PARADISE CASINO
RUN BY: Quechan Tribe
LOCATION: Yuma, AZ
UTILITIES: NONE
COST: $0
OUR RATING (1-5): II - 2.5
NOTES: The average rainfall in this
area is 3-6" a year, but it does rain, and when it rains this is
not where you want to be. We pulled in a few days after rain and
there was still a lot of mud. The camping area is a big lot next to
the parking lot of the casino. Many of the campers are full-timers
who spend extended periods of time here. Some just stay in the casino
lot. Others will spend a couple of weeks out in the desert or a place
like Imperial Dam and return to the casino for that two week period
where you must vacate a BLM LTVA (Bureau of Land Management Long-Term
Visitor Area) site. From what we saw, few people just pull in for
over-night. We actually stayed longer than planned. It wasn't because
of the beautiful spot. It was because the casino is in walking
distance of downtown Yuma and a short drive from just about every
type of store, service, and amenity you might want. We also stayed
longer so that we could leave Sinni and the dogs while we went to
Mexico for the day with a friend. Some campers use the bathrooms in
the casino. Everyone we talked to either visited their restaurant or
did a bit of gambling as a way to say 'thank you'. One of our friends
would drop a few dollars in a slot machine, assuming that she was
going to lose it. She was shocked when she won one time. There are
large lights in the area but they did not bother us. We felt safe
and made friends with some of the people around us - usually picking
up conversations as people walked their dogs. There can be problems
with generators. There are no limitations on generator use and there
is no way to get away from them. Unless you need to be near services
or want a safe place to stay while going into Mexico, we would
probably not recommend this for camping, but we must say "thanks"
to the Quechan Tribe for permitting us to stay there.
Environment: desert. Quite
warm in the winter and very hot the rest of the year. A friend
reported that temperatures were hitting 90s by mid-March.
Amenities: There are trash
containers. There is a water vending machine a short distance down
the road.
Dump & Water: Dump,
water and propane are available either in Yuma (closest) or Imperial
Dam, if you have an annual pass.
Phone Service: Good Verizon
signal
Location: The Casino is in
Arizona right on the California-Arizona state line just across the
Colorado River (Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge) from Yuma. It is easily
assessible from downtown Yuma and I-10.
Proximity to shopping: You can
walk into downtown Yuma. Shopping centers are within a few miles.
Camping Population: All types
of people in all types of rigs from all types of places.
Sites: No designated sites.
There is a large dirt/gravel area that has been grated forming
aisles. You just pick a spot that looks good.
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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
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