Another piece of living history on the Mother Road. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – Sept. 6, 2025 Just your ordinary wild burro taking a stroll down Rt. 66 in search of treats from those taking a back road into history. Oatman, AZ – During the 2023 Toyota Prius summer pre-drive for the Spring 2024 Coast-to-Coast lowest fuel consumption Guinness World Record attempt, consideration of the most fuel-efficient routing was always paramount. With days of pre-planning possible optimal routes, I was going to take a few unlikely detours just in case the numerous elevation maps and Google’s Street view were not representative of the various road(s) I had not yet driven. After crossing the southern edge of the Mojave in eastern CA, the “safe” choice is to continue east on the I-40 across AZ. The “safe” choice however is not necessarily the most efficient and it is rarely the most scenic or historic, so off the Interstate and down a road far less traveled I went. Namely, a unique portion of Old Route 66 between Needles, CA and Kingman, AZ called the Oatman Highway. This 48.2 mile stretch of “sort of” paved asphalt was bypassed decades ago for convenience, safety, time, and mileage savings – 4.4 fewer miles of fast flowing 4-lane divided highway, on the then brand-new Interstate. The Oatman Highway is an infamous stretch of old Route 66 noted for its dangerous and unguarded steep grade switchbacks through the Black Mountains. Back before disc brakes and 100 to 1,000 HP automobiles, cars would sometimes have to climb the steep grades in reverse just to make it up to the next section of curves and grades. Once in the town of Oatman, travelers are provided a glimpse of a bygone era with rustic Old West-style buildings and even a daily gunfight show. 110 years ago, Oatman’s population boomed from essentially nothing to 3,500 thanks to a 1915 Gold Strike in the area. By 1930, the population had surpassed 10,000, but with the local mines playing out, it was not long before residents were forced to move in search of work that had all but vanished in this small desert town. Oatman’s other source of revenue came from Rt. 66 itself as workers and tourists passed through which also dwindled after the completion of the Route 40 bypass in 1953. Soon after, Oatman was on the fast track for becoming yet another ghost town along the Mother Road. Except for one small attraction and what Oatman is known for today… This is not your normal downtown experience anywhere else. The wild burros of Oatman, Arizona are living descendants of mining pack animals abandoned when the area’s gold rush faded over a century ago. The wild burros' survival skills are exceptional as they adapted to the Mojave Desert arid topography with an innate ability to find water from miles away and thrive in the brutally harsh conditions. In addition, their self-sustaining gene pool has been shown to be unique among feral donkeys in North America. The burro’s continued presence in the town is both a testament to adaptation and a unique ecological story. The freely roaming burros walking down main street not only delight visitors and disrupt traffic, but also saved the town from disappearing into the annals of time. Today, the wild burros out number residents! Bring carrots when traveling the Oatman Highway for one very good reason! The herd’s legacy is notable for its combination of wild spirit and historic roots, which sets it apart from most wild populations in North America. Like most attractions along the Mother Road, put this one on the bucket list. You will not regret it. One last thing. The Oatman highway is not an efficient route so was not acceptable for the 2024 Guinness World Record Attempt. That said, I would not have missed that off the beaten path road for the world. I even drove Marian there earlier this year just for the experience. Try not to forgo the road less traveled when afforded the opportunity as you may miss the experience of a lifetime.
Hi Edwin: When I drove through in 2023, I asked a local if they were tame enough to feed by hand as I had seen someone doing exactly that a few minutes earlier. He said yes, they only want a treat and are completely tame. So there you go. My first drive through in 2023 and I saw this group feeding the burros by hand. In this pic, one of the burros is walking into one of the stores. This is totally normal for them I was told. Wayne
Hi Edwin: Here is another pic of this burro inside the Prius eating some of the carrots I brought for him on my second trip through the area last month. Marian was afraid of them but they were totally docile and just wanted to say hello. And to see if you had carrots. Wayne
