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Cool Springs Station
- Retro roadside
- In Golden Valley, Arizona
- On Route 66
Cool Springs Station is a rebuilt 1920s stone gas station on the old Oatman Road, the winding Route 66 climb through the Black Mountains near Oatman, AZ. The original stop sold gas, meals and cabin stays, faded after the highway moved in the early 1950s, and the site was used for an explosion scene in the 1992 action film Universal Soldier. Rebuilt from old photographs, it reopened in 2004 as a gift shop and small museum.
What is Cool Springs Station?
Also known as Cool Springs Camp, it is a small stone station set against the bare hills at the foot of the climb to Sitgreaves Pass. Inside are a gift shop with snacks and Route 66 souvenirs and a small display about the road and the camp. No fuel is sold here.
With so few buildings on this part of the road, it is a natural place to pull over before or after the steep, narrow curves through the mountains.
History of Cool Springs Station
Cool Springs opened in the 1920s, as traffic on the new Route 66 began crossing the Black Mountains, and over the years it grew to include a café and cabins. In the early 1950s a new alignment of Route 66 by way of Yucca bypassed the mountain road, and it went quiet. Fire in the 1960s left only stone foundations.
In 1991 the site was used for a big explosion scene in Universal Soldier, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. Ned Leuchtner, a Chicago real estate agent, came by in 1997 and set out to bring the place back. He bought it in 2001 and rebuilt it from vintage photos with builder Dennis DeChenne. It reopened on May 2, 2004, during the Arizona Route 66 Fun Run, though power did not reach the site until that December.
Visiting Cool Springs Station: tips
The station sits right on Oatman Road, so there is no detour. Restrooms are on site, so use them before the climb. Arrive with a full tank, since there is no gas here, and allow 20 to 30 minutes. Drive the mountain road slowly and use pullouts to let faster cars pass. Sitgreaves Pass is about 3.2 miles away, Elephants Tooth about 3.5 miles and the Oatman Drug Company Building about 4.1 miles, so Oatman itself is only a short drive on.
Practical info
- Address
- 8275 Oatman Road, 86413
- Website
- route66coolspringsaz.com
- Hours
- We have no opening hours for this stop yet — check the official site.
- On site & nearby
Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix
On the map
Full mapCool Springs Station with the 6 closest stops. Tap a marker for details.
Tap a dot to see that stop here.
Stops near Cool Springs Station
All of Arizona.jpg/500px-Goldroad_(5379637981).jpg)
3.2 mi from Cool Springs Station
3.5 mi from Cool Springs Station
4.1 mi from Cool Springs Station
4.2 mi from Cool Springs Station
4.2 mi from Cool Springs Station
5.3 mi from Cool Springs Station
Questions about Cool Springs Station
Does Cool Springs Station sell gas?
No. The station sells only snacks and Route 66 souvenirs and works as a gift shop and small museum. Fill up in Kingman before driving the mountain road, since services are few beyond it.
What movie blew up Cool Springs Station?
Universal Soldier, the 1992 action film with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. The crew used the site in 1991 for an explosion scene. Ned Leuchtner later rebuilt the station from old photographs, and it reopened in 2004.
Where is Cool Springs on Route 66?
It is on the Oatman Road section of old Route 66 in the Black Mountains of western Arizona, between Kingman and Oatman. It sits about 3 miles east of Sitgreaves Pass, at the start of the steep, winding climb.
Own or run Cool Springs Station? Send us a photo or a correction.