Purcell Murals

The town of Chloride is just off US 93, in between Kingman and the Hoover Dam. It was founded in the 1860s as a silver mining town. At one point it had a population in the thousands and was the county (Mojave) seat. As the mines shut down, the population dropped but it never entirely died out with the result that today Chloride has about 400 residents and can boast of being both the longest continually inhabited mining town in Arizona and also having the longest continually operating post office in the state.

After its life as a mining town, Chloride attracted artists of all sorts, one of whom created a vast mural project on boulders situated about a mile or so behind the town, in the foothills of the Cerbat Mountains. Roy Purcell created a 2000 square foot set of vibrantly colored murals which he called "The Journey." He has said that the murals represent stages of his life and conflicts within his subconscious. They are beautiful, bold, surrealistic and definitely worth a look.

Rocks with vibrant paintings on them. The rock facing you is bright blue with a sun in the upper right. On the left is the word The, written in slightly fancy letters with extra embellishments on the T and h. Under that is the word Journey in the same fancy letters and under that in plain block lower case printing are the words images from an inward search for the self. To the left of this rock face there is vibrant painting on a rock face that is facing to the side of the viewer. It is in shades of blues and purples and there are human figures, and several yin/yang symbols at the top and other images that are hard to make out from this angle.
Image Description

Rocks with vibrant paintings on them. The rock facing you is bright blue with a sun in the upper right. On the left is the word The, written in slightly fancy letters with extra embellishments on the T and h. Under that is the word Journey in the same fancy letters and under that in plain block lower case printing are the words images from an inward search for the self. To the left of this rock face there is vibrant painting on a rock face that is facing to the side of the viewer. It is in shades of blues and purples and there are human figures, and several yin/yang symbols at the top and other images that are hard to make out from this angle.

The top third of this rock face is painted dark blue with a full moon on the left, a crescent moon on the right. Above the crescent moon is one of the Dipper constellations. There are 2 groupings of stars around the full moon, one a triangle shape, possibly the Summer Triangle and one is just 2 stars in a line, possibly Canes Venatici. There is a red creature on its back in between the moons with all 4 legs in the air and an elongated yellow teardrop shape in its center with a small red heart within. Under this is a daytime scene with a light blue sky with clouds, tall purple mountains in the background, a desert foreground with desert plants that might be cholla and a town with scattered wooden houses and a building in the center with a large structure in the middle that might be mining equipment. The bottom of the rock is painted red, with yellow and orange on the right side, almost like a frame of the picture.
Image Description

The top third of this rock face is painted dark blue with a full moon on the left, a crescent moon on the right. Above the crescent moon is one of the Dipper constellations. There are 2 groupings of stars around the full moon, one a triangle shape, possibly the Summer Triangle and one is just 2 stars in a line, possibly Canes Venatici. There is a red creature on its back in between the moons with all 4 legs in the air and an elongated yellow teardrop shape in its center with a small red heart within. Under this is a daytime scene with a light blue sky with clouds, tall purple mountains in the background, a desert foreground with desert plants that might be cholla and a town with scattered wooden houses and a building in the center with a large structure in the middle that might be mining equipment. The bottom of the rock is painted red, with yellow and orange on the right side, almost like a frame of the picture

Several rock faces in this picture have paintings on them. The rock face in the center has a dark peach background, a sun in the middle and a snake coming up from the bottom with its mouth wide open, ready to swallow the sun. It has upper and lower fangs and is a dark red with lighter scales. The rocks to either side of this are both pained in shades of yellow, each with a black footprint. The one on the right side has only 3 toes and the one on the left side looks more human with 5 toes and a space where the foot's arch wouldn't have made an imprint. To the left of this is a partial view of the rock described in the previous photo.
Image Description

Several rock faces in this picture have paintings on them. The rock face in the center has a dark peach background, a sun in the middle and a snake coming up from the bottom with its mouth wide open, ready to swallow the sun. It has upper and lower fangs and is a dark red with lighter scales. The rocks to either side of this are both pained in shades of yellow, each with a black footprint. The one on the right side has only 3 toes and the one on the left side looks more human with 5 toes and a space where the foot's arch wouldn't have made an imprint. To the left of this is a partial view of the rock described in the previous photo

Several large rock faces are painted with large scenes. There are several dark red scaled snakes, one of which is swallowing what looks like a sun. There are different styles of footprints placed around the edges. There is a chubby human figure with a red heart on his chest on one of the snakes. There is a line of black and white yin/yang symbols, and one of the long snake figures ends in a three toed chicken type foot with black claws.
Image Description

Several large rock faces are painted with large scenes. There are several dark red scaled snakes, one of which is swallowing what looks like a sun. There are different styles of footprints placed around the edges. There is a chubby human figure with a red heart on his chest on one of the snakes. There is a line of black and white yin/yang symbols, and one of the long snake figures ends in a three toed chicken type foot with black claws.

Two rock faces are painted in this photo. The small one in the foreground is mainly painted a dark red with a yellow sun in the upper left. Below that and moving towards the right is a lighter red snake outlined in white. Behind this rock is one that has what appears to be a mine entrance painted on it, with a wooden frame doorway with bracing pieces of wood to the side.
Image Description

Two rock faces are painted in this photo. The small one in the foreground is mainly painted a dark red with a yellow sun in the upper left. Below that and moving towards the right is a lighter red snake outlined in white. Behind this rock is one that has what appears to be a mine entrance painted on it, with a wooden frame doorway with bracing pieces of wood to the side.

This rock face is painted a vibrant dark blue. There is some sort of design on the upper left that looks like a spiral with several turns that end in a zig zag tail with an arrow on the end. In the middle of the rock is a large purple jar with a white band with red ovals on the upper middle and a blue design on the bottom with 6 points. There are flames coming out of the top of the jar. On the left is one white mountain goat. On the right are two mountain goats, one following the other.
Image Description

This rock face is painted a vibrant dark blue. There is some sort of design on the upper left that looks like a spiral with several turns that end in a zig zag tail with an arrow on the end. In the middle of the rock is a large purple jar with a white band with red ovals on the upper middle and a blue design on the bottom with 6 points. There are flames coming out of the top of the jar. On the left is one white mountain goat. On the right are two mountain goats, one following the other.

This rock face has a tree with a long trunk and lotsof green leaves at the top. Wound around the trunk of the tree is a long red snake.
Image Description

This rock face has a tree with a long trunk and lotsof green leaves at the top. Wound around the trunk of the tree is a long red snake.

This boulder is painted dark blue with red circles on the far right, a thick vertical line on the middle right and 3 footprints going across the upper part. On the left is a large seated figure that appears very circular and has crossed legs, some kind of spikey necklace, long black hair and what looks like a spider on top of its head. There is a large white labyrinth on a blue background on the lower half of the figure.
Image Description

This boulder is painted dark blue with red circles on the far right, a thick vertical line on the middle right and 3 footprints going across the upper part. On the left is a large seated figure that appears very circular and has crossed legs, some kind of spikey necklace, long black hair and what looks like a spider on top of its head. There is a large white labyrinth on a blue background on the lower half of the figure.

Three rock faces are painted in shades of yellow, pink, peach and red. The upper left rock has a light yellow 6 pointed star shape outlined in a red rope design with a human eye in the center. It is in a slightly darker yellow circle that has 12 lighter circles around the edge with what could be numbers painted in them. Around the outside of this circle are 12 large dark peach circles, each one with a figure painted in yellow. The 2 rock faces on the bottom show a scene with red scaled snakes, the yin/yang symbols, foot stencils going around the outer edge. On the left there appears to be a partial figure but you can only see what looks like an arm with fingers curled almost in an OK sign and what looks like the top of a head with dark hair and a blue and white headband going around.
Image Description

Three rock faces are painted in shades of yellow, pink, peach and red. The upper left rock has a light yellow 6 pointed star shape outlined in a red rope design with a human eye in the center. It is in a slightly darker yellow circle that has 12 lighter circles around the edge with what could be numbers painted in them. Around the outside of this circle are 12 large dark peach circles, each one with a figure painted in yellow. The 2 rock faces on the bottom show a scene with red scaled snakes, the yin/yang symbols, foot stencils going around the outer edge. On the left there appears to be a partial figure but you can only see what looks like an arm with fingers curled almost in an OK sign and what looks like the top of a head with dark hair and a blue and white headband going around.

You can check out the links below to find out more about Chloride and the Purcell murals. I don't know that I'd plan a trip just to see Chloride, as cool as it is. It's kind of out there and I think this is best planned not as a trip on its own but as a side trip. When I went, I was on a 3 day trip with a friend. We went to Oatman, checked out Chloride and visited Keepers of the Wild animal sanctuary in Valentine. Or this would be a nice excursion if you're in Vegas or driving to Vegas along US 93.