PALM CANYON (BLM), Yuma, AZ

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

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