A town that still waves at its neighbors.

Long before it was a town, the Cave Creek area was home to the Hohokam people, and later the Tonto Apache and Yavapai, who lived in the foothills for generations before settlers arrived. The town's more recent history begins in 1870, when the U.S. Cavalry passed through the area under Major General George Stoneman, following a trail that connected Camp McDowell to Fort Whipple near Prescott. The cavalry's stop at the creek's natural springs marked the beginning of Cave Creek as a known destination, and by 1877 settlers Jeriah and Amanda Wood had built a lodge there called Cave Creek Station, offering food and rest to travelers passing through.

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From there, Cave Creek grew into a true mining and ranching community. The Cave Creek Mining District was established in 1873, and gold discoveries on Gold Hill the following year drew prospectors to the area, while cattle and sheep ranching took hold in the surrounding hills. That frontier identity never really faded — even as the town grew, it held onto its Old West character, and today Cave Creek Road is lined with the same rugged charm dressed up with boutique shops, art galleries, and a lineup of unique restaurants and nightlife spots.

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Residents made it official on July 6, 1986, voting to incorporate the town rather than let it be absorbed into the growing Phoenix area, and in 2026 Cave Creek celebrates 40 years of that independence. Beyond its Western roots, the town has become a gateway to some of the most remote and rugged hiking in the Phoenix metro area, from Cave Creek Regional Park to the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area, which marks its own 25th anniversary this year. From cavalry outpost to mining camp to a town that still feels like a step back in time, Cave Creek has never let go of what made it special in the first place.