Quartzsite, Arizona
A Rockhound's Paradise
Location / Description
Quartzsite is located in western Arizona, just 20 miles east of the Colorado River on I-10. It's been a rockhound's paradise since the 1960s. These days, it's also a mecca to well over a million visitors each year, most of whom converge on this small town in a wave of RVs during the months of January and February.
At this time of the year, 2,000 vendors of rocks, gems, minerals, fossils and everything else imaginable create one of the world's largest open air flea markets in Quartzsite. Eight major gem and mineral shows as well as vendors of raw and handcrafted merchandise peddle their wares to snowbirds, collectors and enthusiasts, making Quartzsite the place to be the first two months of each year.
Population / Elevation
Quartzsite 1,900 people / 876 feet above sea level
Weather / Climate
Quartzsite has a classic low desert climate with extremely low relative humidity and very high summer temperatures. On the average, it receives less than 4 inches of precipitation a year. Stores, shops, restaurants, theaters and homes are air-conditioned year round in Quartzsite.
In 1856, settler Charles Tyson built a fort at the present site of Quartzsite to protect his water supply from attacks by Native Americans. Fort Tyson soon became a stopover on the Ehrenburg-to-Prescott stagecoach route, eventually becoming known as Tyson's Wells. After the stage stopped running, it became a ghost town.
A small mining boom revitalized the town and it became known as Quartzsite in 1897. It remained a mining town until 1965, when the Pow Wow Rock, Gem & Mineral Show initiated the rockhound winter migration to Quartzsite each year. These days, the population can swell to almost a million during January and February as rockhounders, jewelers and vendors, mostly in thousands of RVs, attend the eight major gem and mineral shows.
Bradshaw Trail also known as the Gold Road to La Paz, is located in California's southeastern Riverside County. The trail was created in 1862 by William Bradshaw, and was the first trail that crossed the Riverside County desert all the way to the Colorado River. In 1863 it became a well-traveled overland stage route. Originating in San Bernardino, the trail was used to haul miners and other passengers to the gold fields at La Paz, Arizona (now Ehrenberg). More...
Hauser Geode Beds Take the Wiley's Well Road exit from Interstate 10 and continue driving south to the graded dirt road just past the state prison. You will pass Wiley's Well campground (9 miles south of I-10), and Coon Hollow campground (12 miles south of I-10). You will see a dirt road on the right with a marker indicating the route to the Hauser Geode Beds. (This is also the Imperial and Riverside county border.) More...
Tumco/Hedges Ghost Town Driving Interstate 8 east of El Centro, California, after you pass through the Imperial Sand Hills, you can see off to the left a small group of mountains that appear dark brown. These mountains are known as the Cargo Muchacho Mountains. More...
Opal Hill Mine Tucked deep into the Mule Mountains not far from Palo Verde lies Opal Hill Mine. Opal Hill is well known for its beautiful and rare fire agate, opal eggs and quartz crystals. When one thinks of a mine, images of deep shafts or dark tunnels usually come to mind. The Opal Hill Mine can be better described as a claim established on a hillside which overlooks a valley. The mine consists of rock outcroppings and holes where agate has been extracted. Video below on the mine.
