66710 Hwy 60
(PO Box 700)
Salome, Arizona 85348
Phone: (928) 859-3846
Email: mcmullencoc@tds.net
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INDIAN SPRINGS - Granite Quarry
This is a popular picnic area at the foot of Salome Peak (which was called Indian Peak before the name Salome came to the area), in the Harcuvar Mountains, near Tank Pass.
It’s an area of granite boulders from house size on down, with year round water;
This was an old granite quarry, with some of the rock going to the state capital in Phoenix. There are still some stones lying around with the drill holes that were used to split the rock.
You can walk around to the southwest to see the quarry.
The upper springs was the location of a well known “still” in prohibition days.
There is wonderful botanical collection all the way up the bajado and in the canyon below the springs.
Please Note: Contrary to popular belief, this was not an area where prisoners were held.Although It would be interesting if a deputy or ranger did stash a prisoner there some time.
Under one huge, huge boulder is a sort of cave hollowed out, half in dirt, half in the rock above, something less than 14 to 29 feet (at a guess), finished off with concrete floor, benches, steps and one window with iron bars made of old pipe set in concrete. One hundred yards or so through the boulders in the next gully is a granite quarry and there are several iron rings bent from pretty thick bars – may ¾ to 1 inch, rings about 7” across, firmly set in the boulders – on top or on steep slants.
It has been told that around World War I, a family lived out there in the cave; raised goats; and they put up the barred window. The rings at the quarry are pretty obviously anchors for cables used in hoisting rock and equipment. Since there was water more accessible to travelers at Centennial and in Granite Wash (Harcuvar area), even before the wells were dug, there doesn’t seem to be any need to go out of the way to Indian Springs for an overnight stop. However, this is by a pass out to the north, used by Dick Wick Hall to go to his mines and was for some years the usual road to Swansea and Parker.
Extract from an article by Pauline Sandholdt May 9, 1984
HOW TO GET THERE
The road is very sandy and it is recommended that you use a 4-wheel drive vehicle.
1. In Salome, from Hwy 60 go north on Center Street until it dead ends at a stop sign.
2. Turn west on Hall Street
3. Continue to Indian Springs Road and turn north,
4. Then follow the trail markers.
