Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Just east of Yuma, Arizona, travelers making the journey across the desert through what is now Southern Arizona were forced to travel around the Gila Mountains for centuries. This is the road the early Spanish explorers, the stagecoaches, and the earliest auto routes took. But in 1927 the road was bypassed, and since then the road has been largely abandoned and forgotten.
The road follows the route the Butterfield Overland Mail once took, and passes by where the ghost towns of Dome and Gila City once stood.
In this video we explore the Arizona desert and search for a long forgotten ghost town. Along the way we come across a few roadside relics, old mines, unexpected sights, and discuss the road's history.
00:00 Intro
01:34 History of the Road
02:56 Wellton-Mohwak Canal
04:05 The Butterfield Overland Mail
05:02 A Desert Ramada
08:49 Old Mines
10:19 The Road's Highway History
11:51 The Ghost Town of Dome
18:59 The Dome Cemetery
24:06 A Desert Boat
26:17 1910 Railroad Bridge
27:36 Concrete Structures
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►Music in this video is from Epidemic Sounds; use our link for a free trial: share.epidemicsound.com/v927fj
Just east of Yuma, Arizona, travelers making the journey across the desert through what is now Southern Arizona were forced to travel around the Gila Mountains for centuries. This is the road the early Spanish explorers, the stagecoaches, and the earliest auto routes took. But in 1927 the road was bypassed, and since then the road has been largely abandoned and forgotten.
The road follows the route the Butterfield Overland Mail once took, and passes by where the ghost towns of Dome and Gila City once stood.
In this video we explore the Arizona desert and search for a long forgotten ghost town. Along the way we come across a few roadside relics, old mines, unexpected sights, and discuss the road's history.
00:00 Intro
01:34 History of the Road
02:56 Wellton-Mohwak Canal
04:05 The Butterfield Overland Mail
05:02 A Desert Ramada
08:49 Old Mines
10:19 The Road's Highway History
11:51 The Ghost Town of Dome
18:59 The Dome Cemetery
24:06 A Desert Boat
26:17 1910 Railroad Bridge
27:36 Concrete Structures
○ Gear we use: amazon.com/shop/sidetrackadventures
►Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/SidetrackAdventures
►Please subscribe for weekly updates showcasing some of our adventures: youtube.com/channel/UCdueDRFYPVgzPAAOM_bxVWA?sub_confirmation=1
►Also please follow Sidetrack Adventures on Instagram: instagram.com/sidetrackadventures
►Music in this video is from Epidemic Sounds; use our link for a free trial: share.epidemicsound.com/v927fj
