This trip will take about one hour (one way) from Parker, maybe 45 minutes if you really don't drive carefully. It's about 30 miles, about 13 of which is on good, paved road, and then the remaining 17 is on dirt, which varies from good to very rough. I noticed a few other reviewers mentioning 'easy drive' so I thought I would offer my opinion: this is a very long drive from Parker, Arizona, and I found it quite challenging in a standard car. The mine never made a profit but is an interesting trip into yesterday. In today's easy life, it is difficult to imagine the extreme living conditions of the miner and there desire to chase the elusive dollar. The day of our visit, a man had set up 'camp' to spend the night in the isolation of the Swansea with total quiet and dark skies for amazing star gazing. Several buildings remain along with numerous footings of the buildings and equipment sites making up the original townsite.
There are many deep shafts or holes that have been covered with heavy fencing to prevent an accidental falling. The last 1/3 is not a challenge for the faint hearted! Once arriving at Swansea, walking around what was a going, jumping mining community 80 years ago, you develop an understanding of the harsh life of the miner in that era.īeing near Yuma and Parker, the heat in the summer must have been horrific. The drive into Swansea was interesting to say the least.
