Quartzsite: Not Just for Boondocking

Quartzsite Arizona has long been known for several key things. Three of these would be rocks, RV camping, and great craft fairs. Those things alone are enough to keep any small desert town busy. But in and around the vicinity another world awaits, existing of relics and mysteries from other times. It is a world of solitude, nature and sites involving Native-American, Spanish, and old west antiquities.

Stone Cabins

There is a plethora of stone cabin sites in the area, but before hitting the dusty trails it is best to begin at the Quartzsite Museum, which is an old stone cabin itself. Built in 1866 it is the oldest existing building in town, having initially served as the Tyson Wells Stage Station. This amazing structure has had a bit of a facelift on the outside, but inside you can lay your hands on the original stone walls. These walls are several feet thick in places, a reminder that a station in those days also had to serve as a fortress at times. There is also an existing gun port in one of the walls. The exhibits are well organized and informative. There is a gift shop with books covering the colorful history of the area. If you are going stone cabin hunting, or any history hunting at all,  you may want to pick up this pamphlet while there.

Cone Cabin

The Cone cabin site is one of the more easily accessible places. In fact, Trish, my navigator extraordinaire, and I were surprised only the last half mile or so was on a dirt road. There are two cabins there, one of them being Mr. Cone’s shop. Joseph Cone (1892-1971) was a nudist with a long white beard. This may not have suited the community in the 1940’s and 50’s and I am sure he had good reasons for living out of town. But he was very skilled in making things, particularly with a lathe. He was also a gifted stonemason, which is more than evident when examining the stonework of his cabins. Quarried locally, it is some of the best stonework I have seen. Do not miss this site!

Another stone cabin site we went to was outside of Quartzsite heading south to Yuma. There is not a lot of information on this site, except it was once a stage station. Nestled at the base of a mountain it is easy to miss as it blends in with the rock around it. A well-preserved fireplace still decorates one corner of the cabin.

And the stone cabin sites dot the desert in all directions. The aforementioned pamphlet and a high clearance vehicle will guide you to most of them. Some are at old mine sites. One accompanies what is called, “The Spanish Wall,” which is a desert mystery. If you want to find all of these places, be prepared to spend at least a week.(pic)

Petroglyphs, Caves and Grinding Holes

Just as numerous as cabin sites are Native-American sites. As with the current RV campers, the Indians used this area for winter camping. They left quite an impression.

Ever the urgent adventurers, Trish and I drove down some sandy trail that dumped us onto Tyson Wash, which we warbled across before getting out and hiking aimlessly up some mountainside, not realizing we had long since passed what we were looking for.  About an hour later, as we backtracked across the wash, we found petroglyphs on the jagged face of a hill. About halfway around this hill we found a cave. Suddenly, our disoriented trek found purpose. We entered the cave, but as it narrowed to a crawlspace and evidence of bats became more apparent, we decided against finding its end.

The Tyson Wash Site was the only petroglyph site we visited on this trip. If you have a high clearance vehicle or ATV there are sites at Dripping Springs and elsewhere. Again, guidebooks are available.

Ghost Towns

Ghost town hunting can be a full-time job in this part of Arizona. Trish and I made our way to Castle Dome which is between Quartzsite and Yuma. The last six miles is a bit gravely and rocky, but if you take it slow you can make in your grandmother’s Buick Skylark.

This ghost town Is now privately owned and has been turned into a museum of sorts. Many of the structures are in their original location, but some have been moved in closer for your walking convenience. Likewise, you can enter certain buildings like the church, mill, saloons, shops, mercantile, and even the downstairs part of the hotel. Yet other buildings are locked up due to safety concerns.

Castle Dome Church

This was no boom-and-bust town. Founded in 1863 it served in one capacity or another until any remaining miners left in 1979, after the last mine closed.  That is a long duration for an old west ghost town! Overall, this is a fun place to visit that can give you an authentic taste of living in an old west mining town. They also have mine tours and the Enchanted Cavern, which has a natural mineral fluorescent wall. For more on Castle Dome visit http://www.castledomemuseum.org/

Other ghost towns in the area include Swansea, Winchester, and La Paz.

Other Attractions

Hi Jolly’s grave

Let us imagine you’re not like me and you get tired of the things mentioned above. Perhaps you want something more touristy and not so far off the beaten path. Smack dab in the Quartzsite Cemetery you will find the unusual grave of Hi Jolly. This Greek Syrian immigrant introduced camels into the American southwest for heavy hauling. Yes, it was his fault. But he has a very imposing looking pyramid tombstone. Also in town is Celia’s Rainbow Garden; a memorial to an eight-year-old girl who died with the dream of making the world a better place.

The Colorado River is under an hour away if you are into water sports. Equal in distance is Poston, the site of a Japanese internment camp from World War Two. Believe it or not, Quartzsite is only seventy-five miles from London Bridge. This particular version spanned the Thames in London from 1831 until 1968 when it was dismantled and moved piece by piece to Arizona. Out in the surrounding deserts you will find interesting oddities, and I don’t mean the homemade RV’s. There are incredible rock formations and trails leading to picturesque canyons. There is even a labyrinth.

Quartzsite and the greater surrounding area are rich in things to do and see, offering something for everyone. My foray there lasted only three days and I came back with a longer list of things to see there than when I had left. No doubt I will be back at some point. Autumn, winter, and early spring are the best times to be in that part of the country. Summer is plain miserable with unrelenting heat.

So, pack up the RV, the jeep or the mule and head out to Quartzsite for some old west fun and true adventure.

I have another blog post that deals with ghost towns in southern Arizona. Visit https://outerrealmz.com/4-tombstone-alternatives/ for more on that.

Happy Trails