Exploring the Ghost Town of Swansea, Arizona

Swansea, Arizona was founded in 1909 and had a relatively short life as a town, but thanks to sensationalism and reckless speculation, it is one of the more built up ghost towns in Arizona.
The town was built on copper, and because of the desire to impress investors rather than improve the mining operations, the town made a big investment in infrastructure, including a 700 ton smelter. The town would eventually feature saloons, restaurants, general stores, a dairy, a movie theater, and even an automobile dealership.
The town died out fairly quickly, and by the 1930s no one was living here. In the 1940s the mining stopped for good, and the town of Swansea was left abandoned in a remote part of Arizona.
The town's remoteness has also protected it, and Arizona Highways has called it one of the best ghost towns in Arizona.
In this video we take the road to Swansea and explore what's left of the town, including the mining, the dust chamber, the reverberatory furnace, houses, and the train station.
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[@camrodger8638]

I’m always impressed with how much research Steve goes to in order to narrate so well and produce such interesting and educational videos. Thanks Steve.

[@billlopez8785]

My family grew the food for Swansea at what was the family ranch. It is now referred to as the historic Lopez Ranch. If you search, Lopez Ranch gravesite Arizona, you will find information on the ranch. BTW my uncle married Hattie who was the daughter of Chief Manitaba, the last chief of the Mojave tribe.

[@macho-alphanumerico]

Tu historia es muy interesante, deberías escribir un blog o un libro con todos esos datos.

[@rikspector]

Mr. Lopez, That's a great addition to Steve's exploration. Thank you Rik Spector

[@SinCitySharksfan702]

That’s so awesome

[@xtbro78]

That's a fascinating bit of extra history you added, that I never would have known. Thank you!

[@bethbartlett5692]

Excellent share.

[@sannox01]

Nice, watching from a few miles away from Swansea, Wales

[@SidetrackAdventures]

It's wild that there is a place named for it in Arizona. About as far away as you can get.

[@sannox01]

@SidetrackAdventures There are many place names in the US that are the same as ones here, I'm guessing settlers from the UK naming places from back home but I never expected to see another Swansea :-)

[@seebybermo9167]

We have a Swansea in NSW Australia as well. On the ocean and a pretty neat place.😊

[@robertuebel7068]

@@sannox01 There was a Swansea near us in Illinois, where I lived as a young boy. Just googled it, and there are five places in the US named Swansea.

[@deepsubmergence9357]

Steve would do well to travel to Wales and make a few videos of the mining areas there. I backpacked through Snowdonia this past July and fell in love with the place and the people...oh yeah, and the pubs.

[@vibingwithvinyl]

Hey, 200k subscribers! Congratulations!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you.

[@Daniel-fd3wp]

Yah I saw that Congrads Steve from San Diego . 👍

[@Rick-xg7zz]

I’ve been watching your videos for quite some time. You’ve come a long way on developing your presentation and delivery. Great history teacher! I really appreciate the time you take to research the adventure. I look forward to your further journeys. Thanks Steve!

[@nekto34]

One of my favorite ghost towns. Been there twice, and right now in November is a great time to go because the weather is beautiful. There's also an abandoned Lincoln ranch just northwest. Really interesting area.

[@DemocraticPatriot-m6d]

I was just thinking last week if you might do a segment about Swansea. My Cadettes troop in Girl Scouts spent the night camping in Swansea, I think in March, 1983. But my troop leaders didn't drive in as far as you did. So we didn't see the intact buildings. We camped fairly close to where there was a lot of tailings. Idkw. The leaders didn't let us explore a whole lot either, as it was really cold that weekend. So thank you for this. Nice to now see what we missed. LoL

[@Jacques-l1x]

You know this is how I get to see the country I won't get to see other wise I have severe lung disease and I'm on oxygen so you walking around showing all this is I get to see the cool places. Be safe my friend.

[@christhompson7547]

Glad we saw this about 15 years ago. Back then there was more to see and there was no fences. Drove my Dodge truck out there.

[@conniewojahn6445]

Oh, so that's the truck sitting out there and rusting?

[@Ozcrazy49]

@@conniewojahn6445

[@toymaster5464]

Hey Steve! Great timing. Enjoying my breakfast and viewing your video! Thank you for kick starting my morning with a video and coffee ☕️!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Glad I could help. Enjoy your breakfast.

[@KLHintz]

My wife and I spent the night there last month while driving the AZPT. It's a really interesting ghost town to explore. We enjoyed walking the trails and through the ruins. There is some good rock hounding in the area as well. Excellent video and I appreciate you taking the time to go through the history of the town.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Wow. I bet it was really peaceful at night with dark skies being so far from everything.

[@KLHintz]

@ it was very quiet and very secluded. It was also pretty warm even at night. We just heard the sounds of a lonely donkey crying out in the wilderness. And a couple of coyotes here and there. But the stars were absolutely gorgeous. We would definitely visit / camp there again.

[@Travelwithmarge]

@@KLHintzmay I ask what rocks do you find there (rockhounds)

[@KLHintz]

@@Travelwithmarge We followed the covered mine entrances to the south of the labor housing. In there we were able to find lots of chrysocolla and some good copper mineral specimens such as malachite (deep green) and azurite (light to deep blue). It's not the best we've ever seen, but still some nice stuff. We found some very good Azurite at the (somewhat nearby) Planet Mine as well.

[@The007Meow]

We camped out there about 4 years ago. It was creepy as hell! We were the only ones there, and it was so quiet. While we were trying to sleep you could hear metal rustling in the light breeze which freaked us out. Good times! 😂

[@Corgis175]

I spent 4 days in Swansea, Wales in May of 1997. Enjoyable seeing this tour. Definitely a large area.

[@timjones3094]

Thanks!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you. I truly appreciate it.

[@Buckshot9796]

Great video! I've been to some remote ghostowns in Nevada that died when the ore ran out. I am always amazed to think that back in the day people were out wandering around such remote areas looking for minerals. I read one mining report from Washington State were the geologist surmised that by 1890 there was probably not one creek, canyon, or draw in the lower 48 that had not been prospected at least once. And even today the search goes on.

[@kenbearsley8322]

I so enjoy your video's Steve. You're very informative with the places you go to. Thank you from New Zealand

[@cawalkabout]

Thanks for all the great content Steve!! Me and my dad will be checking out a lot of your suggestions in AZ this month!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Have fun. There is so much to see and do there.

[@rrelectric5159]

Nice video Steve. Thanks for sharing this part of Arizona history

[@rediband]

Subaru ought to advertise your desert journeys. You've never gotten stuck afaik, that one flat was as close as I've heard you've gotten. If I tried driving on desert roads in my old VW it'd be junk by now.

[@2264ish]

Subaru should supply Steve with a vehicle.

[@ampthemilk]

I love my Subaru I take it all around Johnson valley, CA

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I agree! Though the taxes on a free car might be pretty bad.

[@ROGER2095]

Imagine calling the auto club to bring you a gallon of gas. I don't think they'd rush.

[@petehealy9819]

​@@SidetrackAdventures I can't say for sure, but as a retired marketer I'd expect there are ways that Subaru, as a sponsor, could provide you a car on a long-term gratis "lease" basis in which you personally wouldn't incur any tax liabilities. You really should consider looking into it.

[@iamlotsafun]

Thank you Steve. I look forward to you vids every week!

[@georgeking3218]

I live in La Paz county where Swansea is located. Supposedly during W W II, General George Patton trained some of his troops in that area. Specifically it was the secret unit that were equipped with the M 3 Lee tanks. That had the power full arc searchlight mounted in the 37 mm gun turret, ( with the gun removed ). They were supposed to be a secret weapon used to blind the Germans during attacks. But never actually used in combat.

[@xtbro78]

You're right, Patton did train out there. If you have a high-clearance vehicle, you can visit the location of his camp. You can still see the outlines of where the soldiers' tents were. And the old flagpole is still there as well. It's been a few years, but the last time I was out to the camp someone had put up a fairly new Old Glory on the pole. Wonderful to see it! I suspect some local vets have made that a project. Great history!

[@mikewhite2aadvocacy172]

Little remains of the old town, yet another great adventure you've recounted for us.

[@Sleeperdude]

Thanks for the video. Headed to that area next week

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Have fun. It's a great drive. The last bit gets a little rough but there's so much to see.

[@michaeljimenez1203]

​@@SidetrackAdventuresYes, as my truck was pointing up on a rocky ledge, I thought maybe I should have lighten my truck ?

[@DavidWegley]

Thanks for showing off the desert southwest. I live here and always learn something from your videos. Hope you have an awesome week!

[@markdaniel8740]

I've lived in and traveled through the general area for a long time and love the scenery. But Steve does a wonderful job of delivering the history. His visit to Salome and Fort Hohave are quite educational.

[@rogertemple7193]

I like exploring ghost towns and Swansea Arizona which read about in an Old West Tales magazine is the best ghost town with an awesome sounding name. This was a great look at Swansea AZ. have a great week thanks.🏚️🇺🇲🏚️

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@chuniquepaceno470]

As always, really appreciate your efforts, Steve...you DO get around. Great video, as always. I particularly enjoyed the grand finally, the workers' housing...wondered about the roofing being replaced. You should really venture to Baja, lots of areas for you to explore off the beaten path. "...the miners didn't live that well, but they were given housing." This is pretty typical of company towns, where they would often deduct "for housing" and needed products were sold only by the company store with the goal of paying workers just enough to survive. A study of a Brazilian tin mining company town revealed how one miner--through much sacrifice--scraped enough together to build his own house and thus was able to keep more of his salary. His example led to others following suit. Once most owned their own housing, the company lowered everyone's salary since "they didn't need the money to pay for housing anymore." And yes, I can imagine six people living in those spaces...you should see how we're stacked onboard an aircraft carrier.

[@petercalderwood2876]

I lived in San Diego for many years and spent a lot of time beating the brush in Anza Borego and beyond. Wonderful memories.Well done. Thanks!

[@jmlewis8678]

Great video Steve. Viewing in Swansea 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿. Small world.

[@tristanflores1069]

Thank you Steve and family I really enjoyed this week's episode

[@johnnyh3653]

I never realized you were multilingual. Every time I try to load this video, you speak a different language. I'm impressed.😅

[@CarolinaCycloneJames]

I stumbled across your channel today and ive been binge watching them over the past few hours. They are so well put together and showcase a side of old America that most historical channels dont. Its rare to find someone who shows the actual history. Love especially the old highway videos. Shows how America grew in the early 1900s. A side rarely talked about. You deserve alot more subscribers. I plan to look at alot of these places during my visit on the west coast

[@petercalderwood2876]

In all the time desert drifting I only saw one rattlesnake. Torantulas, butterflies, jackrabbits and flowers galore. The silence is deafening. Thanks for the memories.

[@robbergstrom943]

Great video Steve, thanks for making Swansea come to life for us. I’ve added it to our list for the next Arizona adventure.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

It's great to check out, and getting there is exciting too.

[@marinegunny826]

Always love your adventures, Steve!

[@patf.3776]

I was glad you mentioned your wife is with you on these adventures. You go to so many desolate places I have feared for your safety at times. Above all, stay safe.

[@Charles-qq7vf]

W.P.Hunt was an amazing Arizona character! He's buried in a pyramid above Phoenix's Papago Park, and Phoenix Zoo. From what i have read, he refused to relinquish the Governor's chair in 1917, and was at one point removed by "force". Upon finding the voting issues in Swansea, he sort of "jumped the gun" on moving back into the Governor's office, "helping" Campbell move out. He was very much a "if you want it done right, do it yourself" kinda guy (damn, do I relate!) who was known to spend spring and fall weekends mowing the lawn at the Capitol in downtown Phoenix. He was our first Governor as a state, and technically the our third, and he did very well for our new state.

[@donalddodson7365]

Thanks, Steve. Looks like concrete was used on the later and maybe more crucial infrastructure. Glad you find these "Sidetrack" locations! Could have become a resort, of sorts ... 😑

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I think if it had a better road someone would have tried to make a go with all the infrastructure, but it's so remote it probably wasn't worth the effort once the train stopped.

[@lindagrimmett6564]

I so look forward to my Wednesday history lesson! And I get to see new areas I’ve not seen before! Thanks Steve! Also, I love you music choices. Today’s especially. The dobro sounds wonderful!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Love this town! Congrats on 200k!

[@leonajameson8902]

Once again a great video full of wonderful history

[@tinadelwiche416]

Love old mining and west history and how these places came about and survived 😊

[@jakebrakebill]

I was lucky enough to see it in 1981 and there was some of a brick building still standing. On one of my return trips, there were some guys pulling it down with a 4wd. People..........

[@angelmist4253]

I don't get why people do that.

[@jakebrakebill]

@@angelmist4253 That was back before cell phones and I doubt if there's much signal out there even now, and it was just my wife and 3 small kids out there, so I wasn't going to stop them. I'm sure they did the same thing with their toys 😂

[@AaronWebsterII]

Always enjoy your story telling during your videos. So do you research an area before or after your adventure? Either way, thanks for the adventures! 🤘

[@barbaramai7610]

Very interesting ghost town, Steve. Thanks for visiting and sharing!

[@violetdreams1799]

awesome Steve, really enjoy your videos, thanks for the tour!

[@hankmilledge4376]

Thanks for the tours. It’s always fun to travel the southwest with you. Please keep up the great work.

[@lawritzmann]

I appreciate all of the time in research and filming that goes in to your videos. Thanks!

[@rikspector]

Steve, 200K , your on your way! What an interesting piece of Arizona History. 300 Ghost towns in Arizona on the low side but According to some sources ,there could be upwards of 200K abandoned mines. I really appreciate that old photo of Swansea, a great example of a picture worth a thousand words. Cheers, Rik Spector

[@tracyphillips3325]

Hi Steve. Very nice video. Really interesting. Excellent narration.

[@xtbro78]

Another great trip and video! I've been to Swansea, but did not know its unfortunate financial history. Sad, kind of doomed to fail. I went down into the wash, as at that time you could do that. The power plant was supposedly down that wash nearer the river, so as to use the river's water flow as a source to generate the power. Thank you for your teaching videos!

[@thesarge4457]

There's a lot of history here in Arizona, I always look forward to AZ history you provide Sir. THE SARGE

[@mindeloman]

It gives me sort of an eery feeling walking around where hundreds, maybe thousands, used to live and work. Perhaps that is what most allures us.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you.

[@Daniel-fd3wp]

@thesarge 4457 It’s amazing I grew up in San Diego my whole life I’m 47 years old. Just 2 years ago visited the Grand Canyon for the first time with my wife. Stoped and had breakfast with a couple we know that moved to Kingsman AZ. We stayed in Flagstaff Staff this was in April still snow on the ground. Went to Grand Canyon took the train. Absolutely Amazing what a beautiful State and on the way home went through Sedona another Jewel what a beautiful State lots of history. My wife offered to drive but I was enjoying the drive I refused. 👍

[@thesarge4457]

@@Daniel-fd3wp The Army sent me here in AUG 1994 To Ft. Huachuca, AZ. I liked it so much I stayed, I never went back to Texas, all the things you mention are the same things I like about My State and more. Thank You Sir.. THE SARGE

[@Pablo_Del_Norte]

10:37 "... plus I have the car keys in my pocket." Good one.

[@Daniel-fd3wp]

That was funny no kidding a long walk. 😂

[@jamespell8526]

Steve, Love your walks thru old Arizona! Thanks!

[@aarondenser9103]

I love this channel. I'll get a camping with Steve and a Steve sidetrack adventures video and be 100% happy for the day.

[@TheFoodog49]

Great video, thanks. As usual, it makes me imagine what we'll never know about the place and the people who lived here.

[@craigbhill]

Like the town they suffered, that misery is best forgotten.

[@debrabennett3009]

Really fascinating. I love your videos. Thank you.

[@UniusPoenitentis]

Great video Steve. I've seen photos of those dwellings before but not much else. Sure looks like a cool place to visit. I appreciated the tour! 👍🏻

[@pamkay8915]

I love travel with you, really informative!

[@librarianeric]

Great job as always. It's nice to see someone doing videos like this who does their homework and provides genuine historical context. Great job, Steve!

[@larryaldrich4351]

The desert has a talent for swallowing up the works of humanity in short order. Those mines are treacherous & to be avoided.

[@henryhillebrecht9589]

Awesome job Steve👍🏻👍🏻

[@AlanShirtsink]

Another winner, Steve! TY

[@ROGER2095]

Great job! Keep 'em coming!

[@johnnyfreedom3437]

After the shock of the election I just realized that my algorithms weren't bringing these up anymore. So I get to watch three of your videos in the same night! Real great Breakaway from politics! Thanks for everything steve, wish I was with you!

[@GoingNoWhereFast]

Neat info. I've been watching your videos (Subscribed) for about 3 years now. Do you think you'll run out of places to visit, or are there that many places you'll be good for another 5 years?

[@richardcuenca4333]

Good job bro, keep up the great work. Love the stories....

[@ELMS]

This is exactly what I needed today. A video that’s not about politics!! Thanks so much, Steve.

[@hvrails]

another 5-star session Steve

[@derekace7471]

Watched this afternoon, watching again. Love your stuff!

[@winstonsmith478]

On your comment about shipping the ore elsewhere to be smelted instead of doing it on-site: "When mining operations first began, the lack of smelting facilities meant that the copper ore had to be sent away for smelting. The destination for most of the ore was Swansea, South Wales, United Kingdom" That's a LONG way to ship from AZ.

[@paulevans6403]

That would help keep the hype going for the share price.

[@billping2633]

This is a geat channel. He shows so many places in the southwest I didn't know about. I live in Lake Havasu and had no idea this ghost town was so close. I am going to go check it out for myself. Thank you sir for sharing all your knowledge.

[@scottkolar7374]

A great jeep or quad ride is to follow the above ground water line to the Bill Williams River. We found the pump house and we saw beaver in the river! The canyon that drops down to the river is spectacular. This is a winter only trip!

[@richardmcgrew2167]

Congrats on 200 k subscribers

[@Londubh1]

Watching from Ireland 17:07hrs.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thanks.

[@cmichaelhaugh8517]

Love these videos and exploring these places when I get the chance.

[@apocyldoomer]

The handprints are awesome, so old, wow! Very cool!

[@stevenkaskus6173]

Steve, you did such a good job of showing this place and telling her story and history I don't think I feel the need to go out there myself. 😅. Great job!

[@carlupthegrove262]

You do a great job of mixing the back story with the site.

[@karinlearned7150]

Another well presented and interesting post. I was wondering, there are quite a few websites for access to old historical newspapers. Is there one that you would recommend ? Looking forward to your next post.

[@johndaye523]

Magnificent! Nice job, Steve

[@paveltolz6601]

I enjoy "following" you around the various sites you visit on Google Earth. Thanks again for your research and sharing these places. I will visit this and other sites you've presented soon and, ideally, I'll get my wife to want to come along too.

[@kurtvanluven9351]

a furnace or kiln where the fuel is not in direct contact with the material being heated. Instead, the fuel creates a flame that plays over the material, often by being deflected downward from the roof.

[@jacquecaeser9078]

thanks Steve

[@ronr7623]

Cool video. Thanks. I love ghost town hunting.!

[@roypublic3269]

Another Gem Steve.

[@Howoldareweanywayyipes]

You get your miles of walking Steve. Great videos.

[@ronaldmacrae1208]

Thank you… great editing

[@pethoviejo]

That was fun. Thanks, Steve

[@waynewilliams839]

Job well done, I was there 20years ago ! 😊

[@rhoff523]

great job!👍

[@gregoryguillen2717]

Good watch Steve !

[@Fcreceptor]

I really question how much of this is restored. We were there in the early 2000s and there wasn’t a darn thing to see. Those sleeping quarters were mostly rotted away, tons of bullet holes in the walls, no roofs, just in shambles. Aside from the truck cab, factory ruins and those dilapidated sleeping quarters, some foundations were all we saw. I don’t remember anything there of any significance. For well over an hour of rough dirt road to get there, it wasn’t anyplace I’d ever go again. We did take a pop-up camper back there and stayed for 4 days. Just outside the actual town. Extremely remote. FYI, much of the town was ruined when a movie was filmed in the 70s and they shot a lot of live rounds into the building and I believe used some explosives. My friend who took us there had even found the film footage somewhere and showed me a portion of it. I’d have to ask him if he remembers what is was called.

[@conniewojahn6445]

Another great video. Thanks for the take-a-long. Really enjoyed this one. For once, there wasn't a lot of graffiti on building remnants. Must be an out-of-the-way area.

[@brads.3674]

Thanks Steve.

[@tangie777uk]

Love your videos Steve .Thank you so much

[@juliogonzales5441]

THANKS STEVE 😊

[@tzadik36]

Thank you for this video! Ghost town is right: not a soul - or maybe ghosts don't photograph well. Much further gone than most of the places we get to see in your videos.

[@graydogadventures]

Oh man, I stayed in Swansea back in 2021 I believe and it was so cool. We even played a night game of bocci ball there. I am actually in the process of putting together my top 5 (how does one only choose 5) free camp spots I have been to and this made the list. Thanks for the video.

[@Kay12181]

I love all of these episodes exploring Arizona, my home state.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Glad to hear it. More coming up.

[@dezertraider]

THANK YOU STEVE,SAFE TRAVELS