Apache Death Cave — Attraction in Winslow

This is a very dangerous location.. If something happens you are completely on your own. Maybe someone else will be around to assist you but don't bet on it. Also for the love of God, always carry a firearm with you!!! Along with essentials.. It is a beautiful, majestic, and truly original version of the wild West, unfortunately with some graffiti. HISTORY, Apache death cave name is self explanatory. However, the story behind it is much more in-depth. The Apache raided a Navajo tribe and took women, children and personal possessions while the men where away. The men returned to the tribe and found out what had happened. Afterwards, they went looking for the Apache who were responsible. The Apache alluded the Navajo but eventually where located by a Navajo boy. He felt heat coming up from the ground and returned to tell the elders. The Warriors went out and located the Apache hidden down into a cave. Navajo party at that time had confronted the Apache. The Apache explained here are your personal possessions but as for the women we have killed them. The Navajo enraged of the situation barricaded the remaining Apache in the cave. At this point they lit fire to everything that they could find and drop it into the holes around the cave. It killed roughly a dozen or so Apache Warriors. Decades later the cave was blocked in with rock to protect, conceal and stop access by Navajo elders. THIS IS A SACRADE SITE SO PLEASE SHOW RESPECT!!!!! For years it was protected by no one knowing the true history of this location. Google maps unfortunately has the site listed, so obviously it is no longer protected. Maybe by enlightening people of the situation here they would be more respectful. This is our heritage, For the same respect I do not go to your relatives graves and dishonor them. Do not litter, do not graffiti !! This is both a burial site for Navajo and Apache. Years later a Zoo, KOA, gas station, and many other things attempted to succeed in the area. Unfortunately this land would not alow it. The owner of the zoo also met a horrifying death. He was slain on site by a business partner, and then the zoo filed bankruptcy. Maybe the state should step in to...

I enjoyed the Apache Death Cave very much. I highly suggest you read the story online before coming. The hardest part was finding the cave because there are no directions anyplace that I could find. So, when you get off the interstate and you're driving towards the abandoned gas station, the cave will be east (to your right) of the gas station about a quarter mile. You can drive partway on a dirt road, but then you'll need to walk. There is a barbed wire fence, but the wires are stretched apart so that you can get through. Head towards the building with the red door (see my pic). The cave entrance is in the ditch in front of the building that you can see in my pic. If you're careful you can make it across the broken bridge down to the cave entrance. Seriously, it's not that hard. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE A FLASHLIGHT! The cave has some wide sections and some narrow sections. I made it through some of the slots before I ran into one that was too narrow, but then I'm kinda thick in the middle! I would've given this a 5 star rating, but people have desecrated the cave with graffiti and trash. Many people died here, so I think of it as a sacred site. I'd definitely come back and...

Spent 3 days filming around this area. Between the story of the Apache & Navajo encounters and the story of 3 failed owners who attempted to build theme parks & even a zoo on the "cursed" land its now privately owned by a group of attorneys that are keeping the land dormat with no plans of demolition or development due to a hold the Navajo Nation have on the land. So it's kept up by one volunteer seasonally

Keep your trash with you and try to not use the bathroom inside.

The back lot is fine for RV camping but for cars and trucks who want to be more away from public you can drive in the back half of the western lot which was an old KOA behind the pool. The valley along the back is awesome in evening when small birds are out and the redtail hawks out scooping down at the little birds.

Makes for great wildlife video and photo opportunities as well as drone.

We were able to film with the drone alof of great footage available on our Instagram & YouTube/ OutsiderImages

Learn the full history of the property it's interesting and stay a few days. Also you have a great view of the Meteor Crater from that KOA position at 400ft up...