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   

DOME ROCK BLM, Quartzsite, AZ

Sinni set up. Looking north. 

DOME ROCK BLM

RUN BY: Bureau of Land Mgmt

LOCATION: Quartzsite, AZ

UTILITIES: none

COST: none

OUR RATING (1-5): II - 5

View out our window in the morning 

NOTES: This was our first experience at drycamping in the desert and, after six days, we're very happy with our decision and the experience. We look out our window at Sugarloaf, a dominant geological feature in the Dome Rock Mts. There are lots of ATV trails but we have not been bothered by ATV or motorcycles. In this area you get a 14 day permit for free. We haven't seen any signs of BLM authorities checking permits but we've been told they do exist. You have to go to Quartzsite to dump, load up with fresh water, etc. There are BLM areas called LTVA (Long-Term Visitor Areas) where you pay $40 for 14 days ($180 for the entire season - Sept. thru March). They have places to dump and get water. At Dome Rock you are definitely on your own. Our nearest neighbors when we arrived were >100 yards away. Our nearest neigbors right now are at least 1/4 mile. We considered moving to the LTVA area but right now we're really happy here. We won't move until we're forced to go empty our black-water tank. We have used about 1/2 of our fresh water and we have 224 AmpHr battery power for our small trailer which we've hardly tapped even using the furnace at night. We have 160 Watts of solar producing 9+ Amps. Even after dumping we may come back to the Dome Rock Road area. Click here to read my blog about Desert Living. Click here to read my blog about hiking in the desert.

SPECIAL NOTE: Every January there is a major RV Show at Quartzsite that draws tens, maybe hundreds, of thousands of RV enthusiast. It lasts two weeks. We arrived on the last day of the show and crowd was unbelievable, and a lot of people had already left. This is just a warning if you don't want to get caught up in the chaos. There's still a lot of season. Even some of the local shops close up at the end of March.

Environment: desert. During the winter the highs get in the 70s with the lows being 30-50. You are out on the hard rocky earth surrounded by Saguaro, Ferocactus and the Cholla cacti along with some bushes and stunted trees (hardly bigger than a bush) which I still have to identify. Always 100% exposed to the sun. The weather starts getting really hot starting in April. Last year the locals told me they had days of 122 degrees. Locals also tell us that the wildflowers in March and April are magnificent.

Amenities: none

Phone Service: Fairly good Verizon probably because you're only 5-7 miles from Quartzsite.

Location: West Southwest of Quartzsite, AZ. You can see I-10 from high points. Near Dome Rock Mts. Get off I-10 at the Love's Truckstop, follow Dome Rock Rd, keeping right at a Y, and stop at the BLM host site a short distance down the road.

Proximity to shopping: Quartzsite is 5-7 miles away depending upon where you camp.

Camping Population: Old hippies, Old cowboys, just old, all enjoying peace a solitude. Some prospectors and lots of ATV.

Sites: pick a spot on the desert floor. Avoid washes. The ground is soft and you'll probably get stuck.

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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   

ROCK HOUND SP, Deming, NM

Looking down on the campground from a nearby ridge. 

ROCK HOUND SP

RUN BY: State of New Mexico

LOCATION: South of Deming, NM

UTILITIES: Water & Electric (30-50A)

COST: $14

OUR RATING (1-5): I - 4.5

NOTES: Rock Hound sits on the west slope of the Little Florida Mountains in southwest New Mexico about 30 miles from the Mexican border. We had read a blog where the writers had found the campground full when they arrived. The hosts put them in the group camping area. When we arrived around 2:30 pm we also found the campground full. The hosts physically led us to a spot in the group camp area where we just fit. They were very helpful. This is the only park of which we're aware where they encourage you to take things home. The mountains have an abundance of semi-precious gemstones and you are allowed to gather and take them home.

Environment: You are in the high desert.

Amenities: Bathroom and showers.

Nestled into the group camp site. Still had Water & Electric.

Phone Service: good Verizon signal

Location: about 7 miles south of Deming, NM. If you're approaching from El Paso, use exit 102 and follow the signs.

Proximity to shopping: Deming is the closest shopping.

Camping Population: We have Wisconsin on one side of us and Michigan on the other. Quite a variety of people and campers.

Sites: Scatter around the area. We rather tight, but we're in the group camping and we're quite comfortable. Many of the sites have some pretty magnificent views.

Mountains right behind the campground

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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  

MONAHAN SANDHILL, Monahan, TX

MONAHAN SANDHILL STATE PARK

RUN BY: State of Texas

LOCATION: Monahan, TX

UTILITIES: Water & Electric (30-50A)

COST: $18

OUR RATING (1-5): I- 3.5

NOTES: I would not suspect that many people are going to find Monahan Sandhill SP to be either a destination or a place to stay more than a night or two, but it is a great stop if you're traveling through west Texas. It is, as its name indicates, sand, sand and more sand. A young volunteer met us and was very helpful. He made a joke about using our kayaks on the dunes. I didn't know at that time that they actually rent "sand discs". Most of the sites are parallel parking, a type of pull-through with utilities on the street side so your door faces away from the street. 

Environment: Dry and sandy. There were no trees.

Amenities: Bathrooms & showers

Phone Service: very poor. We had a hard time even with a Wilson booster.

Location: Turn off I-20 the exit east of Monahan and you're right there. The campground is well back into the park so you have no sense of being close to the interstate.

Proximity to shopping: Monahan is a short distance up the road.

Camping Population: There was a wide variety of campers.

Sites: Relatively level. Well spaced.

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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   

HOLIDAY, Benbrook (Ft Worth), TX

HOLIDAY (Texas)

RUN BY: Corp of Engineers

LOCATION: Benbrook (Ft Worth), TX

UTILITIES: Water & Electric (30-50A)

COST: $28

OUR RATING (1-5): I-5

NOTES: This is one of those Corp of Engineer gems which we keep telling you about. It is our first "5". We decided to give this campground a 5 because it seems to have just about everything and is beautiful as well. It is a short distance off I-20 southwest of downtown Ft. Worth. There is a shallow lake - I say this because large portions have tree trucks sticking above the water. That should be a good place for fishing. We took a long bike ride along the lake and it was lined with campsite, many having utilities! We were a mile or so from the main campground and found two big Class-A in a grove of live oaks with water and electric. Even the main campground has large sites and most have a view of the lake. Many of the sites require reservations - most of the best. Next time we're passing by Ft Worth, we're planning to spend a few days here.

Environment: The main campground is fairly open with some sites among trees. Those along the lake vary widely.

Amenities: Bath-houses with laundry. There are several boat ramps.

Phone Service: Excellent Verizon. Best signal we've had.

Location: Just south of Benbrook, TX which is southwest Ft Worth.

Proximity to shopping: Benbrook, a large community, is just up the road a short distance.

Camping Population: There is the usual COE 14 day stay limit.

Sites: Roomy and many with some shade. A few are a challenge for leveling.

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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   

Lincoln SP

LINCOLN STATE PARK

RUN BY: State of Indiana

LOCATION: Gentryville, IN

UTILITIES: none

COST: ??

OUR RATING (1-5): I-4

NOTES: The campground is in a lovely wooded grove next to the lake. Sadly only a few sites are really on the lake. I haven't been at the campground for a couple of years so things may have changed. The park has the Lincoln Amphitheater where they do a play on the life of Abraham Lincoln during the summer season. There are lots of trails. One of them leads to the Lincoln homestead (which is worth visiting) and the Nat'l Memorial across the highway. I enjoyed running trails in this park. It also has a large venue area with cabins and a large building with kitchen where my daughter and son-in-law's SCA group has a big event each year. There is also an educational building but I sadly know little about it. It is a lovely small State Park where you can combine camping, hiking, swimming, fishing and education. You really need to visit the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial when you're there.

Environment: Wooded. Rolling hills.

Amenities: There are showers in the lake bathhouse when it is open.

Phone Service: None

Location: Near Gentryville, IN on IN-162 across the road from the Lincoln Boyhood Nat'l Memorial.

Reconstruction of Lincoln family home

Proximity to shopping: There is a small camp store. Any other shopping is going to require traveling to Santa Claus, IN about 10-15 miles away.

Camping Population: I can't address this since it has been at least three years since I was there. At that time there were a lot of locals but they didn't drop their rigs and show up on weekends. Camping rules prohibited that.

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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   

TOM MERRILL, COE, Benton, LA

TOM MERRILL

Sunset our first evening

RUN BY: Corp of Engineers

LOCATION: Benton, LA

UTILITIES: Water & Electric (30-50A)

COST: $15

OUR RATING (1-5): I - 4

NOTES: This campground is a lovely small (20 sites) campground nestled among the Loblolly pines of northwestern Louisiana. The biggest problem is that it isn't easy to find and it is even harder to contact. Pamela spent most of a week trying to talk to someone to find out if it was going to be open in mid-January. It is situated on a small river over which the COE has built a large earthen dam but left it open as a "dry reservoir". The dam is right by the campground. If they were to close the dam gates it wouldn't take long to flood the campground. There are three hiking and biking trails. Each is just over 2 miles. They weren't rutted badly so maybe not overused by mountain bikes. Since we were here in January we only saw one other bicycle. Fishing must be really good if the number of fishermen is any indication.

Loblolly pine grove

Environment: Heavily wooded. Loblolly Pines. Elevation is only 160 ft. You are definitely in wetlands or a bayou.

Amenities: There is a bathhouse with showers. Nice playgrounds for children. Game cleaning station. Dump.

Phone Service: Varies from 3G-4G. Overall not very good Verizon.

Location: Take the LA-157 exit (I think it is #33 but don't trust me) off I-10 about 10 miles east of Bossier City, LA. Go north on 157. About 5-6 miles up the road you will see LA-528 enter from your right. Keep going straight but start watching for Bodcau Dam Rd. It isn't easy to see. After you turn onto Bodcau Dam Rd there is a Y in the road a short distance. Bodcau Dam Rd stays to the left. Just past that start watching for the campground sign on the left. If you find yourself crossing the earthen dam you have gone too far. The campground entrance is right before the southeast end of the dam on the south (left) side of the road.

Proximity to shopping: Haughton is the nearest town of any size. It is probably 6-8 miles south of the campground on 157.

A small pond by the campground

Camping Population: We were here in January. The campground host are the only other non-locals, but it isn't an easy place to find.

Sites: Each of the sites has a concrete pad. Ours was level enough that we didn't have to use our levelers. All of the sites are fairly large.

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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