Menu
Arizona
Plomosa Road BLM camping
With iconic Quartzsite a few miles down the road, there have been a number of BLM camping areas that have become annual favorites with snowbirds that arrive from all parts of North America to take part in the Quartzsite 'jamboree' for want of a better description.
There is a lot of build up to the event which peaks around mid January. The problem is that the BLM primitive camping areas only allow 14 days camping, which means that if campers arrive earlier than mid January, they have to pre-plan their bi-weekly camps. What we have noticed is that there are a number of beautiful camping areas on the Plomosa Road that are occupied by campers who will then move from one location to another depending on their two week allowance period. This works out well for snowbirds who have all the time in the world to soak up the surrounding beauty of the desert that is filled with interesting flora, including many large saguaro cactus and, as can be seen in the photos below, the flowers can be quite abundant just after a good rainfall.
Needless to say, there are numerous coyote packs roaming through the area, as well as javelina and, if you are lucky, you might spot a road-runner running around your campsite. The problem is, they move so fast, you might not get a good sighting of them. One type of bird that we are always guaranteed to see are the rufous hummingbirds. If you put a hummingbird feeder out for them, guaranteed, within a short time, they will be fighting for dominance over your feeder.
So, our advice would be to explore the options down the Plomosa Road if you arrive well before the start of the Quartsite rush and just work your way from one camping area to the next,, starting from the Bouse Community campground, until you arrive at Highway 95 and locate yourself close to the center of the Quartzsite action in January.
Once the show is over, you can then explore other interesting areas further west, or you can come back to the Plomosa Road, which is what we have just chosen to do.
With iconic Quartzsite a few miles down the road, there have been a number of BLM camping areas that have become annual favorites with snowbirds that arrive from all parts of North America to take part in the Quartzsite 'jamboree' for want of a better description.
There is a lot of build up to the event which peaks around mid January. The problem is that the BLM primitive camping areas only allow 14 days camping, which means that if campers arrive earlier than mid January, they have to pre-plan their bi-weekly camps. What we have noticed is that there are a number of beautiful camping areas on the Plomosa Road that are occupied by campers who will then move from one location to another depending on their two week allowance period. This works out well for snowbirds who have all the time in the world to soak up the surrounding beauty of the desert that is filled with interesting flora, including many large saguaro cactus and, as can be seen in the photos below, the flowers can be quite abundant just after a good rainfall.
Needless to say, there are numerous coyote packs roaming through the area, as well as javelina and, if you are lucky, you might spot a road-runner running around your campsite. The problem is, they move so fast, you might not get a good sighting of them. One type of bird that we are always guaranteed to see are the rufous hummingbirds. If you put a hummingbird feeder out for them, guaranteed, within a short time, they will be fighting for dominance over your feeder.
So, our advice would be to explore the options down the Plomosa Road if you arrive well before the start of the Quartsite rush and just work your way from one camping area to the next,, starting from the Bouse Community campground, until you arrive at Highway 95 and locate yourself close to the center of the Quartzsite action in January.
Once the show is over, you can then explore other interesting areas further west, or you can come back to the Plomosa Road, which is what we have just chosen to do.
As true boondockers, if we could only visit one state in the United States, we would almost certainly choose Arizona as our safest bet for finding a great winter camping location, However, Utah has so much stunning scenery, if it wasn't for the cold winters, we could easily have said this too is our best camping location.
In Arizona, we love the wide open spaces, the ever-changing scenery and the near-perfect winter weather.Not only is there a wide choice of locations that will draw a variety of campers, but there are great choices for those either on a limited budget or those who are happy to spend their winters in a resort enjoying the company of others as well as the included activities that their monthly rates provide them with. From Lake Powell in the north to the quaint mining town of Bisbee in the south, we could spend a lifetime exploring these vast states and still find hidden gems that we need to explore further.
In Arizona, we love the wide open spaces, the ever-changing scenery and the near-perfect winter weather.Not only is there a wide choice of locations that will draw a variety of campers, but there are great choices for those either on a limited budget or those who are happy to spend their winters in a resort enjoying the company of others as well as the included activities that their monthly rates provide them with. From Lake Powell in the north to the quaint mining town of Bisbee in the south, we could spend a lifetime exploring these vast states and still find hidden gems that we need to explore further.
|
When you're not enjoying your waterside activities, there is quite a bit to do in the Lake Powell area. The town of Page is fifteen miles away where you can stock up your groceries at Walmart and visit a few other stores in the town. Also, there is a very nice library that is frequented by other RVers that are passing through and needing to catch up on their internet related tasks. On the outskirts of the town are tour group operators that arrange guided tours of Antelope Canyon. This is a well known slot canyon run by the Navajo Indians and access is apparently only through one of these tour groups. On the way into the town of Page there is quite an impressive viewpoint that you can stop at and get an idea of the size of the Glen Canyon dam that controls the flow of water from the lake and into the Colorado River. LEES FERRY (Arizona)
The Lees Ferry campground is located on the other side of the Glen Canyon dam with lovely river and canyon views. Many boat trips start from the ramp located here. There is a small state park campground at Lees Ferry, which we really enjoyed, despite it being quite small. The bird life was quite impressive here and we loved watching the dramatic storms coming from the west that probably had some snow mixed in the dark clouds looming in the distance. There is a very pleasant walk along the riverside towards the east. You can get an idea of the early history of this area just by the presence of old mining houses as well as the remnants of the old ferry further upstream. QUARTZSITEit seems to me that no website would be complete without a mention of Quartszite, Arizona. You either love it or you hate it, but at some point a true seasoned RVer should visit this unique town that is very sparse (and hot) in the summer months, but for a few months in the winter, it turns into a hive of activity with loads of RVs of all sizes, shapes and ages clogging the main road and filling the campgrounds in the town center, or taking up space in the desert in large groups that meet annually on the surrounding BLM land that makes this area a haven for campers that don't mind having to share their surroundings with other campers who have come with the same mission.
Those missions vary from groups that want to share their travel experiences around a campfire with other like-minded campers, or professional YouTubers and Bloggers who want to mix with other working , full-time RVers and to share their knowledge and challenges that they face while on the road. The biggest attraction starts around mid January, which is when most of the 'snowbirds' have arrived and settled into their chosen campsites. It is an RV show like no other in the country. There is a huge tent displaying all items that might be of interest to any camper who just wants to browse and see what's out there or anyone who has a specific RV related requirement. Apart from the everyday wares on sale, there is a huge array of RVs on display for campers to drool over. Once the show is over towards the end of January, the crowds that started gathering in the neighboring campgrounds and open fields start to pack up and head for other locations where they can rest and recover from the chaos they have just experienced in Quartzite. By the end of January, the town is looking decidedly forlorn and unsure what to do with itself now that the party is over and the crowds have left. We once tried to stay after the crowds had left and found it to be quite depressing to be surrounded by the barren, open fields with nobody around to greet or talk to. That was when we decided it was time to pack up ourselves and follow the last stragglers who were heading to different climes. |
LAKE POWELL
A few years ago we made a quick stop at Lone Rock, Lake Powell. The reason we chose to stop here was that we had a small dinghy that we had stowed under our bed in the little trailer that we had at the time and we had not yet used it. So we figured this was a good opportunity to put the boat to good use, considering it was one of the largest lakes in the country. Our arrival at Lone Rock was quite spectacular. The beach location was just perfect and the scenery was spectacular. So it was with glee that the day after settling into our campsite, the dinghy was quickly filled with air, the small 2HP Suzuki motor was installed onto the back of the boat and off we went with expectations of enjoying the lake for the rest of the day. Sad to say, this plan went slightly awry when we realised that the lake was so vast, our little 2 horse power motor was not going to get us very far in a short space of time. Also, the motor was ridiculously noisy.so the outings that we took were quite short and we returned to our waterside campsite after quite short forays into the lake. It was after this experience that we decided we would be returning back to Lake Powell in a couple of years for a re-do of the experience but with a bigger motor and a bigger boat. In fact, this was the impetus for purchasing the boat loader. So, in the past year, we did in fact return to Lake Powell with a bigger rig, a bigger boat and a bigger motor; basically our old 14 foot aluminum fishing boat and our very old, but reliable 15 HP Honda Outboard. This experience proved to be much better and we absolutely loved the time we had this time around. To get to Lone Rock from the town of Page, follow the highway towards Kayenta for about fifteen miles until you see a sign to Lone Rock. At the entrance to the park, there may be a ranger on duty in the small office. If there is nobody there, try paying your dues, ($6.00 when we were there in 2015) at the pay station. However, this pay station is notoriously out of order, so, if you have difficulty paying, just drive down to the shoreline and find yourself the best campsite. If you don't have a boat to put in the water, you could also park in one of the higher level sites, away from the water, that would have a good view of the distant mountains. Once settled in your chosen spot, we recommend that you just sit back and enjoy the peace and serenity for a while and soak in the views of the mountains that sit in the surrounding water. Bearing in mind, this is a man-made lake with the Glen Canyon dam just around the corner from the campsite. So what you are looking at is the remains of what would have been quite a spectacular off-shoot of the Monument Valley mountain range. When we arrived, we put our boat in the water as quickly as we could and started to explore the miles of waterways that make of the Lake Powell boating route. See the pictures - just a small sampling of the magnificent views to be enjoyed. |
