The Pines General Store on Route 66 in Parks, Arizona, predates the Mother Road. Photo by Kathy Alexander.
Route 66 continues westward from Bellemont for 8.5 miles to a tiny spot on the old highway called Parks, Arizona.
In 1898, the town began as nothing more than a depot in an old boxcar. The depot also served as the post office, which was first called Rhodes. However, this was short-lived when the word “Rhodes” was crossed out and replaced with the word “Maine.” Primarily serving the area’s lumber industry, the town soon had a sawmill. When the first highway came through the area, the town moved two miles East.
In 1907, a new store opened in the town, which also served as the post office. A man named Parks owned the mercantile, so the town’s name changed again in honor of the storekeeper.
A building in Parks, Arizona, by Kathy Alexander.
When a new highway was built from Parks to the Grand Canyon in 1921, another store opened with a gas station at the intersection of what would later become Route 66 and Spring Valley Road. This old store, which predates the Mother Road, is called the Pines General Store and still serves travelers today.
Just East of Parks is a walking trail that was once the 1931 alignment. Along this trail, you can see an old springhouse that provided water to a tourist camp located here several decades ago.
Old Route 66 continues westward for about 15.5 miles before reaching the Grand Canyon Deer Farm, which has operated since 1969. Here, visitors can do more than watch a deer run past the road; they can also walk among them, touch them, and feed them. Beyond deer, the site also features peacocks, llamas, wallabies, and buffalo.
Old Route 66 continues West of Parks, Arizona, by Kathy Alexander.
© Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated September 2026.
Also See:
Arizona Ghost Towns & Mining Camps
Arizona Route 66 Photo Gallery
See Sources.
