Camp Picacho Area – Guns, Ghosts, and Getaways in the Mojave's Forgotten Outpost
You’re now driving through a remote and dusty stretch of Arizona desert near Camp Picacho, not far from the wide-open ranchlands known as Rocky Mountain Ranches. This area might feel like the middle of nowhere — but in classic Route 66 style, it's full of mystery, history, and just a bit of myth.
Let’s rewind to the early 20th century.
Before I-40 was built, this stretch of desert was part of a wild, lesser-traveled route of historic Route 66, and it served as a kind of desert outpost for drifters, ranchers, and the occasional outlaw. It’s said that nearby Camp Picacho, now mostly forgotten, once hosted military training exercises during World War II. Some locals claim it was also used by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression — a dusty waystation where young men built fences by day and huddled around desert campfires at night.
But perhaps the best-known local legend involves an old prospector named Jed “One-Eyed” Collier, who lived alone in the hills just north of here. Jed swore he’d found a gold vein while blasting rock near the Black Mountains. He showed off nuggets in town but refused to share the location. One day in the 1950s, he vanished into the desert and was never seen again. Search parties found his donkey, his pickaxe, and a single worn boot… but no Jed. Ever since, rumors of a “lost desert mine” near Picacho have drawn treasure hunters and ghost town explorers — though no one’s found it yet.
Keep your eyes peeled — some claim that at sunset, you can still see Jed's silhouette standing on a distant ridge, panning for gold against the crimson sky.
Today, this part of the Mojave is quiet and vast — a mix of ranchland, BLM territory, and wild desert vistas. But it’s also a great example of how Route 66 isn’t just about the stops you can see — it's about the stories and spirits that ride with you on the journey.
So as you roll past this lonely stretch, just remember: you're not really alone out here. You're sharing the road with legends.
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