Wild Arizona: Copenhaver "Camelback" Castle

Copenhaver "Camelback" Castle

5050 E. Red Rock Road Phoenix, Az 85018 6.58 miles from SCC, approximately 15 minutes

Directions: Go west on Chaparral Rd. towards Pima. Make a left onto Hayden. Take a right at Camelback. Drive down to Dromedary and make a right. Take that to Red Rock Drive and make a left. The castle is visible from Camelback Rd.

Prices: The property is currently on sale so if you have a few million dollars laying around, it's all yours.

Open: This is a private residence. Admire the castle from below. No entry allowed.

Summary: During 1970, Camelback Castle was built over a 12-year period by a Phoenix orthodontist, Dr. Mort Copenhaver. The five-acre lot was purchased in 1967. Ceopnhaver built the renaissance style looking home from his childhood books he used to read. Over the 12 years Copenhaver and several helpers built the magnificent castle by hand. The exterior walls are built of stone blasted from the mountainside property.

With 7000 sq. ft., the house has a lot to offer. There are five bedrooms and seven and a half bathrooms spread out through the 20-room home. The living room has a 17-foot waterfall that cascades above a fireplace. With ten balconies, the view of the Valley is amazing, especially at night when you can lay in the "Great Room" and stare up at the stars by opening the retractable roof. A helicopter pad and a dungeon are some of the main attractions of the house.

In the late 80s Copenhaver lost his home to bankruptcy. It was in the hands of Bank of America. In 1989 Jerry Mitchell purchased it for $985,000, when originally it was going to sell for $7 million.

For more information:

Interested in purchasing the home, call: 1-888-888-2078