Tip Top

The McDonalds is just East of I-17 on Carefree Highway. DO NOT USE MAPQUEST FOR DIRECTIONS.

Tip Top is in the Bradshaw Mountains. Table Mesa road is the start and finish point. This trail is rated moderate and can be run as a loop if time permits.

Tip Top's post office was established August 12, 1880 and discontinued February 14, 1895. Discovered by two men, Moore and Corning in 1875, Tip Top went on to become one of the largest silver producers in the area. As the story goes, when the miners stumbled on the area one of them said "there's some Tip Top silver in these hills" and the name Tip Top stuck. Nearby Gillett served as the milling town. Most mine employees were civil war veterans from both sides. Once a miner was bitten by a centipede and drank a quart of whiskey as was the cure in those days, he later died. To this day no one know whether the miner died from the centipede or the whiskey. Tip Top had six saloons, a brewery, two restaurants, a Chinese laundry, a feed yard, a blacksmith shop, a shoe store, and many residences. Today as you round the bend in your 4WD the first site you see is one of those residences. There is not much left of Tip Top. Our group was up there in 06. It was a memorable trip because Marty broke a drive shaft right when we got to the ruins. Come to find out one of his front hubs was broke and he wasn't able to drive out in 2WD. Down the mountain we went into Deer valley to buy a drive shaft and up the mountain we went to install it. There are a few pictures in our Photos link.