Twin Arrows Trading Post Ruins in Arizona Route 66

Route 66 was established in 1926, and it was decommissioned in 1985. Though the bustling two-lane highway once attracted heaps of visitors to the towns along the road, the emergence of Interstate 40 veered them away, leaving many of the once famous attractions that dotted the road in its wake. While there have been many efforts lately to restore and revive parts of historic Route 66, other parts have seen better days and have questionable futures ahead. One such attraction is the Twin Arrows Trading Post Ruins in Arizona. Which, nowadays, are more arrow than arrows.

The trading post opened in the late 1940s as Canyon Padre Trading Post, but it changed its name to Twin Arrows Trading post soon after. Twin Arrows became a popular stop for travelers going between Winslow and Flagstaff on Route 66, with a gas station, gift shop, and Valentine’s Diner (a popular pre-fab mail-order diner concept built by the Valentine Manufacturing Company in the 1940s-70s).

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The highlight of this roadside attraction is the pair of bright wooden arrows that were erected on the property to draw attention to passersby. Made from two telephone poles and extra wood, they projected a clear message of the business’s name to anyone on the road. These twin arrows became an iconic and highly recognizable Route 66 roadside attraction.

Unfortunately, the creation of I-40 started speeding travelers past this roadside gem. Though is had earned the nickname “the Best Little Stop on I-40” it still wasn’t enough to keep business flowing in. The property began to fall into decline, ownership shifted hands multiple times, and, eventually, in 1995, the business was abandoned.

Through the years the buildings fell into more and more decay. Now the property is unrecognizable, as it is falling apart and any original signage is long covered in layers of graffiti.

But despite all that, the twin arrows roadside attraction still stood. It was even restored in 2009 in a cooperative effort between the Hopi tribe and Route 66 aficionados. But that was the last time they were looked after. In 2022 one of the arrows fell. Some reports say that is was burned down. Others blame a harsh wind storm. But whatever happened the site now has just one arrow standing with the other fallen beside it.

If you’d like to revisit this classic Route 66 roadside attraction, you can peep it in the films Joe Dirt and Forrest Gump, where it’s seen in the background of popular scenes. And if you want to visit it for yourself, I’d add it to your road trip itinerary ASAP. Because these twin arrows have already gone to one and may, someday soon, go to zero.