2.5 Hour Turquoise Collecting Tour in Arizona booking from $60.00

2.5 Hour Turquoise Collecting Tour

Overview

Learn where your turquoise comes from by hiking to our famous turquoise mine. We offer private and public tours by appointment and also offer advanced full day tours, too.

City: Arizona

Sat 21 Jun

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Starting at $60.00

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Sat 21 Jun

Starting at $60.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Hiking Poles

All Fees and Taxes

Ten pieces of turquoise per person.

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
approximately 1 to 1.5 miles of moderate hiking round trip. 400 feet of vertical elevation gain. We are located at about 5,200 feet elevation.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (7)

LeewardDesigns

Apr 2021

We were visiting Arizona, and as a metalsmith who works primarily in silver and turquoise I wanted to find a turquoise mine to visit. I stumbled across Courtland. Michael is only doing tours by appointment only and I was THRILLED that he agreed to take us out for the day. It was the absolute highlight of our trip. He was sure to tailor the tour to our interests and was very knowledgeable and the best host. I can’t say enough good things about this experience. Thanks Michael!

jowellelong

Sep 2020

Courtland Ghost Town exceeded our expectations. This experience was something we had been researching for quite some time, and after discovering the Courtland Ghost Town's instagram page, we had reached out to Michael, who organized a full day hike to two of the mines on the property. Our goal was to collect a piece of turquoise that we could turn into jewelry. We both had some skepticism before the hike as we were concerned with the typical challenges that desert hiking entails, but Michael did an amazing job making sure we both felt comfortable, safe, and most importantly, hydrated throughout the day making the adventure enjoyable from start to finish. We particularly appreciated the lunch portion of the experience as Michael carried a FEAST on his back, up a mountain, in high desert temperatures, to deliver a meal more sophisticated than any 5 star restaurant east of Tucson. The visitor center, with showers and plumbing, was also appreciated when returning back from the hike. Michael takes great care of his guests and the land, his passion for preserving the town's history and educating the public is inspiring. The property itself is rich with history. It was fascinating to learn about and see the ruins of what was once a successful mining town. When exploring, you will see many artifacts left behind that have not been touched by humans for close to 100 years. Courtland is 100% authentic and not staged like a commercial ghost town. We were able to find some turquoise to bring back with us to turn into pendants, in addition Michael referred us to a local lapidist who is now designing our necklaces using the turquoise we mined. We couldn't be more satisfied with the process, from learning the history, hiking to the mines, and picking up pieces of blue, all to turn our treasures into something wearable. If you are ever traveling to Arizona, I highly recommend you make the effort to visit Courtland Ghost Town.

georgesM3571ZL

Jul 2020

To call this a tour does it a disservice. Michael and Cindy (the guides) did, indeed, tell us a lot about Courtland, but there was so much more. We met at the Gazebo and they prepped us for the day. We got ski poles for the short hike we had to take, gloves, water, and whatever else they could think of to make our day more enjoyable. We then drove in Michael's car through Courtland to the turquoise mine site. Along the way, he told us about Courtland and also about the geological and ancient history of the area. He discussed how the mountains were formed and how the people of the first nations would work and live in this area. After a short ride, we were at the turquoise mine, but had to hike about a quarter of a mile from the car up a short hill to the mine site. I learned that turquoise was not mined in a tunnel like silver, but was scraped from the side of a mountain. Once we were at the mine site things got really interesting. Michael encouraged us to pick up and carry out whatever turquoise we found, and it was everywhere. I could, literally, not take a step without finding at least a small piece of turquoise just laying on the ground. Michael admitted that this was pretty low-grade, but said that sometime people found gem-quality stones. He showed us how ancient people mined by using a wooden mallet and wedge. We spent about three hours at the mine, both working the mine site and just walking around picking up turquoise. During the entire time, Michael gave us water and fruit that he had carried up in his backpack. After returning to the Gazebo, the hosts again ensured that we had plenty of water to drink, fruit to eat, and could relax for a while before we left. This was the most unusual "tour" I've ever been on where I was able to gather my own souvenirs rather than just buy a dumb T-Shirt. I highly recommend this experience for anyone interested in a different kind of mine that was not just a hole in the ground. (For the record, there is also a short silver or copper mine on the site, Micheal wasn't sure exactly what they were after, and they have tours to that hole if you want, but turquoise minig is the best!)

2.5 Hour Turquoise Collecting Tour

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