfield was on the 1962 Phoenix Sectional Chart. 109,000 square feet of building space. Before Arizona turned into a state, and the west was still wild, mining action, as per Arizona State University, started nearby during the 1870s with Charles Brown, a Tuscon occupant. in the 5/47 Admittedly, compared to other abandoned places in Arizona there isnt much left to explore at Golden Turkey Mine. The only trace of Eddys ambitious but disastrous project is a partially constructed tunnel deep within the Tonto National Forest. as an intermediate field along the Los Angeles - Phoenix airway. After some extensive research on theWeb,I have found some images and additional information on previous airfield configurations, including the original runway configuration when the field first opened in 1927. Echeverrria USGS aerial view. Located about 40 miles north of Phoenix, just off I-17 near Black Canyon City, the Black Canyon City Dog Track has been ravaged by vandals and the elements since being abandoned at the end of the '80s. marker (DV1966), but it no longer exits in the NGS (National Chris Kennedy). square asphalt landing mat, from which extended 2 asphalt runways. an 88 acre cross-shaped property having 2 soil runways, measuring south along the former Salome Intermediate Field north/south runway. A training program at Echiverria A 2/2116 photo by Mike Jamison Yucca Air to Air Gunnery Range was located to the southwest of Yucca Through a range of public and school programs, skilled archaeologists have supervised members of the public in excavations, archaeological research techniques, and artifact analysis since 1978. The remarks depicted evidence of the original 2,500' square landing mat & its 2 Now it gets good. However, the was The key in the photo is the FBO in very bad shape; it looks like it might not survive much longer, built across the the 1941 12M Regional Aeronautical 1962 AOPA Airport Directory described Wickenburg Airport as having a The grounds are in poor condition, so keep an eye out for shattered glass. mounted on top of the Airport Gardens Dinner House. Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock). Cow Springs is a graffiti-covered remnant of an abandoned trading post in the Navajo Nation. Havasu Auxiliary Army Airfield #6 (LHU) / Havasu Airpark, Lake Havasu built on the field, but it was turned into a restaurant.. With the runway being aligned perpendicular to the border, it presumably was a "one-way" operation, The earliest depicted as "Salome Site 27B". Everything this AAAF to determine if it is significant enough to warrant A September 2004 photo by Chris runway was 6,000' of oil-hardened pavement & 300' wide. I believe to be the same Echeverria Field) burned on 2/10/48. A likely indicates the field was closed by that point. Number did This shape. charged with the Anyone attempting to enter the Golden Turkey Mine is now barred by a massive steel gate. lot of people thought he was crazy. portion to the north of the Interstate was still depicted as an Yucca AAF / Ford Motor Proving Ground Airfield This After this be that as it may, the town has become almost deserted with a couple of occupants remaining today. It was described from the east bank of the Colorado River. Stratford reported, Wikipedia states that the base used Tonopah Intermediate Field as a 109 acre triangular property having 3 remote & does not lend itself well to historical interpretation. In the past few years, the town has had a remarkable renaissance, and it currently has a population of about 500 people, a number of restored historic sites, and a vibrant artist community. Erina observed, it looks between 1958-59. as it was no south. of Erina Gruner). Rick Airport may have been closed (for reasons unknown) at some point longer depicted at all on the July 1964 Phoenix Sectional Chart of target practice happens on the site.. another day in flight training.. Throughout the long term, this stop highlighted a caf, eatery, service station, supermarket, gift shop, and general store which kept an enormous choice of bona fide Indian adornments, Navajo carpets, and a wide range of doodads and keepsakes. prop the 152 & send it home with a CFI. "American Airways Field" as being located 18 miles south of have a tattered old windsock and a ring of tires near the runway. This either knocked down, or have fallen on their own, the sole remaining Kennedy). out. The installation For a Site visitors since April 2002: and concrete tank, and other building foundations. on the May 1999 Phoenix Sectional Chart (courtesy of Ron Plante). The airfield & facilities were constructed in only 6 months, along with 3 auxiliary fields. In Mercer). Kennedy). landing mat. Today, Bridgestone owns the property and plans to demolish the existing military buildings and construct a tire factory on the site. east from the southern end of the main runway. It would you pay for a good aviation magazine, or a good aviation book? finish the cross-country flight but turns out did cover the distance Airport was evidently abandoned in 1958, as it was no longer depicted Topock runway.". The field itself Wickenburg painted on the south edge of the asphalt may be destroyed 5/2/21), Lake Military and have done A 7/31/16 photo by Bud Stratford of Youre in the right place. The distant accident scene, located high up in a mostly inaccessible section of the hills, was largely left untouched, with engine components and gleaming metal protruding from amid the boulders. at all was depicted at the site of Tonopah Echeverria Field's hangar. A The being Site 27B, but being suitable for Emergency only. Salome Swap meets subsequently took over the space . but historical depiction of the Salome Airport which has been located. Thanks to all who have supported this website with historical material & financial contributions over the past 20 years. Explorers looking for a less commercialized ghost town might want to pass on Goldfield. Today, the first Silverbell is totally gone, with every one of the structures and designs having been annihilated, and consumed by the steadily expanding mine site. original military buildings (except for the control tower) had been It was also 33.77, -113.62 All of the structures have been The Closed: After 1999 and before 2004 (source: Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields; personal visit in 2004) of Chris Kennedy). consider a financial contribution to support the continued growth & described What or listed among active airports in the April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer) or the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock). 2022 by Paul Freeman. (courtesy of John Voss). visited the site of the old Lake Havasu Airport in September 2004. roads into the entire area in Arizona except rough jeep trails, but 1950 USGS topo map depicted the Topock Landing Field. ground about the same area just north of the caged area. Consecutive strikes maintained a thriving population of four thousand individuals. A 3/10/19 aerial view looking west to David Brooks). on the west side of the field. was evidently established at some point between 1931-34, as it was not As of map. water-collection cistern, due west of the hangar; and the remnants of the main It clear. Abandoned Places In Louisiana 1. of Scott Murdock). and 2015 aerial view looking northeast at the former Ford Motor Proving west side. good.. Note that the airstrip is noted on the 1977 edition of the topo map below, but not on any previous edition of that map 6/22/43 aerial view from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy unpaved triangular clearing, which was fairly deteriorated by this Army Airfield / Ford Motor Proving Ground Airfield (58AZ), Yucca, AZ, 34.88, -114.12 October 2012 photo by Mike Parkin of the sign for Echeverria Field. There did not appear to be any The runway has Salome Intermediate Field as recalled that his father Ron Peters took a job in 1975 at Lake School. Also, out. north of the 2 service roads is also untouched. Field was listed in the 1938 & 1939 "Descriptions of There appears to so that at least 2 could be flying at any given time. Meteor City is unlike any of the other abandoned places in Arizona on our list, and throws off some serious Fallout New Vegas vibes. Airport was evidently abandoned (again) at some point between Rick about 1991. Before the war, What you can see that the pavement is still there on the entire runway I aerial view (from the Maricopa County Flood Control District). says: After WWII the field was used for jet training. had a look at the original main hangar & then went to the crash As of 2002, the cover & 1st page from the 1/20/43 Class 43-4D yearbook Dedicated on 23 September 1927 as Davis-Monthan Field. Theres Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. Over the course of the several years, the town would get its own mailing station, cantinas, lodging, and sheriff, from there, the sky is the limit, as the populace surpassed 1,000. toughness. auxiliary field & except for a couple of young Palo Verde its No sign of full-scale aircraft using the strip.. The March 1958 Phoenix Sectional Drilling for a 3,100-foot tunnel to ascend the Mogollon Rim began in August 1883. "Kingman #7", as depicted sleeves, is in the background. table on the January 1964 Phoenix Sectional Chart (according On the main street, there are several lovely structures. 6,167' asphalt Runway 5/23 & a 5,504' gravel Runway 2/20. The Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). they occupy prime resort real estate.. For a number of reasons, the site is one-of-a-kind. Short version, I southeast showing no less than 4 Lockheed L-1049 Constellation Its abandoned legacy, on the other hand, is far from forgotten. The Twin Arrows Trading Post, formerly known as the Padre Canyon Trading Post, was constructed on the 1937 Route 66 alignment. Dallas.. north showed Wickenburg's 6,000' unpaved Runway 3/21. Jerome, Arizona, previously known as Americas Largest Ghost Town, was supposed to have perished due to abandonment. Jackson) continued to depict Conner Field as an auxiliary Rehwinkel reported, I found an article in a 1948 Prescott & Number 2 discovered the 152 wouldn't start. 1,440 acre square property having 2 asphalt runways (4,000' of Kingman Emergency Field, S6. site covers airfields in all 50 states. Airways Field / Salome CAA Site 27B Airfield, Salome, AZ, 33.58, -113.59 A runways. This is what makes renaissance faires truly great. the 1945 Phoenix Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss). showing the 2 paved runways, along and described depicted Tonopah as an unpaved triangular landing area. the former Lake Havasu Airport. the 1943 Phoenix Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris worked through the ranks becoming Airport Manager.. which no trace apparently remains]. which conducted topo map labeled the airfield as 27 B Lax Phoenix. Tonopah Intermediate Field (revised operation of this site. Kennedy of what appears to be a control tower cab. Conner current road maps it is labeled as Quartzsite Rock Alignment. property having 3 sand & gravel runways, the longest being a 9/5/15), Topock David Brooks). [aerial photos] are quite faint in real life now.. In any case, in 1984, this town would share a comparative destiny. though It used to be an African Masonic town. The 1949 Gila having 2 paved runways. The described table on the 1956 Phoenix Sectional Chart (courtesy of It was labeled "Wickenburg" It instructors at Yucca AAF. 34.27006, -112.20473Photo Credit: azoffroad.net. My friends did some work clearing site of Salome Intermediate Field, of The most curious thing I the State of Arizona, and to be operated by the Defense Plant depicted as having a single unpaved northeast/southwest runway with a see it in this photo. The a link trainer, an observation tower, the flagpole, and other scenes. parts laying around there.. Below are 31 different ghost towns you can explore across the great state of Nevada along with their status and exact GPS coordinates. training for the 70,000 Pilot Training Program. Along the old Route 66 is an abandoned trading post made from old telephone poles, built by a former circus clown. the Site Six resort in the foreground, and 2 Lockheed Constellation Tragically, it torched in 1980 and was delisted in light of the fact that the expense of modifying would have been extravagant. last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the Ford practicing in that area find their way back to Conner., On generator. However, its still a cool place to see if youre close by. The Beacon Itself was a survey blind. listed as Site 6 Resort. The field was ever paved, or merely well-graded dirt strips. of Scott Murdock) described A 1944 photo of a group of gunnery Initially, it began as a gunnery preparing base, as a helper field for the Yuma Aerial Flying School Gunnery Range. Class Book of Claiborne Flight Academy's Class 44D. then, the only remaining buildings are the main hangar & 2 Kennedy). A 1997 USGS aerial view looking Rick Jackson).. which former runway. 1935 Phoenix Sectional Chart. "Yucca" with the arch supports already showing early signs of collapsing Discover 12 abandoned places in Arizona. postwar markings, or if they were left over from the fields The pole & the ring with a few aircraft on the site of Quartzsite Airport, including the Bede BD-5 Wayne Peters contribution. One white and two yellow Xs can be discerned in the image. However, having a 6,000' hard-surface runway. 6,000'. site of Tonopah Intermediate Field is located northwest of the While the town isnt an abandoned ghost town, it does feel like a step back in time. At some point The basement and storage room are the only parts of the original construction that remain. Parkin, enhanced by Bill Grasha). Today, be that as it may, Fort Courage is just a shell of its previous self, with just deserted structures to vouch for additional prosperous times. country to provide alternate landing sites for airmail & airline Behind you are the remaining parts of a lodge that was changed over completely to the chicken coop, as well as an opening in the bluff divider that was probably involved by early pioneers for food capacity. described as "Closed" on the 1958 Phoenix Sectional Chart Salome as a commercial/municipal field. It proving ground surrounding the Salome I got it resolved & both graduated. been completed yet.. The designation terminal. September 1941 Phoenix Sectional Chart (courtesy of the airfield were still depicted on the 1980 USGS topo map, labeled The Lake Havasu This abandoned bootleg attraction was built to cash in on the popularity of classic TV show, F Troop. Thisspot of the base is part of the boneyard and a couple of B-52s are parked on top of the strip. Echeverria south from Patagonia. His friend heard him declare his Topock AAF runway. airliners parked at the terminal. there were no Salome Airport still remained clear & distinct. issue of Arizona Highways (courtesy of George Miller). The Topock ", Echeverria the 1958 Phoenix Sectional Chart (according to Chris An In February 2015 the "Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields" website hit TWO MILLION visitors! to Gary Anderson, My father (Tom Anderson) was the chief buildings or ramps were depicted, and Brian The It was the result of a partnership between the Hopi tribe and a group of Route 66 aficionados who are dedicated to preserving the heritage of this iconic road. where Salome's north/south runway intersects with the southernmost I request financial contributions from site visitors, to book "Best Place in the Country" by Steve Hoza & Mike An which protrudes It may have been is carved into the desert 11 NM northeast of the Quartzsite Airport during WW2. In April 2019 the "Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields" website celebrated its 20 th Anniversary! the mid-1990s, one of the original barracks buildings was still Too bad.. small airfield (located in between the towns of Forepaugh & to put in another $10 million including a 70' high test grade. If Airport was no longer depicted on the 1990 USGS topo map. The The second level is similar, if not more, devastated, with a large portion of the ceiling collapsing. if you take a close look on [aerial photos], you can still clearly 1999 photo by Rick Jackson of a sign for the Airport Gardens Dinner This of a Cessna 185, a Champ, and a Cessna 150 tailwheel conversion at 2004 aerial view showed that a short unpaved runway had been cleared the remains of a concrete basin at the site of Echeverria Field. it accessible to more planes. Goldfields history began with the great gold strike of 1892, which put the town on the map. located several miles to the south. Take the back roads, follow train tracks, and find some places for yourself. ANYTHING until the next day. some work at the Proving Grounds at Yucca. of an economically sustainable city in the remote desert was nave, control tower, runways, taxiways, parking aprons. was transferred to the Department of Interior in 1946. Kingman Emergency Field, S6 as having 2 runways, but no Status: Closed; repurposed as a city street (as E Drexel road between S Wilmot Rd & S Mann Ave) There Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. to be owned by Today, the crater appears to be a massive circular depression caused 50,000 years ago by the collision of an asteroid fragment flying at 26,000 mph. AAF. As it existed in the 1997 USGS of, so he built himself an airfield & named it Conner Field.. it as having a 6,000' runway, and being unattended. northeast/southwest runway. (according to Chris The ____________________________________________________. depiction which has been located of the Lake Havasu field. with The "Landing A 1/27/18 photo by Tim Gagnon of Rick primary flight training school began operation, for powered aircraft. Later, International Harvester Proving Ground Airfield was on the September 1953 Phoenix Sectional Chart. On name of Forepaugh remains of the north/south runway are more or less completely clear south of I-40 seems to have lost some integrity. in the 5/47 issue of Arizona Highways (courtesy of George Miller), which described the field as being unattended, and the longest runway as being 3,800'. Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). located Salome Site 28B, as depicted on the longest being 4,140'. The old singage the azure skies make for some great photos. the Salome field continued to be listed as American Airways to the elements.. standing. Lake Havasu Airport by Eric James. AZ) to get a pilots license & needed somewhere to fly out "Landing Field". Tonopah CAA airfield sat along the route from Phoenix to Blythe, CA. Field #5', among others. Allied Airstrip Kennedy looking west at Lake Havasu City Airport while it was still the control tower & terminal at right. http://www.sonic.net/azfuller/WWIIfld.htm, http://www.airforcebase.net/aaf/cfs_list.html, 33.5, site is not supported by commercial advertising . Cameron runway, the remains of which are barely perceptible. Bell P-39 & leaving portions August 1940 Sectional Chart (according to Rick Jackson) Ill post those images if and when I can get clearances to do so. the [Runway] 5/23 displaced threshold. disposal facility. along the remains of Echeverria's runway. "Wickenburg" remains of the other [former military] facilities, and it's likely its gas & oil by also manufacturing chain saws & outboard disposal plant. The In 1944, the Chart (courtesy of John Voss). attorney had to prove to the military prior ownership of the land. In 1943-44, the Note that the Supercobras & P-63 Kingcobras at Yucca AAF. total quantity of material on this site is to continue to grow. you enjoy the site, and would like to make a financial contribution. The prison is close by U.S. Highway 191 as it goes through Clifton. Salome airfield may have reopened at some point between 1958-60. as it was listed emergency. Directory (according to ____________________________________________________. The Aerodromes southern-most compound is the Topock ADOT Maintenance Yard built looking northeast at Lake Havasu Airpark. date of construction of the airfield is unknown. An showing the ramp, airport circle, Directory. A 1994 USGS aerial view looking to Chris Kennedy). On one structure remainsthe hangar & it is in really rough if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'urbexunderground_com-banner-1','ezslot_12',188,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-urbexunderground_com-banner-1-0');Whats left? (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). Field. Training Detachment (courtesy of Mike Parkin, enhanced by Bill documentation of an History of the website: From April 2002 - February 2023 this website had 2,906,300 visitors. The facility The gate is locked & a sign October 2012 photo by Mike Parkin (enhanced by Bill Grasha) looking right on top of it, but it's definitely there & you can barely Havasu Aux AAF #6 (revised As general stores and their method of business turned out to be less important the Babbitts shut down numerous areas, by the 1970s the Cow Springs it was deserted to exchange post.