Abandoned Scorpion Gulch at South Mountain Park – Phoenix Arizona
Scorpion Gulch is a set of abandoned buildings lies at the entrance to South Mountain Park — a popular hiking and biking area in South Phoenix. These 1930s-era buildings make up this complex/ghost town, and visitors are welcome to explore the area. In this post, I’ll review my experience visiting Scorpion Gulch in Phoenix. Is Scorpion Gulch in Arizona worth visiting? I’ll let you know – let’s go!
What is Scorpion Gulch?
Essentially, it’s an abandoned stone house ruins that sits at the entrance to South Mountain Park in South Phoenix. This park is popular for scenic drives, hiking and mountain biking. For whatever reason, this location seems to be popular for photography so I had to head out there to see what all the fuss was about.
History
Just the quick facts here – if you want more, I’m not about to regurgitate Wikipedia, so go head over there for more tea.
Scorpion Gulch was once both a home and a trading post/curio store that sold snacks, sodas and junky trinkets. It was owned by William Lundsford, built in 1936 and ceased operations in 1966. It has sat abandoned since, but it is preserved by the Arizona Historical Society, which is why it is in such good shape today. With very little vandalism and solid building foundations, visitors are free to roam about the property.
Are there scorpions Here?
Probably. I mean, it’s Arizona…
Where is Scorpion Gulch?
Scorpion Gulch is located just before the entrance to South Mountain Park. There is no fee to visit and parking is free at a lot across the street.
Is it Haunted?
No. I haven’t found anything in my research to say that Scorpion Gulch is haunted.
Visiting Scorpion Gulch
I’m a sucker for old abandoned places so I’ve had this on my Google Maps list for quite some time, so when I was in Phoenix, I made the drive out here to check it out.
Frankly, there just isn’t a whole lot to say about this place. It’s abandoned, and there’s not much to look at as all of the buildings are hollowed out. There are some good photo ops here but I wouldn’t say there’s anything all that amazing about it. Maybe it’s better at sunset? I’ve also heard that this is a great place for professional photo shoots, like engagement shots. Hmm. I don’t know about you, but as much as I like abandoned shit in the desert, I wouldn’t want engagement photos taken at Scorpion Gulch. There are much more scenic spots to take professional photos in Arizona, but hell, what do I know, I never had engagement photos done, so there’s that.
When I visited (December), there was only one other person here — the dude was lurking around the corners of the various buildings, vaping. Kinda weird, but okay. You’re free to wander around all of the buildings, but I just didn’t find anything very compelling about Scorpion Gulch.
But I did get the shot I wanted — simple — just the “This is Scorpion Gulch” main building, with no people in it. The text on the building looks awfully similar to the text on some of the Route 66 buildings (like the Mountain Lions zoo at Two Guns, Arizona, or the Jackrabbit signs near Holbrook, AZ) — which isn’t surprising as this is from a similar era.
Is it worth visiting Scorpion Gulch?
If you’re driving all the way out here just for these few abandoned buildings (like I did), for most people, no. I specifically wanted a photo here, so for me, I suppose it was worth it, even though it was out of the way. On the day I visited, I didn’t have time for a hike or a drive up the mountain, so I just visited these buildings and was on my way. So if you’re coming out to South Mountain Park anyway, then yeah, definitely stop by and see these buildings.
