Camping at Quartzite

Van Living Forum

Help Support Van Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
There is also Lake Havasu which has BLM nearby. Will you be bringing a boat of some kind or fishing from the banks?

All around Quartzsite, out in the desert, are an endless amount of trails. If you have a puttputt of some kind or bike you can prowl around out there forever. One noted trail is the Peace Trail which stretches for over 700 miles. There are old mine areas, Indian petroglyphs and just the awesome scenery which can change at every turn.

Within Quartzsite there is a gem and rock club that take weekly rock hunting trips. They also offer an array of classes from knife making and flint napping to jewelry making and a ton of classes in between. They meet once a week.

There is a gold club that you can join which gives you access to a couple of their claims. They also have lots of activities

A quilting club meets weekly if you have an interest and several dance clubs. I think there are probably yoga and aerobics classes as well.

I know there are a myriads of other clubs and activities.

You can be as friendly as you want or stay by yourself and be solitary.

We camp at YARC camp and are in and out. The beauty is that there are nice folks and also you know your stuff isn’t going to get stolen if you go away for a few days. We watch out for each other.

If you are interested I can send you coordinates. We are in the La Posa South LTVA and there is a fee. You can stay for 7 months for $180 or you can pay $40 every two weeks. There is water, a dump station and trash dumpsters that include that price.

If you aren’t self contained (don’t have a black tank) then you are required to park no more than 300? feet from a bathroom. Otherwise the desert is yours to find your own space.
 
I have a 14 foot Jon Boat, but I'll leave it at home. I should be able find a good fishing guide for a day or 2 fishing, they will know where all the good fish are anyway.

I have a lot of joint problems, knee, back, hip, shoulder, so I don't get too active, and I'm kind of a loner. Some days I just want to be left alone.
But I prefer Car/Airplane/Tractor/etc/Museums and Military related stuff.

Yes I have a Class C Motorhome, so I am self contained. I would probably stay at a LTVA, but I can't do anything until at least next year. I don't have the RV fixed the way I want it yet.
 
Freelander said:
Yes I have a Class C Motorhome, so I am self contained.  I would probably stay at a LTVA, but I can't do anything until at least next year. I don't have the RV fixed the way I want it yet.

Don't let just that stop you! If it's reliable mechanically and you can sleep comfortably in it, just come on down. Plenty of folks have the time, inclination, and skills to help you with your projects.
 
I have a few personal things I need to take care of as well, I have to find somebody to watch the house, check on my mail, medical appointments and insurance (getting ready to change plans), and with this COVID crap going on I don't want to out and run into more problems, so by next year I should be ready to go.
 
Freelander said:
But I prefer Car/Airplane/Tractor/etc/Museums and Military related stuff.

90 miles west of Quartzsite on I-10 is the fantastic General Patton Museum at Chiriaco Summit. Its location is near Patton's headquarters for the desert warfare training that took place during WW2. The museum and its collection of military vehicles could take a couple days for a real buff. There is free camping there and nearby is lots of BLM land for free camping.

Also there are many historic military sites and old camp locations from the desert training era located across thousands of square miles of area desert. Some sites have ruins of old camps. There are several interesting sites right in the Quartzsite area. Not too far from Q is Camp Bouse. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Bouse
 
Since the Government is going to open up a lot of NPS and BLM free for Veterans I may be able to find a free campsite.

I spent a total of 20 years in the Army/Army Reserve. I just recently started drawing my retirement, and I plan on enrolling in Tri-Care when open Season starts, that should start next week. I plan on changing to VA Health Care by the end of the year. And by this time next year I can start drawing Social Security, and I will have the house paid off in April.

I had planned on selling and going Full-time, but since I wont have a house payment, its better to just keep it, travel when I want to. All it will cost my is utilities, and taxes, and I may rent it out eventually.

I live in Oklahoma so its about as far going East or West.

I'll check out Camp Bouse, Note. I was an M60 series (Patton) Tank mechanic when on Active Duty, so things with Big Guns and Tracks excite me. :)
 
Veterans get free entrance to our park but do have to pay camping fees. The senior pass for people over 62 years old is the best deal as you get 1/2 off camping fees as well as entry. If you have a disability tell the person at the gate and see if that is even better. The veterans pass works well if you use it as a day pass and camp overnight on nearby BLM land as that makes everything free during your stay.
 
I just turned 61 last month, and I don't have any 'official' disability. Just a lot of worn out joints, nothing I can blame on the Army.

I do have my VA Health Card and my retired Military ID.

I started drawing my Military retirement at age 60, and get free TriCare at 65.
 
Freelander said:
I would probably stay at a LTVA, but I can't do anything until at least next year. 

That's when we will all be there....next year: January 2021. Hope to see you then!

:thumbsup:
 
I have another question where you get your presciptions filled when at Quartzsite??


I may be leaving here sooner than I thought.
 
If you are coming from the north there is a Walmart in Parker Arizona.
 
I don't know about prescriptions at Quartzsite but Blythe is 22 miles away and is a full service town. meaning they have everything,
that is where you want to do your major grocery shopping anyway. or Parker which is slightly further at about 35 miles. highdesertranger
 
Any problems traveling through New Mexico? I will have to make at least 1 stop for food and fuel, and with this stupid travel restriction, I am wondering how the others travel through.


Current plans would be to stop at Cracker Barrel in Albuquerque and spend 1 night before moving on.
 
If you have a passport it is a less.than 2 hour drive to Algodones, MX.
 
I should have been more clear. For pharmaceutical medicines, it is sometimes cheaper to go to Algodones for prescriptions.
 
shadowmoss said:
If you have a passport it is a less.than 2 hour drive to Algodones, MX.

I don't have a Passport, I would need a RealID first and don't have one of these either.
 
YARC camp is usually deep in the back of the LTVA South......Unfortunately other campers have taken the spot

We'll relocate to the same LTVA but closer to the front for Turkey day
 
abnorm said:
YARC camp is usually deep in the back of the LTVA South......Unfortunately other campers have taken the spot

They OBVIOUSLY don't know the rules....Cammalu will see to it I'm sure.
 
I’m just going to go park there anyway. And I’ll be putting up the flag. They will just have to be part of YARC camp or go. Please show up anyway.
 
Top