Auto Tour & Trail Markers

Brannigan Park Rd., Parks, AZ
Phone:

East < GO > West

According to the sign Parks was a bustling little community in its heyday making sure that changing roads continued to bring tourists their way. The map shows 1921, 1931 and 1941 alignments of the Mother Road. But alas, in 1964 Route 66 abandoned the good folks of Parks and bypassed the community. Just to the left of the fence you can see a faint path through the woods veering off to the left that was the 1921 alignment of Route 66.

Today there is a walking and biking trail about 3/4 mile long starting at this gate and following the 1931 alignment to the point where it meets the 1941 road again. There's room to park where this gate and sign are located.

Heading west from the trailhead the paved road makes a gentle "S" curve with a cattle guard at the west end (at the far left in this photo). Just west of the cattle guard you come to the abandoned right-of-way of the 1941-64 alignment that was built to avoid the climb over Fortynine Hill. This photo is facing east from just west of the cattle guard. That alignment was split in two by the construction of I-40. Parts of the 1941-64 alignment were buried under I-40 between Bellemont and (approximately) milepost 179 where this alignment would have met the freeway.

Photo(s): 2015, 2017