Quartzsite, Arizona
A Rockhound's Paradise
Hotel Reservations | Quartzsite's Show list 2013
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 |
History
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.
Show List
2012 - 2013
October 01 2012 - February 28, 2013 Hi Ali Swapmeet
November 01 2012 - February 28, 2013 Prospectors Panorama
December 08, 2012 Chrismas Lights ParadeGardens
Show 2013
January 01 - February 28, 2013 Desert Gardens -Gem & Mineral
January 04 - January 13, 2013 Tyson Wells Rock & Gem Show
January 07 - January 27, 2013 Main Event
January 18 - January 27, 2013 Tyson Wells Sell-A-Rama
January 19 - January 27, 2013 Sports, Vacation & RV Show
January 23 - January 27, 2013 46th Annual Q I. A. POW WOW
February 1 - February 10, 2013 Tyson Wells Arts & Craft Fair
February 2 - February 3, 2013 Classic Car Show
February TBA Blue Grass Festival at Tyson Wells
February TBA Chili Cook-Off & State Salsa Championship
| Hotels/Motels
There is one motel in Quartzsite with online reservations - Super 8 Motel - click here. (Rates, availability and reservations online) There are other hotels and motels in nearby (about 20 miles) Blythe, CA and one in Ehrenberg CA For more information and a complete list, click here. (Rates, availability and reservations online) Click on the city names for reservations in, Indio CA - Yuma AZ or Lake Havasu. (Rates, availability and reservations online) |
| Camping & RV Parks
There are camping and a plethora of RV accommodations in and around Quartzsite. For more information, contact:
|
Resources
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
Take a video trip to the Opal Hill Mine click on picture.
Other DesertUSA Resources
Gem Trails of Southern California Book
Related Books & Gifts - Trading Post
Riding over Gold on Your ATV in Ocotillo Wells
Desert Rocks, Minerals & Geology Index
Desert Survival Primer
Desert Survival Kit
Desert Survival: The Solar Still
Geocaching
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