Vulture Mine

Henry Wickenburg found gold here in 1863, and the Vulture became the richest mine in Arizona history, yielding more than 340,000 ounces before it closed in 1942; the town around it once held some 5,000 people. A gnarled ironwood by the old townsite is known as the Hanging Tree, where local history holds that men caught stealing high-grade ore were executed by vigilantes — the site says eighteen, though no records survive to confirm the number. Vulture City is privately owned today and open for self-guided visits year round, with guided tours in the cooler months. Visitors report shadows gathering at the base of the tree, cold air with no source, footsteps behind them, voices that seem to use their names, and the smell of cooking in a mess hall kitchen that has stood empty for decades.