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10/31/11

Hell Canyon

Arizona Flagstone crushing and rail station in Drake...

The community of Drake, Arizona is on the dirt Yavapai County Road 71 and is in the midst of beautiful ranching country in Hell Canyon. The most noticeable thing is Drake Concrete where Arizona Flagstone, composed of grains of quartz and cemented by silica, is produced.


Located there is a rail station of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway where the flagstone is loaded and transported. It is also the junction of the western terminus of the Verde Canyon Railway. The Hell Canyon Bridge once used by US Highway 89 is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The current Arizona Route 89 is the direct route to Ash Fork from Prescott. The dirt road through Drake connects to paved Coconino Route 73 and is the shortcut route to Williams. It goes through the high desert valley and up through the higher elevated alpine country of Arizona. Hell Canyon and Drake is a a peaceful place in a moderate climate well worth traveling through.