Over the aqueduct and through the desert to the Swansea
Townsite we go!
On a long dirt road,
just 30 miles outside of Parker, Arizona (in literally the middle of nowhere)
sits an old copper mining town.
Archaeological and historical sites litter this once bustling boomtown
and the Bureau of Land Management has done an excellent job restoring and
protecting this massive and extinct townsite.
It’s no surprise that we were once again lured to an
abandoned mining area full of mine shafts, artifacts and the residual smell of
history and danger.
Swansea Townsite was a copper mining town that was settled
around 1909. It’s one of the largest ghost towns we have visited so far. At the
town’s peak (of about 750 residents), it boasted everything from a car
dealership, a moving picture theater, lumber yard and an electric light company
(in addition to the normal saloons, barbershops, cemeteries and restaurants).
What a cutting edge town, to have their very own electric light company! As you
walk the dusty “streets” of Swansea, it’s difficult to imagine a car dealership
out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by open mine shafts.
What a journey this copper went on after being mined from
the earth. It took a train ride along the Colorado River and ended up on a boat
down the Gulf Coast, around Cape Horn to Swansea, Wales (hence the namesake)! That’s
over 4,900 miles…….
The townsite sits surrounded by large mountain ranges in
every direction. It’s even a steep, curvy and hairy drive into the townsite (so
we don’t recommend going when it’s been raining, or with a trailer or large
RV). Once nestled into the town, you can’t help but feel safe and thousands of
miles away from anyone and anything.
At the entrance to the town, BLM has a kiosk with flyers,
maps, historical photos and information as well as pit toilets. We could have
spent days wandering and exploring the historical gems hidden within Swansea,
and particularly appreciated the massive mine shafts, finding portions of the
old railroad and the ramshackled brick buildings from long ago. The old copper
mining town still has evidence of the massive copper smelter and dust chamber,
which was a rather large and impressive brick building. Due to recent toppling
walls and bricks, the building has been fenced off, but you can’t miss the
undeniable presence this building had in the town.
The mine shafts are all covered for safety purposes. These
heavy duty safety measures allow you to walk over and around the shafts safely,
while eerily peering down these deep black holes.
There is an interpretive trail, hiking trails, picnic spots
and ATV trails in the area. The interpretive trail takes you through the worker’s
cottages, general office, company store, company residences, railroad depot,
manager’s house, copper smelter and dust chamber, the hospital and school site
along with rusted old cars and magnificent views.
Just like all the ghost towns we have visited, Swansea fell
victim to the Great Depression and the last milling was reported in 1944.
Today, Swansea gives us glimpse back to our past as well as a reminder at how
wild the west really was.
Although there are a handful of small campsites in Swansea, Totally Trailer does not recommend any large RV's or trailers due to the hairy roads getting into the townsite. The campgrounds at Swansea are perfect for small vans or tent camping only. It's a fun day trip and beautiful drive in from Parker, AZ. We recommend parking your RV or camper in nearby Parker.
Although there are a handful of small campsites in Swansea, Totally Trailer does not recommend any large RV's or trailers due to the hairy roads getting into the townsite. The campgrounds at Swansea are perfect for small vans or tent camping only. It's a fun day trip and beautiful drive in from Parker, AZ. We recommend parking your RV or camper in nearby Parker.
Here is our short video on the Swansea Ghost Town
Welcome Kiosk and pit toilets
The remains of the copper smelter and dust chamber
Sunset in Swansea was eerie and exciting at the same time! Standing on a mine shaft looking back at the worker's cottages and enjoying the sunset
Interpretive plaque for the Worker's Cottages from 1917
This old rusted guy had so much personality, he looked like he belonged in the Disney movie Cars!
Standing on a giant mine pit and enjoying the expansive view of nothing-ness
Inside one of the worker's cottages. It was said that there were 6-8 people in each cottage- hard to imagine in that tiny space.
Interpretive trail guide and railroad tie steps make for an easy hike around the townsite
Hubby admiring the view and imagining a once bustling copper town
Look back at the previous picture and you can get an idea of how big this town was
Massive brick building and dust chamber dwarfs us
A wall recently collapsed and left this pile of bricks and rubble
Over time, walls are collapsing and succumbing to the harsh climate
Once a busy railroad line carrying copper ore. The first train arrived here on the Swansea Railroad in 1910
