PALM CANYON BLM
RUN BY: Bureau of Land Mgmt
LOCATION: Kofa Nat'l Wildlife Refuge;
Yuma, AZ
UTILITIES: none
COST: none
OUR RATING (1-5): II - 5
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| Road to Palm Canyon |
NOTES: I must first note that even though Kofa has a Yuma address, this campground is only 20+ miles south of Quartzsite, AZ. Yuma is another 40+ miles down the road. There are no other towns so you must be prepared to boondock. The BLM land on which we are staying is just outside the Kofa Refuge. Camping is permitted in the refuge for 14 days in a calendar year. The BLM land undoubtedly has the usual 14 day rule, like the others, but we haven't seen any BLM officials. There is no camp host. We parked so that our big bay window is looking at the Kofa Mts. We can actually see Palm Canyon, a bit over 4 miles up the road. There are not many campers out here. It is rugged camping and 4 wheel vehicles are recommended on all road, although a good high-clearance vehicle can traverse Palm Canyon Rd without difficulty. The scenery is amazing and the plant life is phenomenal. It is so much cleaner than the BLM land around Quartzsite. The land was used for training during World War II, so, except for unexploded ordinance, it is extremely clean. 80% of the Refuge is protected by the Wilderness Act of 1964. Click here to check out our blog about the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.
Environment: You are camping
in the Sonoran Desert. In February the days can be in the 80s and
nights down into the 40s. In the summer temperatures can hit 122.
Many businesses in nearby Quartzsite close in March and won't open
until fall. That gives you an idea when it is probably not good to
visit. There's only about 3-6" of rain a year but most of it
evidently comes at once between July and October.
Amenities: none ... just a
magnificent view and lots of privacy.
Phone Service: We actually had
a good Verizon signal.
Location: Route 95 north of
Yuma, south of Quartzsite, go to Palm Canyon Road (GPS 33.388733
-114.217202) and turn east. Camping is available from that point to
inside the refuge.
Proximity to shopping:
Quartzsite is about 20 miles north of the intersection of 95 and Palm
Canyon Rd.
Camping Population: You see
almost everything in here.
Sites: no identified sites.
Pick your own on solid soil. Don't go camping in washes.
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RATING KEY: category - score
Categories: I - established
campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days
II - boondocking,
dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but
one
might choose to stay for more than a night.
III - over-night
areas
You must remember that we are scoring 1
thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the
environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population,
site, phone service
