The Mother Road serves up wildlife you do not expect. The famous Oatman burros wander freely through town, happily posing for photos and accepting snacks from visitors. They are descended from the donkeys used by early miners, now wild and very much in charge.
Further into the desert keep an eye out for roadrunner, coyote and birds of prey. Dawn and dusk are when animals are most active — and most likely to be on the road. Slow down through the open stretches around Oatman and the Mojave.
Give the burros space, never feed them from your hand, and enjoy one of the most photographed towns on all of Route 66.
If ever there was a town straight out of an old western, Oatman is it.