Quartzsite or “Q” as it’s commonly referred to, is an RVer’s slice of heaven. A former gold and quartz mining town with the Colorado Gold Rush that spanned from the 1860’s to 1950’s, it encompasses 36 miles, and houses a peak of about 4,000 RVers each year.
Some visitors are snowbirds who descend on the Southwest town for the winter. RV groups gather (there are many gatherings, by the way), and Quartzsite is home to annual shows that bring national, as well as international, tourists alike.
Quartzsite is in the middle of the desert, about two hours’ drive or approximately 130 miles west of Phoenix, 18 miles east of the Colorado River, and easily accessible from Los Angeles by about 17 miles. Quartzsite is formerly the home of Tyson Wells from 1863 to the 1880’s, a waterhole and later a stage station along the La Paz - Wikenburg Road on Tyson Wash.
Tyson Wells, in 1875, was described by Martha Summerhayes in her book Vanished Arizona:
"At all events, whatever Messrs. Hunt and Dudley were doing down there, their ranch (Desert Station) was clean and attractive, which was more than could be said of the place where we stopped the next night, a place called Tysons Wells. We slept in our tent that night, for of all places on the earth a poorly kept ranch in Arizona is the most melancholy and uninviting. It reeks of everything unclean, morally and physically."
Most of the time, the sun graciously shines its light on RVers who have solar-powered systems, which also makes it ideal for boondocking anywhere around the town. Because of the abundance of space, there are few restrictions as to size or age of an RV, making Quartzsite not only a great escape from a city RV park, but also a dry camper’s haven on the cheap with no fees or as low as $20 a night at one of the local parks.
Quartzsite is also host to an abundance of BLM land if dry camping is desired for free or a minimal fee. The rig must be 100% self-contained as there are no porta-potties available. In addition, according to the Quartzsite Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, “A Special Recreation Permit is required September 15th - April 15th. Camping is allowed in the LTVA [La Posa Long Term Visitor Area] between April 16th - September 14th at no cost, but the standard 14-day limit applies. Host and services are not provided during the off-season. Fees are $180 for long term permits (valid for 7 months) and $40 for short term permits ( valid for 1 to 14 consecutive days). There is no limit to the number of short-term permits that can be purchased. These sites are not considered overnight campgrounds so the minimum fee for camping is the $40 permit. During the off-season, the standard BLM camping regulations and 14-day limit with no fee applies. The permits are valid in any of the six LTVAs in California or two LTVAs in Arizona. Permits may be purchased from the Bureau of Land Management Yuma Field Office or on-site from the LTVA host.”
The town of Quartzsite from above, filled with RVs [Photo/KBUX FM Radio]
Special Events: What Quartzsite Offers in the Middle of Nowhere
Quartzsite offers an exciting array of activities and events specifically designed for RVers with most of them starting in January. Not much is happening during the heat of the summer months, but once their season begins, Quartzsite goes to town.
The last two weeks of every January brings the nation’s biggest RV gathering: the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation and RV Show where everything ‘RV’ and then some is sold by vendors. Booths range from promoting RV dealerships to the latest cooking appliances. Whatever you may be looking for, even a new pair of sunglasses, can be found at this expo. Quartzsite prepares for the population to double at this time of year.
Running concurrently is the town’s annual Tyson-Wells Rock and Gem Show which is within walking distance of the RV Show. Combined, these events draw a total of 1.5 million visitors each year. Be prepared for traffic going in and out of the Expo, lines at dump stations, and possible shortages at the town’s two grocery stores.
Keep in mind that it is dusty, and most shopping takes place under numerous tents that comprise the town’s ‘shopping mall’, which is like the world’s biggest swap meet and flea market.
During Spring Break in March, the town goes ‘Woodstock’ with live bands and DJ’s from all over the country who take part in Quartzsite’s annual Rock Festival , among other events. It’s a bit of a play on words since it also has its own gems and rocks being hawked under tents. The Festival’s music is a major factor in attracting about 150,000 people, some solo and some in groups, to Quartzsite each year. The groups vary from nudists to Christian fellowships to HAMS and everyone in between from across the nation.
No RV or left it home? No problem. Bring a couple tents or rent an RV to put right on the festival grounds.
Things to See and Do in Quartzsite, AZ
Besides the January and March annual events, Quartzsite offers everything from learning how to pan for gold to art, craft, and gem shows. Whatever you might be looking for, “the RV Town that Could” most likely has it somewhere in their on-going rummage sales and flea markets along with commercial sellers who bring an assortment of wares.
In a nutshell, just because the town is in the middle of nowhere doesn’t mean it’s a ghost town. Quartzsite is teeming with local businesses, many of which you can check out at the Quartzsite Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. RVQuartzsite.com is also a great resource and carries a current events schedule on their website.
Hiking and ATV off-roading is incredible, offering many excursions into remote nooks and crannies surrounding the area, especially into canyons and along the Colorado River.
If it’s food and drink you are seeking, Quartzsite has you covered with assorted restaurants and fast food fare. However, nothing is quite as funny bone-tickling as the Quartzsite Yacht Club. Wait, there’s water? Well, sort of: the Quartzsite Yacht Club is a watering hole, the name being the result of a joke played by the original owner, Al Madden, in the 70’s. At that time, the term ‘hole in the wall’ presumably precluded the idea and it took off. Today, the Yacht Club is a full restaurant “bar and grill.”
Current bar owner, Meme (“me-me”) Selleck reminisces on how the Yacht Club was able to stay standing: “There was a fire, however, that burned the bar down completely in 1995, at which time it was named the Jigsaw Bar. Through time, it was rebuilt and was almost sold to a rock shop.” Quartzsite Yacht Club has about 10,800 members worldwide, and much of that has to do with reciprocal arrangements the business has made with other bars and eateries in town. October 25th is its seasonal opening and they offer exceptional drinks specials to start it off right.
Quartzsite, Arizona stands out especially for catering to RVer’s and tourists alike – in the middle of the Southwest desert. While its slow season hosts approximately 3,000 people, in its high season beginning in October, the town swells to about 2 million RVing snowbird guests and residents – and it keeps growing as more and more RVer’s discover that there’s more than quartz scattered amongst “them thar desert cacti.” Quartzsite is not only the nation’s ‘RV Town That Could’; it continues to be a place that every RVer should visit and experience at least once.
Arizona, Camping, Destinations, Open Road, Outdoors, RV Lifestyle