While driving through Sitgreaves pass, which has an elevation of 3, 586 in the Black mountains in Mojave county. Built Edward Fitzgerald Beales Wagon Road over the pass and named it John Howells pass for one the men in his expedition in 1857. This road is considered a dangerous rd due to the guard rails that are basically wood and rope , very narrow and very curvy. For those afraid of heights, this is not scary, and after driving Devils highway, this is a piece of cake! These burros that come down from the mountains during the day, are the direct descendants from the burros used by the first burros used by the first gold miners back from the 1800’s with the population is about 128 and the Burro population is way more than the human population!
So, why do so many people come to Oatman every year? Well, it is popular because of the Oatman massacre and is in honor of Olive Oatman , the young lady who’s family was killed on the Gila trail in 1851.She was kidnapped by Apache Indians and sold to the Mohave Indians This story is a popular historic piece of western culture. You can find it in books, movies, and all over the internet! I loved it because of all the history, but the burros really made this trip really fun! That is my personal opinion, so you know.
And also because Clark Gable (the king of Hollywood who starred in The iconic movie “Gone with the wind”)and his new wife had their honeymoon in Oatman. She was Carole Lombard .They were a power couple back in the 1930’s.
We had a really terrific experience on our trip to Oatman and I recommend it to anyone who is seeking adventure! The backroads are also recommended to check out for those who would love to explore and maybe you will find some gold, you never know guys!
I hope you enjoyed this article! Please don’t put comments about facts or misspellings in the articles I write, I find my information on the internet, so if you think the information is wrong, then blame the internet!I don’t get paid for writing these blogs. And I am a human who sometimes may make mistakes, just like every human on earth🤣🤣
I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday! I celebrate with my family, so I am taking this holiday off!
Happy exploring!
Vanessa Rossi-Sondgeroth-owner of both Desertexplorations.com and a handmade business called Rossi Coasters & Candles L.L.C
Desertexplorations.com 