Chloride Murals, by artist Roy Purcell

Kind of a Salvation Mountain vibe - if you know, you know. Some decent spots to dirt camp on the way in from Chloride if you chose. Note: travel beyond this point on Big Wash Road in a full-size 4wd truck is highly not recommended.

The town, the paintings, and the petroglyphs were excellent. Loved the bar in town....a must stop and see. Had a good time exploring all around the area. Craziness abounds.

I chose to walk from town, about 1.5 miles each way and it was a scenic walk up the mountain. The murals themselves are absolutely beautiful. What is even more amazing is how there are petroglyphs right there too, a place where ancient and modern art meet. Truly a life changing experience. Can't wait to go back and explore the little town more!

The murals are interesting and worth seeing at least once. It is said that the artist still lives in the town of Chloride. Be advised: It is a bumpy dirt road with limited passing space for other vehicles. While in Chloride, you can drive the little streets and check out the local flare. Approximately 400 residents live here still.

Really cool place. Road is a bit rough, but worth the drive

What a neat place this is to visit. We took advice of VICKY FLIPFLOP'S blog and went to Chloride on our way to the grand canyon. The general store was fun and the nice lady running it was very helpful. We drove up to the mural and spent a little time in awe of the amazing scenery. It is basically a goat path up to it, but we did it in a mini van without any struggles. Lots of interesting yard art around Chloride as well. People were very friendly and the whole adventure probably added an hour and a half to hour trip to the canyon. I recommend it. Very peaceful adventure with minimal cell phone service for us 😊

Nice place to stop . Murals are cool but don't forget ta look fir the native petroglyphs they are even more interesting . Ps made it there in a kia soul no issues.

It was interesting. The artist painted the murals in 1966. His children and grandchildren later came back and added the blue. The road get rough but my corolla made it no problem.

The Roy Purcell Murals in Chloride, Arizona, are a unique roadside stop worth checking out if you're exploring the area. Located just off Route 93 about 23 miles from Kingman, Chloride is considered the oldest continuously populated mining town in the state. The town itself is small but has a few places to grab a drink, browse for Arizona-themed souvenirs, and see some quirky roadside features--like an old bullet-riddled car. The murals are located just outside of town and can be reached via a rough, unpaved road. A truck or vehicle with good clearance is strongly recommended, and 4-wheel drive can be helpful. Trailers are not advised due to the condition of the road. Look for painted arrows on rocks to help guide you along the way. Once you reach the site, the murals are impressive and the surrounding desert view adds to the atmosphere. It's a quiet and remote area, and you may find yourself the only one there. Overall, it's a nice off-the-beaten-path spot that gives you a taste of Arizona's artistic and historical side.

Okay, wife was not happy at all with this detour at all. She basically kept looking at me with a WTF look the last 1 1/2 miles. The journey to view the journey was around 7 miles off route 93. The last part was rock and dirt, and I do not recommend low clearance vehicles despite what I read. No cell service, so don't break down or you are walking back to Chloride. I have FOMO (fear of missing out), so it was worth it for me, but maybe not the backlash from the wife-LOL. The murals were cool and have withstand the test of time pretty well. The history behind them make them more interesting. Google it (Roy Purcell). For us FOMO peeps, cool stop, anyone else you can probably skip and not feel like u missed out. Visitor center had two great ladies who explained how to get there (watch for arrows) and informed me about the petroglyphs.

The background: In 1966, Roy Purcell was pursuing a degree in Fine Arts at Utah State University. He took a break to work as a miner near Chloride, Arizona. During his time in Chloride Purcell painted a set of murals on boulders about a mile and a half outside of town. He called this collection of murals "The Journey." I knew none of this as my wife and I embarked on the nearly five hour trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. But with two young children in the car my wife was searching for any way possible to break up the trip. During her Googling she came across the story of Chloride and the murals and thought, what the heck, this is just so weird I have to see it. She quickly convinced me of my need to see it as well and, well, we detoured towards Chloride. Getting to the murals is not for the faint of heart. After driving through town a series of spray painted signs/rocks simply say "Murals" with an arrow telling you which way to go. The road is not paved. It is full of divets, rocks and whatever you call stones that are bigger than rocks. We were driving a rental SUV and were super nervous at some points during the mile and a half dirt road drive. The road is, at places, barely bigger than one car wide. I'm not sure how you would fit two going in opposite directions (which is exactly what you would need to do if two people happen to be at the murals at the same time). Right before the murals the road goes up a big hill and then immediately drops. It is very hard to see. Again, if there was a car coming the opposite direction, I could easily see an accident happen. Basically, use extreme caution when driving to these murals. Once you get there, man oh man. The series of murals is really cool. The colors are extremely vivid against the rocky desert backdrop. The only sounds in the area is the birds and wildlife. It is just you, art and nature. I'm not going to pretend I understood anything about Purcell's journey, but I do realize that what I saw was something unique, unusual and beautiful. If you are looking to break up a long drive and find yourself anywhere in the area of Chloride, Arizona (and you are traveling in an SUV) consider checking out Roy Purcell's murals. It will be an experience to remember.

Roy Purcell's Murals is definitely off the beaten path that you have to go out of your way to find. These murals are located in Chloride, Arizona, a mining town that seems to be more of a ghost town now. With less than 300 residents, this tiny town is best known for eclectic art that you may see some on your drive up to the Cerbat Mountains in which these murals are painted on. Roy Purcell is an acclaimed artist that decided to paint his murals, known as the Chloride murals, back in 1966, titled "The Journey: Images From an Inward Search for Self". To understand the murals, you need to view them from right to left (I can't say I understand the murals myself. Check out my photos for yourself so you can try to interpret them). One thing that you will notice is how beautiful the colors are, in which these murals were retouched in 1975 and then again in 2006 (that was to celebrate his 70th birthday). Roy Purcell used automobile paint initially, in hopes that the paint would last. The colors used on these murals are quite vibrant. According to an interview, he was told by the Bureau of Land Management to stop painting on these boulders since he had not checked to see who owned the land and if it was okay to paint on them. So he stopped painting and ate his lunch. The Bureau of Land Management agents left and he resumed painting. He said that they never told him how long he was supposed to stop, lol. Luckily, he had never heard from them again. The drive to see these murals is quite rocky and do not recommend you attempt them unless you are driving a 4 x 4. My husband, our little girl and I were in a Toyota Tundra and did go slow during times (there is no rush) of uncertainty and difficult terrain. But you could park at the beginning and walk up ~ 1.4 miles if you would prefer. We arrived on a Friday afternoon, around 4:23 pm and we were the only ones here. To get here, once you are in Chloride, Arizona, head east on Tennessee Avenue, go across the cattle guard. Follow the signs, with arrows painted on rocks to lead you to the murals. Please note that the road would seem difficult if there was an oncoming car to pass, but I doubt you will run into another person (but in case you do, just be aware and be careful). This is definitely a unique find and possibly worth the trouble of coming if you would like to see these murals in person.

Graffiti. That's the ONLY thing I see. I'm not an artist, maybe to someone else it looks good, but my opinion ... it destroys the beauty of Mother Nature.

Its an art thing. If you are into that (I am) its fun. It helps if you like the desert landscape and the nearby living ghost town of Chloride. The rim rocks and petroglyphs alone are enough to lure me to take the rough dirt road (1.4 miles) to view the area. We visited in November which I recommend because it would be too hot during the summer months. The setting, the bright colors, the bigger than life bolders and bluffs make this a must see installation for art enthusiasts. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Roy Purcell murals.