Arizona Gold along the Hassayampa: The Upside-Down River That Fueled Arizona’s Greatest Rush

Arizona gold nuggets

If you look at the Hassayampa River as it cuts past Wickenburg, Arizona today, you might wonder how a mostly dry sandy wash could hold a spot in desert gold-prospecting history. Indigenous Apaches historically called it the “upside-down river” because its water flows underground for much of its length before surfacing at natural springs.

Underneath that dry sand lies a rich story of high-grade quartz veins, heavy placer deposits, and one of Arizona’s wild western boomtowns. (more…)