January and February are the most popular months for gem and mineral shows held in Quartzsite. These shows have more than 2,000 vendors and exhibitors. A walk around town will take you past open-air markets displaying and selling gems and minerals. One of the most prevalent is the quartz. Quartz is the second most common mineral in the world. It comes in many different varieties and sizes that make it a unique gem.
January and February are also popular months for swap meets in Quartzsite. There are open-air markets all around town. Because Quartzsite isn't that big, you can easily walk to most of the swap meets. Bring some kind of portable cart to the swap meets to carry all your purchases because you will be sure to purchase something.
RV camping at Quartzsite can be quite an adventure in itself. There are a few RV parks that have full hookups but the more adventurous will "dry camp." Dry camping is a good way to have some of those necessities from home but also feel like you are taking a trip on a wagon train such as our ancestors did when going west. Water and sanitation dump trucks come around at least once a week to dump your tanks and provide you with freshwater. Most dry camp areas have nightly campfires where people gather and visit. If you own an RV and have never dry camped, try this out at Quartzsite.
There are many historical places around Quartzsite if you want to get out and explore. National and state parks are abundant within 100 miles of Quartzsite and make nice day trips. Among them are Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Havasu State Park and Buckskin Mountain Colorado State Park. Historical parks and markers are also in abundance. The burial place of Hi Jolly, an Ottoman camel driver who died here, is found at Quartzsite. Check out the town of Ehrenberg, Arizona, where you will find the one of the largest shipping towns in Arizona (Yuma is the largest, 30 miles south of Ehrenberg). The town lies just across the border from California. Dripping Springs and Bouse are old mining towns that also are worth visiting.
