Gold King Mine & Ghost Town

Trucks in Flowers: A Blooming Time Capsule at Gold King Mine & Ghost Town

The word “unique” might get thrown around a little too easily these days, but there are rare places in this world where it genuinely applies. Tucked away in the hills above Jerome, Arizona, Gold King Mine & Ghost Town is one of those places. It’s not just a roadside attraction or a quirky stop for tourists—it’s a living, breathing collage of history, nature, and artistic vision, all brought to life by the late, legendary Don Robertson.

A Dream Built in Rust and Timber

Gold King Mine & Ghost Town began as a modest endeavor. Don Robertson started with two old mines and a miner’s boarding house. Most people might’ve left it at that, but Don had a vision—one powered by a deep passion for preserving relics of the past and a keen eye for storytelling through objects. Over the years, he gathered historic buildings from across the country, built new ones, and assembled an incredible outdoor museum filled with a working sawmill and more than 100 vintage trucks, tractors, and classic cars.

How many vehicles exactly? Even Don didn’t know. “Too busy to count,” he often said. That tells you everything you need to know about the kind of energy and purpose that fueled his dream.

Though Don passed away on October 17, 2016, the spirit of his creation lives on. Gold King Mine is still a place of discovery—still evolving, still surprising those who venture off the beaten path to find it.

A Living Canvas

When we visited Gold King Mine, it felt like stepping into a forgotten world, one where time had slowed and allowed beauty to take on new forms. We were lucky to arrive during peak wildflower season, when the site transformed into a living canvas of color. Golden poppies, purple lupines, and other desert blooms spilled across the grounds, climbing up through rusting truck beds and pushing through cracked concrete. Nature was everywhere, reclaiming and collaborating with the machinery of the past.

One of the most captivating scenes we encountered featured a 1950s REO Comet truck.

1950s REO Comet truck

Its timeworn yellow grille stood out against the surrounding wildflowers, but what truly caught our eye was how perfectly the yellow of the blossoms echoed the paint on the truck. It was as if time had planned this moment of harmony between human industry and natural beauty.

When Nature Reclaims

Another highlight was a 1947 Mack Fire Truck, partially enveloped by a sea of wildflowers. Its bright yellow paint was now softened by decades of sun and rust, blending into the landscape rather than standing apart from it.

1947 Mack Fire Truck

These trucks, once symbols of strength and mobility, now sit peacefully among the blooms, offering a powerful visual metaphor: nothing lasts forever, but everything transforms.

Each vehicle at Gold King Mine tells a story, not just of its make or model, but of the years it has endured. The 1947 International Harvester KB-8, another favorite of ours, showed its history in layers of cracked paint and rusted chrome.

1947 International Harvester KB-8 Truck

What was once a working truck is now a sculpture in the open air, weathering slowly under Arizona’s sun and monsoon rains.

There’s something deeply poetic about these machines slowly being absorbed into the landscape. They speak to impermanence, to change, and to the resilience of both the natural world and the human drive to remember.

More Than Just Trucks

But Gold King Mine & Ghost Town isn’t only about vehicles. As you wander through its winding paths, you’ll find historic cabins, blacksmith shops, mining tools, and the aforementioned sawmill still in operation. There's even a gift shop filled with treasures and a friendly atmosphere that reflects the eccentric charm Don poured into every corner of the property.

The place is delightfully unpolished—less curated museum, more living diorama. You won’t find velvet ropes or high-tech displays here. Instead, you’re free to explore at your own pace, discovering hidden gems in every direction. It’s an experience that invites curiosity, sparks nostalgia, and rewards attention to detail.

A Place Worth Discovering

Admission to Gold King Mine & Ghost Town costs just a few dollars, but the experience is worth far more. Whether you’re a history buff, a photographer, a road-tripper, or just someone looking to see something truly different, this spot delivers. In a world that moves fast and often forgets its past, Gold King Mine is a reminder of the value in slowing down and taking in the stories rusted into steel and whispered through desert blooms.

Our visit was unforgettable—not just because of the beauty of the wildflowers or the rarity of the trucks, but because of how the place made us feel. Inspired. Connected. Grateful for the people like Don Robertson who dedicate their lives to preserving pieces of history so the rest of us can stumble upon them and remember what once was.

So next time you find yourself winding through the Arizona mountains, keep an eye out for the turnoff to Gold King Mine & Ghost Town. Bring your camera, your curiosity, and your sense of wonder. You never know what kind of magic might be waiting—perhaps in the form of a blooming truck bed, or a forgotten fire engine cradled in flowers.

Because sometimes, the past doesn’t just fade away. Sometimes, it blossoms.

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