Travel Guide Sitgreaves Pass

Sitgreaves Pass is a pass in the Blacks Mountains located at 1,082 m (4,940 ft) above sea level, on the road from Kingman to Oatman (Route 66). It is named after Captain Lorenzo Sitegreaves who discovered the pass in 1851. It was one of the most remarkable sites on this part of Route 66. Its access can be difficult after heavy rains Before reaching the summit from Kingman, 0.8 mile east of the pass, Shaffer Spring (or Shaffer Fish Bowl Spring), is a small water receptacle carved into the rock that allows beautiful flowers to bloom each spring. It can be reached by a 35-step stone staircase along the road.At the level of the pass, the panorama offered on the east of California, a part of Nevada and the Blacks Mountains is magnificent. One can however regret the damage caused on both sides of the site by the route of the natural gas pipeline which follows the side of the mountains. As you walk around the parking area, you can see the sites of a former gas station and The Summit Ice Cream Store. Moving west of the pass, a few graves can be seen, probably of prospectors who lived in the area. 1.7 miles away, on the descent to Oatman, the gold mine that made the town rich in the early 20th century, the Gold Road Mine (10277 West Oatman Highway), has been re-operated since 2010 by the Mojave Desert Minerals LCC (formerly Addwest Mine). Be careful, the descent has many hairpins and the road can be slippery in wet weather