June 2024 Update on Quechan Indian Land camping

[Kit2024]

Seen Bob's video on Quechan Indian Land camping from 6 years ago.
I'm become really interested in places you camp on the cheap year around lately.
Just in case hard times come. I'll have some options for somewhere to legally stay year around.

Gave the Quechan Casino resort a call today. They said they still have dry camping for $50 a week.
I also asked if you could stay more than a week they said yes. But the person on the phone didn't know the max days.

Learned a lot from Bob's videos so far. Hoping around New Mexico state parks and the LTVA's in California and Arizona.
Anything else I'm missing for cheap year around camping?

 

[bullfrog !]

You will have to survive the heat which this year is a real problem for most.

 

[maki2]

The long stay season on the BLM LTVA starts September 15 and ends April 15. Averaging 4 weeks a month that comes out 24 weeks. The fee for the whole season is $180 or $7..50 per week. I understand you are looking for inexpensive long stay options and that is the very best value.

The Quechuan casino has no hookups for electrical, water or waste. So basically you get a parking space for $52 a week with the benefit of some security patrols.
I myself would not want to be parked next to a casino on pavement for weeks at a time. I am not into gambling or eating in restaurants so that part is not an attraction for me. Those places are pretty noisy inside. Sure they have restrooms but the RV areas are not typically close to the buildings.

i am certainly glad that some casinos have free overnight parking and have on rare occasions in the last 4 years taken advantage of that for a night or two. If there was no other option near Yuma I might stay at that casino. But there is a lot of free dispersed BLM camping in the vicinity of Yuma on BLM land as well as the BLM LTVA land.

 

[rruff]

Gave the Quechan Casino resort a call today. They said they still have dry camping for $50 a week.

That isn't cheap. Or a very nice place... definitely not this time of year. You want to be in the high mountains in summer... with the NW part of the country being preferred (by me) as the summers tend to be dry and sunny. At higher altitudes NM is nice in summer, but it is pretty rainy in July and Aug, especially in the south.

They used to have dry camping on a long term basis west of the casino a few miles; I think near the Algodones road? But that didn't look very appealing either. If you want to be legal, I think maki2 is right concerning the LTVAs in winter. But they have new rules concerning holding tanks that you should be aware of.

Or... I could tell you my super secret method for never paying to camp on NF and BLM land. Go to remote unpopular places that are hard to get to. Stay as long as you like.

 

[maki2]

That isn't cheap. Or a very nice place... definitely not this time of year. You want to be in the high mountains in summer... with the NW part of the country being preferred (by me) as the summers tend to be dry and sunny. At higher altitudes NM is nice in summer, but it is pretty rainy in July and Aug, especially in the south.

They used to have dry camping on a long term basis west of the casino a few miles; I think near the Algodones road? But that didn't look very appealing either. If you want to be legal, I think maki2 is right concerning the LTVAs in winter. But they have new rules concerning holding tanks that you should be aware of.
…

Regarding you statement about there being”new” rules about holding tanks ..
There has been no change at all to the rules regarding that since October 15 of 2018. That is the date of the most recent rules for the BLM LTVA areas. For your convenience I just went to the official BLM LTVA web page and captured the image of the section that clearly states which of the LTVA areas will not accept camping units that do not meet their standards for being “self contained”.
Some of the LTVA areas do not have onsite vault toilets. Because there are no vault toilets at those particular LTVA areas they will not allow camping unless self contained. That is it, the deciding decision criteria for the BLM rule committee. At an LTVA are there vault toilets available at the site? If not then you have to be self contained to stay there.

 

[wayne49]

A sign says that one can pay $40 for 14 nights in the Pilot Knob LTVA. Cheaper than Quechan. Similar to Quartzsite, but without any official gate house.

Pilot Knob has conflicting signage. Supposedly a free 14 day (nights actually) camping area is west of the LTVA past the private Pilot Knob RV resort. Google maps has a marker way out there. I walked it out to see what was there. NADA.

Except the sign that declares the BLM 14 day free camping area has a smaller sign lower on the post that declares "NO CAMPING". It might be that the free camping is in front of the sign and free camping behind the sign is verboten.

I camped in an undesignated no man's land between the Chevron and the LTVA for a few nights without any hassle.

Are the "camp hosts" supposed to publicly display a sign of their exalted position? I couldn't tell which rig was supposed to be the camp host. A sign outside the fence, indicated camp host over that way, but without any specifics. Didn't feel like wandering around bothering reticent hosts. I could have tried to drop trash in the dumpsters to draw the host out.

There is no potable water in the area. The I-8 Rest Area further west past Ogilby Road used to have potable water, but the existence of such facility has been razed.

 

[maki2]

If you want answers to your questions use your phone and call the Yuma BLM
Office. 928- 317-3200
They are open from 8:00am to 4:30pm Monday thru Friday except on federal holidays such as yesterday which was Veterans Day.

Camp host are volunteers, not federal employees. They are not on duty 24 hours of the day or even 7 days a week. So there is not someone constantly on duty as camp host. Not even one single person among them is responsible for what signs the BLM officials decide to authorize or what signs the BLM decides to set up… or not to set up …or take down.. Call or email the local BLM field office with your questions regarding signage including signs you think ought to be displayed by any Camp Hosts.