After the disappearance of the Hohokam Indians in the 1400s, came the Tonto Apaches. The Calvary arrived in the late 1800s to guard the road leading to Fort McDowell. Soon after, the miners moved in to dig for gold.

Later a road was built for the building of Bartlett Lake dam to the east.
It didn't take long for the basin to establish itself as a cattle ranching area and a town began to grow.

It is said that those that settled here in the early 1900s were non conformists and preferred to be left alone to their own devises. Today, things don't seem to have changed that much.

In 1980, Cave Creek incorporated to keep their way of living out of the hands of Phoenix and Scottsdale. Now there is a fine mix of horses and Hummers. With a population of some 3800, the town has a great deal of diversity. Cowboy bars and western dancing, art galleries and outdoor activities for all kinds.

There's Carefree to the east, Phoenix and Scottsdale to the south, but Cave Creek strives to keep a personality of its own.