Quartzsite is a former mining town in La Paz County, Arizona.
Abandoned mine near Quartzsite
Understand
Quartzsite, Arizona of 1850 and Quartzsite of today is the same...Quartzsite is a "Crossroads".
- 1 Quartzsite Chamber of Commerce, 465 N Plymouth Ave (next to the public library), ☏ 1 928-927-4333, toll-free: 1 888-499-2557. Offers several free brochures for download, and maintains listings of accommodations and restaurants.
Climate
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Quartzsite is located on the La Posa Plain, an arid desert region that receives little average precipitation. Winter temperatures can be mild while summer temperatures can be hot.
Get in
Map of Quartzsite
I-10 and Hwy 95 are the main thoroughfares into and through town.
- 1 Greyhound, toll-free: 1 800-231-2222. As this just a pick-up and drop-off point, tickets should be purchased beforehand online or over the phone.
Get around
As there is no public transportation, a car is essential.
See
Hi Jolly Monument
- 1 Hi Jolly Monument. A tribute to camel driver Hadji Ali, enlisted in an unsuccessful 19th-century attempt by the US Army to use camels in the southwest. Free.
- 2 [formerly dead link]Quartzsite Historical Society, 161 W Main St, ☏ 1 928-927-5229, ✉[email protected]. Nov-Mar W-Su 10AM-4PM. Visit this location to learn more about this town. This location is where the original adobe stage station was built in 1866. It was a vital way station on the California-Arizona line because it provided water and grass for the animals. Free.
- 3 Dripping Springs petroglyphs (1 mile down the rd from Dos Picachos Mine; 4WD required). This site has hundreds of pre-Columbian petroglyphs. Look for the ruined stone cabin; nearby is a cave with the springs. A path leads off from here to the cliff base, where many petroglyphs can be seen.
- 4 Tyson Wash grinding holes and petroglyphs (south of Quartzsite off of Hwy 95). More pre-Columbian petroglyphs, on both sides of the wash.
- 5 Bouse Fisherman (Fisherman Intaglio) (head north on Hwy 95, turn right on Plomosa Rd and continue for 6 miles; a short walk from the asphalt), ☏ 1 928-317-3200, ✉[email protected]. 24 hrs. The outline of a pre-Columbian geoglyph on the desert floor, portraying a fisherman. Walking a bit further you can find a Native American lookout and the ruins of a stagecoach station. The site is under the protection of the Bureau of Land Management; see website for driving instructions. Free.
Do
QIA Pow Wow Gem & Mineral Show
- 1 [dead link]Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (Kofa NWR), ☏ 1 928-783-7861 (Yuma office). Managed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, this area is home to over 400 desert bighorn sheep. Recreational opportunities include hiking and camping, particularly in the winter months.
- 2 QIA Pow Wow Gem & Mineral Show, 235 E Ironwood St, ☏ 1 928-927-6325, ✉[email protected]. Late January. Nearly one million visitors descend onto Quartzsite for this annual event, when over 400 gem and mineral vendors offer their wares for sale. Free.
- 3 Quartzsite Roadrunners Gem & Mineral Club, 65 Ironwood St, ☏ 1 928-927-6363. Oct-Mar. Offers classes, field trips, and lapidary and jewelry-making facilities.
Buy
Eat
- 1 Stagecoach Motel & Restaurant, 904 W Main St, ☏ 1 928-927-3440. Call ahead to check on hours, as they close for months at a time.
- 2 Silly Al's Pizza, 175 W Main St, ☏ 1 928-927-5585, ✉[email protected]. Daily 10AM-10PM.
- 3 Heaven's Kitchen BBQ, 20 N Central Blvd, 85346 (Just a few steps north of the 76 Station on Central Ave.), ☏ 1 928 927-1116. Open November through the end of February, 11 AM to 7 PM every day but Sunday. BBQ experience, seasonal like most restaurants in Quartzsite.
Groceries
- 4 Quartzsite General Store, 410 Main St, ☏ 1 928-927-6310.
- 5 Big Market, 775 W Main St, ☏ 1 928-927-5432.
Drink
Sleep
Most accommodation in Quartzsite is in the form of RV parks; a list[formerly dead link] is maintained by the Quartzsite Chamber of Commerce. The other limited options are listed below.
Lodging
- 1 Quartzsite Yacht Club Motel, 1090 W Main St, ☏ 1 928-927-5628. Free wi-fi. Has a bar and restaurant onsite. $70-$120/night.
- 2 Super 8, 2050 Dome Rock Rd (Exit 17 off of I-10), ☏ 1 928-927-8080, fax: 1 928-927-9233. Check-in: 1PM, check-out: 11AM. Free wi-fi and breakfast, pet-friendly. $70-$80/night.
Camping
Kofa Mountains in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
- 3 Crystal Hill Kofa Campground (in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, off of Hwy 95 south of Quartzsite), ☏ 1 928-783-7861, ✉[email protected]. Located on a dirt road with 16-29 campsites available. RVs permitted, no maximum. No water, 14-day limit. Visitors are permitted to collect any quartz crystals they may find in the area without the aid of tools - no digging! Free.
- 4 Dome Rock Mountain Camping Area (I-10 Frontage Road (Dome Rock Exit)), ☏ 1 928-317-3200, ✉[email protected]. This site is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. There are no designated campsites, no water, 14-day limit. Free.
- 5 Roadrunner Camping Area (Hwy 95 south until mile marker 99; camping area is to the west), ☏ 1 928-317-3200. Located south of Quartzsite and managed by the Bureau of Land Management, this area has no designated campsites and no water. There is a 14-day limit. Free.
- 6 Scadden Wash Camping Area (I-10 Frontage Rd east of town, Mile Marker 19 Exit), ☏ 1 928-317-3200. Conveniently located just south of Quartzsite and managed by the Bureau of Land Management. There are no designated campsites, no water, 14-day limit. Free.
- 7 BLM La Posa Long-Term Visitor Area (La Posa LTVA) (Drive south from Quartzsite on US 95 toward Yuma for 1 to 3 miles.), ☏ 1-928-317-3200, ✉[email protected]. Four long-term camping locations operated by the US Bureau of Land Management (La Posa North, La Posa West, La Posa South, and Tyson Wash LTVAs). All provide open space for long-term RV camping under primitive conditions (no hookups for power or water, limited refuse removal or sanitary dump facilities). $180/yr.
Connect
- 2 Quartzsite Public Library, 465 N Plymouth Ave, ☏ 1 928-927-6593, fax: 1 928-927-3593, ✉[email protected]. M-F 8AM-5PM. Visitors may apply for a one-year non-resident card, which allows access to computers as well as free wi-fi.
- 3 Hi Jolly's Outpost Internet and Espresso Café, 1090 W Main St (Quartzsite Yacht Club), ☏ 1 928-927-6331, fax: 1 928-927-4757. Housed in a historic building from the late 1880s, this coffeeshop offers computers, wi-fi, copying, faxing, printing, and mail services, as well as coffee and muffins.
Go next
| Routes through Quartzsite |
| Indio ← Blythe ← | W  E | → Buckeye → Phoenix |
| END ← | W  E | → Wickenburg → Phoenix |
| Needles ← Blythe ← | N  S | → Yuma → San Luis |
| Lake Havasu City ← Parker ← | N  S | → END |