The Desert Bar- Parker, AZ

You never know what you will find in the desert. Case in point, The Desert Bar. Five miles down a rugged dirt track reminiscent of Fury Road, past fervent supporters of the Second Amendment, an oasis appears. A cluster of rustic buildings stand in stark contrast to the surrounding desert. It is a welcoming sight, as it confirms you have not been lured to a remote location for nefarious purposes, but rather to celebrate an imaginative reuse of an old mine.

The Nellie E Saloon, aka The Desert Bar, sits on an old mining claim in the Buckskin Mountains. Copper was pulled from the ground, then smelted to extract gold. The mine was long abandoned when Ken Coughlin purchased the property sight unseen in 1975; by then it was just an island of privately owned land among BLM property. Luckily it was purchased by a man with vision, who turned the dusty piece of desert into a unique destination.

Ken, who already owned a concession stand of sorts down by the river, had a vision to create a remote desert outpost. Shockingly, the liquor board approved the idea, and following construction of restrooms from scavenged desert rocks, he was open for business in 1983. The original wooden structure still exists, across from the restrooms, next to the Saguaro.

In the early days, water had be to trucked in from Parker, which worked for the needs of an establishment with 5 stools. Mostly visited by friends, the bar’s location was shared by word of mouth. An open secret of sorts until the mid 1980’s, when the bar was featured on a Phoenix travel show. The secret was now out, and people came from far and wide to check out the tucked away treasure.

To better serve the growing crowds, the Nellie E Saloon was constructed in 1988. The new solar powered structure integrated repurposed materials in the design, including glass refrigerator doors for windows. Further improvements and expansions were made over the years, including the covered bridge in 1991, the church in 1996, and the various decks and stage areas. It all comes together to present a wonderfully surreal landscape; Beetlejuice minus the sandworms.

A favorite of photographers, the Gothic church is made of solid steel with a copper roof, a nod to the land’s past. Little more than facade and bell tower, it is striking in its simplicity. It is also the last thing you would expect to find in the desert, except perhaps a bar.

Being Arizona, the bar is only open during the cooler months, October-March. It is the desert after all. Hours are limited to weekend afternoons, because you would have to be crazy to navigate that road after dark. A high clearance vehicle works best, but we made it in a Volkswagen with no ill effects, it just takes a bit longer. The bar is a constant work in progress, so you never quite know what to expect when you arrive. Except a good time.

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