On a barren stretch of Route 66, in the middle of the Mojave Desert, I came across the scant remains of Amboy, CA. The famous landmark sign, “Roy’s,” looms as tall and bold as it probably did in the 1950’s, but the once bustling town around it is in a state of deterioration. A sign read the current population was 8.

Tales of devil worshippers, mysterious noises and sightings, abandoned schools full of ghost children, serial killers, car traps and body parts being found have surrounded this town for decades.

Amboy started as a railroad town in 1883 and remained so into the early 1900’s. When Route 66 was constructed in 1926 it became a major stopping point for motorists and endured as such for decades. By 1973 the new Interstate 40 bypassed the town, and it became abandoned and nearly forgotten. That is when the weird stories began.

Thirty-three years ago, I was stationed at the nearby Twenty-Nine Palms Marine base. The rumor then was Amboy was a strange place full of old things and Satan worshippers. Some friends and I went to investigate. I can’t remember much of what I saw then, except for some old cars and the “Roy’s” sign from the back seat of a speeding Camaro. Alcohol and the passage of time may have had something to do with that, probably more the alcohol than the time. But, the point is, I always wanted to go back to Amboy, this time in an earnest and sober fashion.
Now, on my second time there, I was able to take it at my own pace. I stopped to look at the old church, its cross atop the tower leaning due to wind and time, or perhaps, the work of those invisible devil worshippers. The school, a motel and several other buildings were boarded up and fenced in. However, Roy’s was open, as it has been since 1938. I went inside and had a Route 66 root beer. Roy’s has served as a gas station, diner, motel, travel hub, social center, and now, a makeshift museum of sorts serving only beverages. I chatted with the one other customer and the fellow working the counter; both locals, and one fourth of the population. I inquired about the rumors of strange happenings. They downplayed the notion, instead focusing attention on repairs needed to start serving food again.
I walked around town, which isn’t much of a walk at all. Parked at the base of the big “Roy’s” sign was a 1950’s police car. Other than the retro feel to the place, I could not find anything strange to speak of. Darkness came, and I continued to hang out. But, being used to small desert towns I found nothing but peace and solitude. No singing children from the deserted school, no demons running about in the night, no strange or paranormal happenings, not even a serial killer lurking about.

It is not all entirely myth however. There have been documented reports of attempted attacks on motorists, and over the decades a few bodies have turned up in the surrounding desert. Because of the remote location this is not all that uncommon. My verdict is that Amboy is similar to other secluded desert towns and not any more dangerous than Mina, Nevada or Socorro, New Mexico.

So why go to Amboy? It is one of the best examples of Route 66 history available. It is 1950’s Americana at its finest, or at least as close as you can get from the 21st century. It has also served as a backdrop to movies such as “The Hitcher” and “Beneath the Dark,” as well as music videos and documentaries.

If history and ghost chasing is not your thing there is also a geological wonder there. The Amboy Crater is only a couple miles to the south of town. The crater and surrounding lava fields were created about 6000 years ago, although there may have been subsequent eruptions as recent as 500 years ago. Amboy Crater is within a cinder cone volcano that rises 250 feet above the fields of basalt. From the observation area I realized these fields go on for miles in all directions. There are different trails that will take you to the rim of the crater. I recommend the more gradual climb. Take note of the combination of both indigenous and metaphoric rocks. From the rim you can take in the enormity of the desert around you, making you feel quite small.

So, when you’re out tracing this byway of classic American travel, stop at Amboy and have a Route 66 root beer and poke around.

Amboy is in San Bernardino County. This portion of Route 66 is accessible from I-40 at Ludlow. Amboy is approximately 30 miles southeast.