The drive west from Kingman along the old Route 66 through the Black Mountains to the ghost town of Oatman is one of the most dramatic stretches of the original highway. The road climbs steeply through bare volcanic rock, switchbacking up to Sitgreaves Pass at 3,550 feet before dropping down into the Colorado River valley. The views are spectacular and the road itself — narrow, unguarded, and twisting — gives you a sense of why early motorists considered it a serious challenge.
Oatman is a former gold-mining town that now exists mainly for the tourists who come to feed its resident feral burros and browse the wooden boardwalk shops. The Oatman Hotel, where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard honeymooned in 1939, still stands and is open as a restaurant and small museum. Allow half a day for the full round trip from Kingman, including time to stop at the pass and wander Oatman.