Stagecoach robberies, fragrant pies, and desert trails: What sounds like the setting of a Western movie is just another day in Black Canyon City, an adventurous escape about halfway between Phoenix and Sedona. Situated in the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains, this small town packs a lot of punch with its historic sites and nature trails. Both the Agua Fria River and Interstate 17 run through Black Canyon City, the latter of which partly runs on Arizona’s first stagecoach route, which connected Phoenix to Prescott.
When that trail was built in 1878, it quickly became a goldmine for robbers. Literally, since the Bradshaw Mountains were rich in gold and silver, and mining communities were popping up, although they’ve now become ghost towns with usual names, like Nothing, Arizona. Robbers found easy targets on the Black Canyon City — then Cañon — route, since the road was too narrow for stagecoaches to turn around and too tiring for animals to muster the energy to flee. It was so dangerous that Wells Fargo stopped doing shipments along this road, although you can see the late 19th-century Wells Fargo stagecoach stop in town today, an evocative remnant of the town’s wild past.
If you’re looking for a more flavorful trip to the past, stop by the Rock Springs Café, a historic 20th-century general store and hotel that’s now on the map thanks to its world-famous rustic pies. Vintage stores and boutique coffee shops also attract visitors to this town that offers access to the 93-mile Black Canyon Recreational Trail, an epic trek that winds through the desert along the Agua Fria River, all the way from Phoenix to Prescott.
Homemade pies and vintage finds in Black Canyon City
One of Black Canyon City’s biggest attractions is the Rock Springs Café, which draws in locals and tourists alike with its delicious pies served in a historic location. A savvy 19-year-old man opened this spot in 1917 as a makeshift location and turned it into a proper hotel and general store in 1918 to serve the area’s miners and ranchers…