Quartzsite Visitor's Guide

Continued on Page 32 BOUSE FISHERMAN 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 fisher- man 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 mon- ey 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. 6 miles up the road look for fences on your left. Inside the farthest fence you will find the Rock Alignment and 1.3 miles farther up the road you come to a second "scenic view parking" sign. Park and follow path up the hill to see the Intaglios. PETROGLYPHS AND GRINDING HOLES There is Tyson Wash, and there is an East side that is just a small distance to the south of Quartzsite, and you are able to see some ordinary petroglyphs and grinding holes for Indians. There is also an all-natural tank by the cliff that could get water in it if it ever rained. This is ad- ditionally the initial Quartzsite site, and a flood washed it away, and then it was built up on ground that was higher up. There was said that there was a gold chest bur- ied under Tyson Wash. How do you arrive there? You just head South along highway 95, and you will make a right turn into the BLM visitor Area, and then you go left down the main road. You turn right at the BLM road 358. You park right before Tyson Wash and glance for the petroglyphs on an outcrop that is rocky where an individual has done some min- ing. Across from the wash, on the other opposite cliff, you will see caves and grind- ing holes where the Indians lived before. KOFA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE For 57 miles, US 95 cuts through the desert of Southwest Arizona - quite flat, perfectly straight and aligned exactly north- south, and interrupted only by the small town of Quartzsite. In the mild seasons of winter and early spring, much traffic uses the road, bringing sun seekers from all over the US to Yuma and on into Mexico, but few travel to this region in summer, when tem- peratures of over 120 o are not uncommon. Rain falls on only a few occasions each year - the summer thunderstorms that af- fect the higher areas of Arizona rarely ex- tend this far. South of Interstate 10, US 95 is bordered by the Yuma Proving Ground to the west and the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge to the east - a protected area 25 x 40 miles in extent with no paved roads or facilities of any kind. The refuge is an ex- cellent place for viewing desert plants and wildlife, rock climbing, exploring old mines, or just camping in remote wilderness. PALM CANYON 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, rug- ged 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 ref- uge. The palm trees have become a ma- jor visitor attraction for the refuge. To get there - Drive South on Highway 95 for 23 miles then turn left into the Kofa Wildlife Continued from Page 30 QuartzsiteVisitorGuide.com 31

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