The Booming City Under The River

Castle Dome Landing isn’t just your average ghost town, it is an aquatic ghost town.The final resting places lies underneath the Colorado River.

The history of the Castle Dome Landing Ghost Town is very intriguing.   The first American settlers were there in the early 1860s and believed that Native Americans had been mining in the mountains years before. Researches have found remnants of adobe furnaces.

The area where Castle Dome Landing  was originally called Pitoti for the weed found only in that area. This booming town was hindered by growth due to hostilities with Native Americans in the Area.

When the mines began to operate the camp was renamed Castle Dome. The mining camp  (Castle Dome) declined while nearby river side landing was established. The  Landing also served as the first stop for the steamboats traveling up the river from Yuma.

The Castle Dome landing was a shipping and supply point and a popular destination for travelers from Yuma, Arizona.  It was even a party destination for various celebrations one of the most popular was Mexican Independence Day. The Mexican holiday was the biggest draw to the area.  Some sources say that the population peaked over 3,000 people, rivaling the near by City of Yuma, and almost becoming Yuma County’s namesake.

The area became a significant source of lead for both World War I and World War II . In 1978 all the mines were shut down and the last of the residents were gone. the remains of Castle Dome Landing are now submerged beneath the Imperial Dam  in Martinez Lake, Arizona.

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