Amboy is a ghost town in the Mojave Desert region of California. Its approximate population is between four and eight persons; what remains of the town is owned by a private preservationist.
Get in/Get around
Note: Portions of former Route 66 between Needles and Newberry Springs, including sections needed to reach Amboy, were damaged by a September 2014 storm. The road west to Ludlow reopened in January 2015, but to the east a section from Chambless to Essex is still out. The road should be open before summer 2105's peak season; in the meantime, Amboy can be accessed from Interstate 40 through Kelbaker Road.[1] (November 2014) | |
Amboy is located on the Santa Fe Railroad line between Kingman, Arizona and Barstow, California. It was originally founded as one of an alphabetical series of railway outposts but trains no longer stop — not even to deliver water to this tiny desert point. A few cinema stars have used private aircraft to reach a private landing strip in the area, as the town's deserted and remote location has been used in movie location shooting.
Most travellers, however, will arrive by car on what was once Route 66. The modern Interstate highway which bypassed US 66 does not go through (or near) Amboy, a key factor leading to the town's demise.
See
- While much of the town has been demolished, a few buildings (such as the former Amboy School, closed since 1999, and an abandoned church) still stand.
- A shoe tree once stood along Route 66 in Amboy, but collapsed under their weight in 2010 and is no more. There was a subsequent attempt to decorate a "lingerie bush" with various undergarments.
Do
- Amboy Crater. The hike to the crater and back to the highway can take 2–3 hours.
Buy
- Roy's Motel & Café, 87520 National Trail Hwy, 92304, ☏ +1 760 733-1066. The only working fuel station in the area. This site was a busy automotive garage and eatery in Route 66's heyday. When the Interstate highway bypassed the town, the repair garage and motel closed. Fuel is still available (but expensive, given the remote location) and the next station is many miles across the desert. The café had continued operation for several years but difficulties getting potable water to the site forced its closure.
Eat/Drink
There is currently no usable restaurant in Amboy. Snacks and canned/bottled drinks remain available at Roy's but the café's kitchen is closed.
Sleep
The motel at Roy's, while still standing, is no longer functional, in poor and deteriorating condition. Sleeping in Amboy is therefore not an option at the present time.
Connect
A US post office appears to have operated in the town until 2011; there is no Internet at this site.
- 1 CPU Amboy LLC, 87525 National Trails Highway, Amboy 92304-9800, ☏ +1 760 733-4224. 9AM-1PM weekdays.
Go next
Routes through Amboy |
Santa Monica ← Barstow ← | W E | → Needles → Kingman |