By Stacey Wittig
So you wanna be a rock star? If the type of rock you’re talking about includes quartz crystals, obsidian, and fire agate, then Quartzsite, Arizona, is the place to go!
Known as “The Rock Capital of the World,” Quartzsite boasts a legacy of gold, quartz crystal, and mercury mining.
So paw-ty on!
What better place for you and your four-legged traveling companion to start rockhounding? Search for crystals in the great outdoors or nose around Quartzsite’s famous rock and gem shows for the most unusual specimens.
Your furry friend is welcome at the gem shows, swap meets, and tent shows, and you’ll meet lots of other doggie travelers at Quartzsite’s fun events. In addition, the town is the winter nesting ground for thousands of “Snowbirds” who flock to the area for its RV parks, dispersed camping areas, and over 1,000 miles of BLM designated off-road vehicle (OHV) trails.
You and your pooch can get outdoors and go rockhounding at Crystal Hill in the nearby Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. Crystal Hill is the only area within the refuge where recreational rock or mineral collecting is permitted.
Sniff around the washes and the rocky slopes for quartz, quartz crystals, tourmaline, and pyrite. Be aware that rock or mineral collection is limited to exposed and materials collectible without using tools, including metal detectors. Digging is prohibited, of course. Rock collection is limited to ten specimens or ten pounds. Get details and directions at tinyurl.com/4r282zp6 .
Enjoy the outdoors with an excursion to the mysterious Blythe Intaglios just on the other side of the Colorado River from Quartzsite in California. Giant figures depicting humans, animals and spirals were scraped into the surface layer of desert-varnished pebbles and rocks.
Although Native people of the area have known of the sacred sites for generations, the forms were “lost” to European eyes. Lost until the 1930s when a pilot saw the enormous figures from above. Get directions at tinyurl.com/yc2jshuy .
But this desert town is not only famous for rocks. You’ll soon discover that townies are crazy about camels. The camel motif greets you on the town welcome signs, and before long, you’ll be taking selfies with your pet at all the large or life-sized camel displays set up around the former mining community. So what’s with the camel craze?
You see, in the mid-1800s, the US Army experimented with camels as pack animals.
When Edward Fitzgerald Beale was awarded a contract to build a wagon road from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Fort Defiance, New Mexico Territory, to the Colorado River, he was required, although reluctant, to use the Army camels. To Beale’s surprise, camels proved their superiority to horses and mules in the desert and barren portions of the US interior, packing 700-pound loads at a steady pace.
The lead camel driver for US Army Camel Corps Experiment was Hi Jolly (Hadji Ali), who became a living legend after the success of the roadwork. Beale’s Wagon Road became part of the Transcontinental Railroad, Route 66 and I-40.
Hi Jolly lived in Quartzite after running a camel freight service between the Colorado River and mining operations to the east. You and your sweet pup would be remiss if you didn’t visit his tomb and the monument to his service in the Quartzsite cemetery.
If you and Fido prefer to avoid crowds, now is the best time to visit Quartzite. April daily highs in Quartzsite fluctuate from 82°F to 90°F.
Most people stay during January and February to take in the rock and gem shows, RV swaps, and the Hi Jolly Daze Parade. Note your calendar now, so you don’t miss these entertaining pet-friendly events in 2023.
Quartzsite is located 17 miles east of the Colorado River on I-10, 260 miles from Flagstaff.
