2021 - The Boondock Report
The Boondock Report
by Julie Smith
Happy Spring Everyone! We have been boondocking in our RV since January in Quartzsite, Arizona and exploring the area. We took an enjoyable day trip to the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge on March 29, 2021. It was a nice day in the high 80s, yet not uncomfortable. The 30 mile drive south on Highway 95 from our Quartzsite campsite went quickly and we soon made the left turn onto the King Road which is dirt and well graded. The King Road meanders through the Refuge offering stunning desert vistas, jagged mountains ranges, saguaros galore, ocotillo, cholla, and many varieties of desert plants and animals. We didn’t see any big horn sheep this time but we have on other visits to the area. Several other dirt roads connect to the King Road – we decided to take McPherson Pass which traverses through the Castle Dome Mountains and Mining District. It is a beautiful little pass about ten miles long through more gorgeous terrain. Lots of mining history in these mountains; silver, gold, and other minerals. McPherson Pass ends on the other side of the mountain and connects to Castle Dome Mine Road. We took this dirt road for about seven miles and found the Castle Dome Mine Museum - - a little gem of history preserved out in the Willy wags. Dedicated folks were able to put together the remnants/mining equipment of this small mining town which were abandoned over the years; the result is a historic ghost town you can explore.
They did a great job of putting it together and we took about two hours walking through the buildings and grounds. After the museum we continued back down Castle Dome Mine Road where we saw connecting roads to other gold mines nearby. Castle Dome Mine Road takes you through the Yuma Military Proving Grounds until you reach Highway 95 which gave us an easy 50 mile trip back to Quartzsite. This would be a good Desert Explorers trip sometime – only a few spots to navigate slowly without much difficulty.
Julie Smith
Flagstaff, AZ USA
