Cerbat, Arizona Ghost Town: History, Map and Directions

Overview

A county seat in a canyon

Cerbat grew up in a canyon on the west side of the Cerbat Mountains after prospectors filed claims there in the late 1860s. It stayed small, with cabins for about 100 people, but it had a school, a doctor's office and a lawyer, and in the 1870s dirt roads tied it to Fort Rock, Camp Hualapai and Prescott. For a few years it was the seat of Mohave County, until the seat moved to Mineral Park in 1877.

The post office opened in December 1872 and lasted until June 1912; for part of that time, from 1890 to 1902, the town went by Campbell. Mining carried on into the 20th century, then the camp faded. The most recent description we found, from 2010, lists a cemetery, a few wooden buildings and stone foundations, including a large mill and the post office.

Timeline

What we know

**Cerbat on the 1886 USGS sheet, with Stockton, New London and Mineral Park nearby** · Map: U.S. Geological Survey, USGS catalog, Public domain

Late 1860sProspectors file claims in the canyon and a camp follows.
Dec 23, 1872Cerbat gets a post office.
1870sDirt roads link the camp to Fort Rock, Camp Hualapai and Prescott. Cerbat becomes the third seat of Mohave County.
1877The county seat moves to Mineral Park.
1890–1902The town is known as Campbell.
Jun 15, 1912The post office closes.
2010The most recent description we found: a cemetery, a few wooden buildings and stone foundations, including a large mill and the post office.

Site map

Where the town stood

The current USGS topo map puts Cerbat in Cerbat Wash, at the mouth of Charcoal Canyon. The 1968 sheet in the historic maps below marks the Golden Gem and Idaho mines just above the townsite, with a tailings pond beside it, and the 1886 sheet shows Cerbat alongside its neighbors Mineral Park, Stockton and New London. We haven't been able to confirm which structures still stand.

USGS topographic map of the Cerbat townsite in Cerbat Wash — **USGS The National Map, topo.** Cerbat sits on Cerbat Wash where Charcoal Canyon opens out.

Aerial view of the Cerbat area: a dry wash crossing the lower half below clearings and tracks — **Aerial imagery, same area.** The wash crosses the lower half; tracks and clearings sit on the bench above it.

Historic maps

Cerbat on USGS maps, 1886–1982

Crops from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, centered on the townsite. Each sheet shows what surveyors mapped that year; compare them with today's topo and aerial on this page.

USGS topographic map around Cerbat, 1886 — **Camp Mohave sheet, 1886, 1:250,000** · U.S. Geological Survey, public domain · catalog record

Map & directions

Getting there

Kingman is the closest city. The route below was computed from OpenStreetMap and hasn't been driven by us. Its last five or six miles are on unpaved roads of unknown condition, which is why the estimate is so slow for the distance.

USGS topographic map between Kingman and Cerbat with the routed approach drawn on it

Base map: USGS The National Map (public domain). Routes: OSRM on © OpenStreetMap contributors data (ODbL), computed October 2026. Times assume dry roads.

From downtown Kingman15.8 miabout 1 h 09 min

From downtown Kingman, take Beale Street to I-40/US 93 and head west.3 mi
Exit at Stockton Hill Road and go north.6.5 mi
Turn left on Juniper Hills Drive and continue on the unpaved road beyond it.4.4 mi
Turn right on Cerbat Road to the townsite area.1.3 mi

Google Maps directions Apple Maps OpenStreetMap

Road and safety notes

We haven't driven this route. Unpaved roads here can wash out after storms; turn back if the road gets worse than your vehicle can handle.
Legends of America reported in 2023 that the townsite is private and the owner discourages visitors. Respect fences, gates and posted signs.
Summer heat is severe. Go between October and April, and carry water.

Photos

Have photos of Cerbat?

We haven’t added more photographs of Cerbat yet. If you’ve visited, share your photos and a field report below.

Visitor reports

Been to Cerbat?

Been there lately? Tell the next visitor what you found: whether you could get in, the state of the road and what's still standing. Photos are welcome. We read every report before it appears here.

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Nearby

Other sites near Cerbat

Straight-line distance from the townsite to other mapped sites in our Arizona index.

Mineral Park mine4.3 mi N · Mohave
Mineral Park5.1 mi N · Mohave
Chloride8.0 mi NW · Mohave
Goldroad22.3 mi SW · Mohave
Oatman23.5 mi SW · Mohave
Katherine23.6 mi W · Mohave
Hackberry23.7 mi E · Mohave
Polhamus Landing25.5 mi W · Mohave

Sources

Sources and credits

ghosttowns.com, "Cerbat": fact sheet fields (roads, legal description, climate, best time, post office dates, population).
Wikipedia, "Cerbat, Arizona", retrieved October 2026: county seat, Campbell name, 2010 remains, coordinates.
Legends of America, "Ghosts of the Cerbat Mountain Range", updated October 2026: its 2023 note that the townsite and the Golden Gem Mine are private and that the owner discourages visitors.
Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program point query. Routes: OSRM on OpenStreetMap data, October 2026. Not field-checked.

Photo and map credits

Cerbat on the 1886 USGS sheet, with Stockton, New London and Mineral Park nearby: U.S. Geological Survey, USGS catalog, Public domain
Topo map, area base map and aerial imagery: USGS The National Map (public domain).
Historic maps: USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain): Camp Mohave 1886, 1:250,000; Chloride 1939, 1:48,000; Chloride 1944, 1:62,500; Cerbat 1968, 1:24,000; Davis Dam 1982, 1:100,000.