Cave Creek

It's fitting that Cave Creek's main drag is horseshoe-shaped, stretching from the Carefree Highway and in a loop back to the more genteel town of Carefree. Cave Creek is all about horses, Harleys and Harold's Cave Creek Corral.

A Pittsburgh Steelers bar, Harold's  lines up right next to the Buffalo Chip, a Green Bay bar once owned by Max McGee, the Packers star of the first Super Bowl in 1966.

​ The Chip has Sunday morning religious services and bull-riding. Even greenhorns can try to ride the bulls. Sometimes they leave in ambulances.

The Chip was destroyed by a Thanksgiving Day fire in 2015 but it was rebuilt and a new building opened about a year later.

Cave Creek's history traces back to the 1880s as prospectors searched for gold and other valuable minerals. It was never a boom town like others in Arizona  but mining continued up until World War II.  

In the early 20th century,  Cave Creek lured visitors with dude ranches —  Rancho Mañana, Sierra Vista and Spur Cross. The dude ranches were gone by the 1960s.

Spur Cross Ranch is a conservation area now with hiking and equestrian trails north of town and selected trails for mountain biking. Rancho Mañana was transformed into is a golf resort that includes the Tonto Bar & Grill.

Visitors can learn more about town history at the Cave Creek Museum, open Oct. 1 to May 31. Check the hours. 

​Cave Creek did not have  town government until 1986. It's still a small town with a population of less than 6,000 people and plenty of horses. Cave Creek has Frontier Town and other kitschy Western shops. Janey's Bodega is a coffee shop and bar with music on its patio. 

​ Bikers rumble into  the Hideaway.  And there are good restaurants to feed visitors coming from Phoenix and Scottsdale to enjoy Cave Creek's charms. We like the Grotto for breakfast and lunch. 

​The town is unpretentious, embraces its Western roots and allows folks to let their hair down and get their boots a little dusty. El Encanto is a popular Mexican food spot. Big Earl's attracts the burgers and beers crowd and tourists are fond of the Horny Toad.

​Local Johnny's is a popular spot for coffee, lunch, dinner and Arizona craft beers.

Cave Creek comes alive at night with music and dancing at Harold's and the Buffalo Chip. Don't miss out on  hiking in the daytime. Black Mountain has a steep trail that takes an hour to ascend.  The summit offers great views of Cave Creek and Carefree.

​Founded: 1870
Elevation: 2,183
​Population: 5,177

Hikers atop Black Mountain looking down on Cave Creek. The steep 1.2-mile trail up the mountain is off Schoolhouse Road.

Shops along Cave Creek Road sell a variety of Western and kitschy items.

El Encanto is a Cave Creek fixture with outdoor and indoor dining.

Spirit of the Horse by sculptor Mark Carroll.

Saguaros on Black Mountain's northeast face.

Frontier Town's cowboy stands tall outside its shops and restaurants.

Big Earl's, a big spot for burgers, was a 1936 Standard Oil gas station before it was moved to Cave Creek in 1952.

Buffalo Chip is know for bull riding entertainment on Wednesday and Friday evenings for rodeo pros and amateurs looking for a thrill.