NEAR PARKER, Ariz. — The Nellie E Saloon, better known as the Desert Bar, closed Sunday, Oct. 11, after heavy rain and flash flooding made the only road to the remote bar unsafe to travel. The five-mile dirt route from Highway 95 was washed over by runoff, according to witness Mark Carney, who described parts of the road as dangerous to navigate. The National Weather Service had issued a flash-flood warning for parts of the region. Manager Stephanie Rangoussis said the bar and adjoining Dusty Boot Cookhouse would stay closed to protect guests and staff. Management said it expected to welcome patrons back the following weekend, as conditions allowed. The closure was the first weather-related shutdown in the saloon’s 43-year history, according to management. Located in a secluded canyon north of Parker on the site of an old mining camp, the seasonal business typically operates on weekends from October through April. It runs on solar power and is accessible by a single dirt road, making flooding a direct barrier to both visitors and workers. The sudden closure disrupted trips for some visitors who had traveled long distances. One group came from South Dakota, while a Texas visitor said their party would leave before the planned reopening. The episode underscored how quickly intense rain can disrupt travel in Arizona’s desert terrain: the same remote access that is part of the Desert Bar’s appeal can become impassable when floodwater crosses the road.