Explore Quartzsite

The Hi Jolly Cemetery is operated and maintained by the Town of Quartzsite for the purposes of providing a cemetery, historic site and park. The Hi Jolly monument is in the pioneer section of the cemetery. The monument is a favorite of visitors to Arizona.

The Hi Jolly Memorial at the cemetery in Quartzsite pays tribute to Hadji Ali, one of several camel drivers brought over by the U.S. Army in a failed attempt to introduce camels to the American Southwest. After the experiment was abandoned, Ali was the only driver to remain in Arizona. He took up prospecting, and became known to locals as “Hi Jolly”. He is by far the most colorful of the camel drivers because he remained in the desert southwest and became a prospector, scout and was a courier for what was called the Jackass Mail. He was a packer, hauling freight in the area also. Hi Jolly died in December of 1902. In 1934 the Arizona Department of Transportation erected a monument over his grave.

The Quartzsite Historical Society opened Tyson’s Well Museum in February 1980, after extensive restoration work. Artifacts were gathered from interested citizens, as well as photographs and old mining equipment and placed inside and outside the building. The dirt floor in one of the rooms was maintained for authenticity. The ceiling of the main room consists of saguaro ribs,  and the original fireplace is still in use during the winter. Outside in the yard is the original assay shack from the Marquita Mine, which offers a peek into the everyday life of the miners. Also, in the yard is the handiwork of Walter Barrett, a little village of cement and stone houses built during his retirement and donated to the museum. The museum is located at 161 W Main St, next to Silly Al's Pizza· (928) 927-5229. Learn more at www.quartzsitemuseum.org/

A community working together to make a child's dream come true.  Celia's Rainbow Gardens, located in the Quartzsite Town Park encompasses 8 acres of the 40 acre park.  The gardens were inspired by the dreams of Celia Winer, an 8-year old girl whose goal in life was to make the world a better place.   Her love of nature, her desire to save the environment, and dreams of people working together have been taken to heart by this little desert community.

The Bouse Fisherman is an Intaglio also known as a geoglyph or earth figure. These very large earth figures were created many years ago by American Indians. The fisherman was first spotted in 1932 on the desert floor when George Palmer, a pilot, saw an enormous human figure with outstretched hands. In 1984, the Colorado River Indian Tribes sponsored a flight which led to a second discovery of the Bouse Fisherman. Bouse residents and others collected money and installed posts and a cable fence around the site. A bronze plaque was set into a stone pillar to commemorate the site hoping for preservation for all. To get there - North out of Quartzsite on Highway 95 for 5.4 miles, then turn right on Plomosa Road. 6 miles up the road look for fences on your left.

The Quartzsite Desert RC Flyers are a club that enjoys flying all kinds of Radio Controlled Aircraft. We fly from the 'Jim B. Colwell Field' located at the north end of the Quartzsite Town Park. Officially named by proclamation of the Town. The Name bestowed upon Mr. Colwell due to his generosity of time, energy and time devoted to the hobby. http://www.quartzsitedesertflyers.com/

On the East side of Tyson Wash a short distance south of Quartzsite, you can see Indian grinding holes and some faint petroglyphs. There is also a natural tank near the cliff which may have water in if it has rained. This is the site of the original Quartzsite washed away in a flood and subsequently rebuilt on higher ground at its present location. It is said that a safe full of gold lies buried beneath the sand at the bottom of Tyson Wash somewhere near this spot, carried away in the great flood. To get there - Go South on highway 95, turn right into the BLM Long Term Visitor Area, then left on the main road. Turn right at the BLM road 358. Park just before Tyson Wash and look for the petroglyphs on a rocky outcrop. Across the wash on the opposite cliff you will find grinding holes and caves where Indians once lived.

There are hundreds of Petroglyphs here. You will also find the remains of an old stone cabin and an arrastre. Look along the base of the cliff to the left of the stone cabin for the cave where the spring originates. Once you’ve found it, listen and you will hear it dripping from the cave roof, forming a year round pool of water. A path takes off to the left of the cave, following the edge of the cliff where more petroglyphs can be seen. Dripping springs is one mile down the road from Dos Picachos Mine. The road is steep and rutted. This is a trip for a 4-wheeled drive vehicle.

Bordered by the Yuma proving ground to the west and the Kofa National Wildlife refuge to the east the refuge is an excellent place for viewing desert plants and wildlife, rock climbing, exploring old mines, or just camping in remote wilderness.

http://www.fws.gov/refuge/kofa/

An area of rugged beauty, Palm Canyon may be the only place in Arizona where native palm trees, California Fan Palms, can be found. tucked away in narrow, rugged canyons on the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. People were aware of the small, scattered clusters of trees growing in Palm Canyon even before the creation of the refuge. The palm trees have become a major visitor attraction for the refuge. To get there - Drive South on Highway 95 for 23 miles then turn left into the Kofa Wildlife Refuge for approximately 7 miles on the dirt road until it ends.

http://www.americantrails.org/nationalrecreationtrails/trailNRT/PalmCanyon-AZ.html

Paul Winer has achieved legend status after 20 years as the naked guy who has The Oasis Bookstore in Quartzsite, Az. In the face of predictions already accepted as fact—that bookstores are about to join the dodo bird and doctors who make house calls—Paul Winer has a business model that works . . . for him. His image has appeared in hundreds if not thousands of private blogs and the occasional print publication. But when the ogling and eye-balling are done, it is worth it to stick around to learn the story of this life-long performer and point man on freedom of expression litigation. Paul Winer was a Vermont poet as a young man.  His poetry became lyrics and Paul embarked on a career as a performer of blues and an accomplished pianist.

Paul states “I was in court 68 times and won every case.  I was at the center of some landmark freedom of expression cases." When asked Paul replies simply  "It has nothing to do with philosophy or being connected to Nature.  I am not a poster boy for nudism, naturism, or sun worship.  I just don’t like the feel of clothes."

Located in the flood plain of the lower Colorado River and surrounded by a fringe of desert ridges and washes. The refuge encompasses both the historic Colorado River channel as well a channelized portion constructed in the late 1960's. Along these main water bodies are home to many wildlife species that reside in this portion of the Sonoran Desert.

Established in 1995 the preserve currently consists of 1,253 acres of wilderness area and a 3.5 acre park. The preserve is centered around a reconstructed Colorado backwater, which offers a variety of activities including fishing, canoeing, birding and swimming. The preserve's many purposes include revegatation of areas for endangered and threatened plants and animals native to the Lower Colorado River Basin.