The latest Quartzsite, AZ census lists the population at 2,413. But during the month of January, that number swells to over 1 million people! Arriving in RVs, motorhomes, vans, bicycles, cars, even on foot with backpacks and tents, the little desert town’s accommodations burst at the seams and overflow onto the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) and LTVA (Long Term Visitor Area) lands. Why do all these YouTube content creators, Instagram influencers, full time van dwellers, nomads, and snowbirds battle the gusty winds, dust storms, cold nights and traffic jams? The shows, the social scene, and the Saguaros!

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For us, we just had to see it to believe it.

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The Shows

From the beginning of January through mid-February, shows are setting up and tearing down almost every week. As the desert blooms fill the rocky terrain with unique shapes and colors, so too are the white and bannered vendor tents raised and removed as the shows cycle through the calendar. Gem and Mineral Show, Sell-a-Rama, Sports, Vacation & RV Show (Big Tent), Pow-Wow, Arts & Craft Show, Gold Mining Show, Desert Garden Rock Show, Prospector’s Panorama, plus pop-up sales on corner lots of everything from rugs to RVs. The streets are bustling with traffic comprised of pick up trucks, jeeps, cars, converted school buses, giant motorhomes, vans, truck campers, and travel trailers along with ATVs and side-by-side OHVs, motorcycles, scooters, skateboards, bicycles, e-bikes, power wheel chairs, and backpackers…and their little dogs, too! Parking spaces are at a premium and we had the most success going early in the morning to the show sites.

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Quartzsite is known as “The Rock Capital of the World” because of the abundance of rocks, gems, minerals and precious metals found in the area. For over 50 years, the Rock and Gem Shows draw an international crowd of buyers to row upon row of dealers offering items from around the country and the world. We handled three thousand year old phosphorescent jade and millions of years old dinosaur bones; saw trilobite fossils and amber from Morocco; and more quartz, crystals, and geodes than we could count in every form imaginable including raw, polished, carved, and set in jewelry.

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The Big Tent Sports, Vacation & RV Show occurs in conjunction with the Tyson Wells Sell-a-Rama. The names pretty much sum up the sales. Surrounding the 70,000 SF tent are vendors, food trucks, musicians and more rocks and gems. It reminded me of a state or county fair vibe without all the agricultural exhibits.

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Sell-a-Rama

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The Social Scene

Quartzsite becomes the central location for meet-ups and parties. Within the RV parks and at the surrounding boondocking areas, meet-ups, convergences, and hang-outs occur daily. We talked with several groups of people that have been traveling to Quartzsite in January for years just to reunite with their RV friends from Canada and around the country. One of the events we attended was the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR). A gathering of nomads and mostly full-time travelers, this group met in the town center park to present workshops, entertainment, exchange ideas, items, and resources. Several van dwellers opened up their vehicles for people to tour their living space.

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The Saguaros

The iconic silhouette of the Sonoran Desert, the Saguaro cactus welcomes all comers to the wilderness.

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Across from our campsite at Arizona Sun RV Park were multi-use trails to hike across the rocky desert ground and through the sandy washes. Palo Verde, Ironwood and Mesquite trees mix with Saguaro cactus and creosote bushes to break up the fields of multi-colored rocks and gravel. We saw coyote tracks, but very little wildlife during our hikes. Snakes, lizards, scorpions and desert tortoises were still tucked away for the winter.

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Arizona is a paradise for ATV and other Off Highway Vehicles (OHVs). The Arizona Peace Trail runs through Quartzsite between Yuma and Kingman providing over 600 miles of exclusive off-roading routes. Several interesting historical sites can only be accessed via these vehicles. Countless trails criss cross Quartzsite and convoys of ATVs can be spotted from miles away by their dust clouds. We found all the drivers to be friendly, fun loving and courteous to hikers. With their colorful flags waving in the air, they reminded me of the radio controlled cars we played with as kids…only bigger and louder!

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Kofa National Wildlife Refuge

Many of the wilderness areas are protected and restrict the use of OHVs. Kofa Wildlife Refuge, located 20 miles south of Quartzsite, is a haven from the motorized activity.

We spent several days hiking and exploring three main areas in the refuge: Crystal Hill, Palm Canyon, and King Valley.

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Crystal Hill is the second place we’ve been that allows visitors to take home rocks from the site. Any rock lying exposed is permitted to be picked up. Digging is strictly prohibited. The views from the top of the hills were expansive. With a limit of 10 lbs and the variety of rocks – quartz, granite, fairy stones, tiny crystals – gathering seem like an Easter egg hunt!

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Palm Canyon – Nestled deep in this high walled desert canyon are palm trees! For a short time each day, the sun spotlights these clusters growing among the rhyolite boulders. Part of an ancient volcano ruins, uplift and earthquakes widened the canyon to create this beautiful entrance among the Kofa Mountains. Watching the sun move across the palms while surrounded by massive vertical walls, we felt the tranquil peace of this once sacred place.

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King Valley – Adjacent to BLM land in the center section of the Refuge are hills, canyons and mountains of raw wilderness. By far our favorite area to explore, we enjoyed many hours hiking to remote spots to spend the day in quiet solitude among the Saguaros.

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A Saguaro cactus grows very slowly and lives up to 200 years. “Arms” appear around 75 years of age.

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Caves and arches in the Kofa Mountains

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Other than a lizard, very little wildlife was active during our visits, but we found many signs, tracks and remains of the elusive desert life.

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Nothing beats a lunch of fajitas and coffee cooked in the outdoors with an amazing view of the Sonoran desert!

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The Quartzsite experience was something unlike anything we have seen. Quirky yet engaging, the daily expansion of the town was almost as palpable as the dusty air. Quartzsite is a celebration of RV life in all its shapes and forms that is infectious, inspiring, and an initiation to the nomadic lifestyle. It is not to be missed, as over a million other RV-ers will attest!

CAMPGROUND REVIEW: ARIZONA SUN RV PARK

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Stayed at Arizona Sun in a full hook-up, back-in site. Gravel, level and wide spaces with hook-ups at the rear of the site. No picnic table or fire ring provided, no shade or vegetation between sites. Laundry and restrooms were clean and spacious. Clubhouse was used for daily scheduled activities, holiday gatherings, and special events. Office staff and hosts were extremely friendly and helpful. The park is adjacent to ATV trails, so many OHV owners stayed in the campground. WiFi service was very limited, but T-mobile was strong most days. Great location in a quieter section of Quartzsite during the Shows season. We highly recommend Arizona Sun and would stay here again.

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Next up… River and Refuge

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