Agua Caliente and Sundad

Curious Ghost Towns in the Arizona Desert

Related campgrounds: Painted Rock Petroglyph

Sometimes old ghost towns have no ties to mining and their origins are less known. Agua Caliente and Sundad, Arizona are two remote abandoned towns with intriguing history that goes way back and yet still offers interest to visitors today. Agua Caliente has a history that goes way back to when hot springs were used by area native Indian cultures. Despite disputes, a resort was built for the hot springs for visitors to come out to Arizona to soak in the waters which were advertised to cure many an illness or affliction. The resort ran roughly from 1897 to the 1950s in various forms. What remains of the town today are a 22-room white adobe hotel that housed guests, a few crumbling stone buildings down the road, and a pioneer cemetery. The hotel remains are on private property and should be viewed from the road. Sundad has even less information known about it. Many theories point to it once being a location for tuberculosis patients to seek out drier air in hopes of relief or a cure. Today it is known for large rock art installations best viewed from a drone.