In 1966, Roy Purcell took a break from pursuing a Master's degree in Fine Arts at Utah State University to labor as a miner in the Cerbat Mountains near Chloride, Arizona. While he was there, and with the support of local residents, he painted "The Journey," a 2000-square-foot set of murals on some boulders about a mile and a half outside of town. His work, executed in the abstract Modernism tradition, led to early world-wide recognition for Purcell and helped launch him on a professional career.
From May 27 to June 2, 2006, Roy Purcell along with other artists returned to Chloride to restore the faded murals which were originally painted in 1966. With the help of some area business's sponsorship and 10 other artists, 19 murals were restored, adding vibrant color to the faded panels.
The town of Chloride was founded in 1862 and was the center of silver ore production for the area. In the early 1900s, Chloride was the county seat and had a population of more than 2000. Today, Chloride boasts the oldest continually operating post office in Arizona. The village is a collection of vintage miner's shacks and heaps of rusting equipment left over from the glory days. Many of the current residents are artists, and whimsical sculptures made from mining artifacts line the streets. Local miners still prospect in the area looking for undiscovered seams of silver from the now-defunct Elkhart lode.
Chloride is about two hours from Las Vegas. From Las Vegas: Follow US Hwy-93 about 72 miles to the turn-off to Chloride. Turn left on County Road 125 and proceed 3.7 miles to the town.
There are a number of shops in Chloride, including a Silversmith near the east end of the paved road through town, and a Market with a wide variety of souvenirs in addition to food, beverages and snacks. There are also two restaurants. Yesterday’s and the Prospector, which is more of a tavern and advertises live music on Saturday and Sunday.
Proceed through the town until you see the signs for the murals. Turn right and follow a dirt road about 1.5 miles. There are a number of signs and arrows painted on rocks to keep you headed in the right direction.
Important NOTE: Although nobody in Chloride mentions it, nor do any of the travel websites when they feature the murals, there is an isolated 500 acre block of Arizona State Trust Land (ASTL) just to the east of Chloride that this road, which also services the numerous mines in the area, passes through. The murals and this cache are in this block of land. Geocaching is permitted, but you are supposed to have a permit to access ASTL. There are blocks of ASTL all over Arizona, where other caches are located or that you have to pass through to get to caches (like the ones farther up this road) - so it's a good investment. As of February 2018, an annual pass costs $15.Go here for information about ASTL restrictions and permitting.
In February 2018, the road was passable for two-wheel drive, but it was rough going. If you are going farther than the Murals and up to the caches higher in the hills, then you need a real 4-wdr. There is a wide spot in the trail that serves a parking area for the murals.
Cache container will hold small items and/or small TBs. Bring your own writing tool.