Quartzsite, Arizona

Location / Description

Quartzsite, in western Arizona, just 20 miles east of the Colorado River on I-10, Quartzsite has been a rockhound's paradise since the 1960s. These days, it is 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.

Quartzsite, Arizona - Monthly Climate Normals
	Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °F	87.0	65.1	71.2	78.0	86.0	94.7	103.9	108.3	106.7	100.9	89.9	74.7	64.4
Low °F	58.1	37.3	42.7	48.4	54.8	64.6	73.5	81.5	80.5	71.9	59.1	45.7	37.0
Avg °F	72.6	51.2	57.0	63.2	70.4	80.0	88.7	94.9	93.6	86.4	74.5	60.2	50.7
Rain "	4.07	0.54	0.45	0.35	0.15	0.05	0.03	0.34	0.66	0.39	0.38	0.27	0.45

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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. It had become known as Tyson's Wells by the time the stage stopped running and the town was abandoned.

A small mining boom revitalized the town as Quartzsite in 1897 and it remained thus until 1965, when the Pow Wow Rock, Gem & Mineral Show began 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.

2011 - 2012

November 01 2011 - February 28, 2012 Hi Ali Swapmeet
November 01 2011 - February 28, 2012 Prospectors Panorama
December 03, 2011 Chrismas Lights ParadeGardens

Show 2012

January 01 - February 28, 2012 Desert Gardens -Gem & Mineral
January 06 - January 15, 2012 Tyson Wells Rock & Gem Show
January 07 - January 22, 2012 Main Event
January 20 - January 29, 2012 Tyson Wells Sell-A-Rama
January 21 - January 29, 2012 Sports, Vacation & RV Show

February 1 -February 5. 2012 Hobby Craft & Gem Show
February 3 - February 12, 2012 Tyson Wells Arts & Craft Fair
February 4 - February 5, 2012 Rock & Roll Car Show
February TBA Blue Grass Festival at Tyson Wells
February TBA Chili Cook-Off & State Salsa Championship

Resources

• Related Books & Gifts - Trading Post

Side Trips

Bradshaw Trail

General Patton Memorial Museum

Hauser Geode Beds

Imperial Sand Dunes

Living Desert Reserve (Palm Desert)

Opal Hill Mine

Tumco/Hedges Ghost Town

Cities & Towns

• Ehrenburg, Arizona: 17 miles west.
• Blythe, California: 25 miles west.
• Parker, Arizona: 35 miles north.
• Yuma, Arizona: 83 miles south.
• Wickenburg, Arizona: 111 miles northeast.
• Phoenix, Arizona: 125 miles east.

Parks & Monuments

• Joshua Tree National Park: 94 miles west.
• Riverside County river parks: 25 miles west.
• Buckskin Mountain Colorado River Park: 47 miles north.
• Lake Havasu State Park: 57 miles north.
• Alamo Lake State Park: 71 miles northeast.

Recreation & Wilderness Areas

• Kofa National Wildlife Refuge: 5 miles south.
• Cibola National Wildlife Refuge: 40 miles south.
• Imperial National Wildlife Refuge: 50 miles south.

Historic & Points of Interest

• Hi Jolly Memorial: 5 miles east.
• General Patton Memorial Museum: 86 miles west.
• Parker Dam: 50 miles north.
• Lake Havasu: 50 miles north
• Gold Road to La Paz: An Interpretive Guide to the Bradshaw Trail