Description
This is a rock hound and trail ride combination trip.
Any 4X4 can make it. I’ll lead a trail ride to camp on Friday. We’ll all go into Quartzsite, AZ on Saturday to see the major national rock and mineral shows and an RV show. (Everything is for sale). On Saturday I’ll lead a morning trip to the Hauser Beds near camp to dig for geodes and then run trails for the remainer of the day. You can pick any one of several options.
Option 1) Go with me on Friday morning (Caravaning) and run the Bradshaw Trail to camp. Meet at the Denny's on Alicia off ramp of I-5 at 8:30 AM. Towing is NOT recommended for this option. Lunch will be about noon under the train trestle on thee Bradshaw Trail.
Option 2) Come to camp Friday night by way of mostly freeway. Towing is OK for this option but no motor homes or RV's.. See the directions below to find camp.
Option 3) Stay in a motel in or near Quartzsite Friday and/or Saturday night and do the shows and maybe the Hauser Beds Saturday. Call me if you pick this option so we can coordinate a meet up.
Option 1) This east-west trail begins about 12 miles east of the community of North Shore near the Salton Sea State Recreation Area. Its eastern end is about 14 miles southwest of Blythe near the Colorado River. It is 70-miles of sometimes graded road.
The first road across Riverside County to the Colorado River was blazed by William Bradshaw in 1862 as an overland stage route. Beginning in San Bernardino, the trail was used extensively between 1862 and 1877 to haul miners and other passengers to the gold fields at La Paz, Arizona (now Ehrenberg).
The Bradshaw Trail is now a 70-mile dirt road, graded on a ten year cycle. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended due to stretches of soft sand. The trail traverses mostly public land, and offers spectacular views of the Chuckwalla Bench and the Orocopia, Chuckwalla and Mule Mountains. The Chocolate Mountains Aerial Gunnery Range borders a part of the Bradshaw Trail to the south. This is a live bombing range and posted as closed to public entry. There is a large train trestle to drive under. We also see some WWII tank tracks.
Reference the following guides for details.
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Guide Book: Back Country Adventures Southern California, 2002 edition, SC45
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Gold Rd to La Paz Interpretive Guide
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Glove box Guide to Unpaved Southern California (1987)
Bring everything you need for dry camping. Bring firewood from home. The pre-run reminded me how much work and how dirty you get coolecting down limbs from the trees.
The next day, Saturday, I’ll lead a morning trip to the Hauser Beds to dig for geodes and explore a few trails the rest of the day. Finding geodes requires digging with pick and shovel.
Sunday we'll go into Quartzsite to see the major national rock and mineral shows of the year. Everything is for sale, including geodes...cheap.
The rocks shows are Desert Gardens, Prospectors Panorama, QIA Pow Wow, and the Tyson Wells Rock shops. That will keep you busy for awhile. There is also a MAJOR RV show that weekend. We’ll head home after lunch.
Option 2) Come out to camp Friday night. The Friday night camp site will be set up to be easily found by late comers after dark. Club signs will be posted when it’s time for you to leave the dirt road onto the camp access trail.
Bring everything you need for dry camping. Bring firewood from home.
Directions: Take I-10 past Indio. Get gas a Chiriaco Summit gas station.To the Wiley’s Well off ramp. This off ramp is about 20 miles West of Blythe. There is a rest stop at this off ramp and you can see the Chuckwalla State Prison on the South side of the highway. If you see any hitch hikers DON’T PICK THEM UP...BIG MISTAKE. From the off ramp head South on pavement towards the prison. After 2.7 miles, the pavement turns right towards the prison and you go straight South on a well graded dirt road. Proceed South 5.9 miles to the Bradshaw cross roads. You will know you are getting close to the cross roads when you pass Willey’s Well BLM Campground on your right. Make no turns and continue south another 4.5 miles to the Imperial County line. At this point look for our club sign and make a right turn on a dusty dirt track. Follow the club signs to camp. We will be camping less the a quarter mile off the dirt track near a tree lined wash.
The next day, Saturday, I'll lead a trip to the Hauser geode beds and then run trails.
Sunday we'll go into Quartzsite to see the major national rock and mineral shows of the year. Everything is for sale. We’ll head home after lunch.
Option 3) Motels are available in Blythe, Ehrendberg and Quartzsite, AZ. Personally, I use the Best Western Ehrendberg (928) 923-9711 when I use a motel to see the shows most years. Let me know if you are using this option so we can arrange a meet up time and place at one of the shows. Don't wait on making a hotel reservation. They all fill up early because the shows are very popular.
Shows:
desertgardensrockgemandmineralshow.com/
www.quartzsitervshow.com/attendee-info
www.qiaarizona.org/Calendar.html