That is the reaction I usually receive when I say I am visiting Chloride, AZ. Where is that? Why is it named that? What is there?
Chloride is a village more than a town with around 300 residents and a sprinkle of businesses. The name hails from the time in the 1860s when this was a mining town for silver, silver chloride to be exact. I think Silver would have been a better name rather than a name associated with chemical compounds (a reminder of my many chemistry classes!). Nevertheless, this is an interesting place to visit with beautiful surroundings and unique sights.
Chloride is in northwest Arizona about 25 miles north of Kingman, AZ off of Highway 93 as you are heading toward Las Vegas. Upon entering Chloride, you will feel like you have stepped back in time, maybe not quite to 1860, but certainly not in 2023. There are some original standing buildings and others that have been recreated to resemble the mining days.
There are two restaurants, a post office, a market that doubles as a visitor center/ souvenir shop, and a few other businesses that open when they feel like it. Some I have seen, others with a closed sign at all times. While tourists do come into the town, it is not a true tourist town with crowds of people (except on certain occasions like the St. Patrick’s Day parade). Most of the time, I will go into town and maybe see 5 people.
I have my trailer at the Chloride Western RV Park. This is a small and beautifully maintained park with fantastic prices ($155 a month!). I had planned to spend March here but decided to stay for April too. The weather is warm in the day and cools in the evening with breezes most of the time. Due to a higher elevation, this location is much cooler than in more southern areas of Arizona this time of year.
One of the must-sees here is the murals painted on the granite faces of boulders a mile or so out of town. The artist Roy Purcell painted them in the mid-1960s. The paintings are bold expressions, many of which appear to have a theme of feminine fertility. The setting for the murals is a beautiful windswept area that would be inspiring for creative expression. Across from the murals are ancient petroglyphs from the Hualapai Indians who inhabited this area.
I will be leaving Chloride at the end of April and begin my travels northward. This has been a great stopover as I wait for the weather to become fairer in the northern states. At this time, I remain undecided as to my exact travel plans. Some days I think I may head north through several National Parks then over to the West Coast, other days I think I may head east to states never seen…ahhh to be a gypsy with roads calling my name.