Boondocking in Winter and ATV's

[Skip426]

You haven't been to Drumheller, all the way from Hinton ?
Good friend in Hinton , has offered T/giving dinner, so I could be there, before I head south, PROVIDED it doesn't snow , like two weeks ago.
I'll go nearly anywhere for a free meal.

[Gilleshps]

Originally Posted by ROLLNSMOKE

So no place to ride ohv/atv's where it's fairly warm? I might add that warm to me is in the 60F range.. Remember i'm from Canada...it is fairly cold here a lot of the time.
High 50's to mid 60's i'd be happy with. If i can sun tan too great, i'll take that as well.

There are lots of warm places to ride ATV's in Arizona during the winter months. The part you won't likely find, is people in their 20's-30's doing the same thing as most retired snowbirds are a couple years older. Lol

Yuma AZ has lots of open desert to ride, several dry camping spots with 14 day limits or long term BLM for $180 for the entire winter season. Yuma lakes for fishing, and several grocery stores close by.

Quartzsite AZ, 90 miles north is the dry camping Capitol of the world during the winter months. Lots of ATV's sxs etc, small mom and pop grocery store and lots of hippies in their 20-30's lol.

MY TOP PICK!

Parker AZ, 30 miles north of Quartzsite, limited BLM dry Camping but one of my favorite places, and right on the Colorado river with good fishing and lots of trail riding too. The Desert Bar, is a popular winter only destination on the weekends you might find some in that age group (5 miles out in the desert with live entertainment) It's also 8 miles to town. $200 month dry camping at the La Paz county park with water and dump stations. There is some BLM near Lake Havasu too another 20 miles north or south back towards quartzite will put you in the BLM dry camping areas.

[1bigmess]

I know it sound extreme, but there are plenty of folks that winter in Mexico. Unless you have strong objections to that, it might be worth considering.

I have an uncle with a home near Ensenada, he loves it, and living there is pretty cheap (for a coastal town).

[ROLLNSMOKE]

Originally Posted by Skip426

You haven't been to Drumheller, all the way from Hinton ?
Good friend in Hinton , has offered T/giving dinner, so I could be there, before I head south, PROVIDED it doesn't snow , like two weeks ago.
I'll go nearly anywhere for a free meal.

Small world, pm me his name. Might know him.

[ROLLNSMOKE]

Originally Posted by Gilleshps

There are lots of warm places to ride ATV's in Arizona during the winter months. The part you won't likely find, is people in their 20's-30's doing the same thing as most retired snowbirds are a couple years older. Lol

Yuma AZ has lots of open desert to ride, several dry camping spots with 14 day limits or long term BLM for $180 for the entire winter season. Yuma lakes for fishing, and several grocery stores close by.

Quartzsite AZ, 90 miles north is the dry camping Capitol of the world during the winter months. Lots of ATV's sxs etc, small mom and pop grocery store and lots of hippies in their 20-30's lol.

MY TOP PICK!

Parker AZ, 30 miles north of Quartzsite, limited BLM dry Camping but one of my favorite places, and right on the Colorado river with good fishing and lots of trail riding too. The Desert Bar, is a popular winter only destination on the weekends you might find some in that age group (5 miles out in the desert with live entertainment) It's also 8 miles to town. $200 month dry camping at the La Paz county park with water and dump stations. There is some BLM near Lake Havasu too another 20 miles north or south back towards quartzite will put you in the BLM dry camping areas.

Yes Parker looks like the place to be for me. I hang out with people of all ages they don't have to be 20-30 was just curious how many r out there. Just trying to find people with similar interests. Been reading lots on Parker.
Looks like it has it all. Wow this will be an adventure...
I was reading something about not needing an ohv decal or permit as long as i have registration/licence from my home area, but it said only if i'm there for 30 days or less. Guess after that i will have to pay a fee?

As for dry camping are there areas i'd be able to ride an atv right into town to get fuel and groceries? I'm also wonder if it woukd b worth taking the heep...(Jeep)

[Gilleshps]

I would bring the jeep for sure!! Parker has lots of jeep club groups visiting throughout the winter. And it has some of the toughest jeeps trails in Arizona according to the clubs. If you can make room, I would not leave it behind.

Aside from the desert bar, Parker also has a few other popular bars that float on the river too. Check out roadrunner, foxes, Sundance, pirates den and the blue water casino (Indian res). So there's people of all age groups too, its a wild place in the summer if you ever get a chance.

Yes you can ride your atv to town for groceries and fuel, I doubt they'll check to see how long you've been there. It's a pretty laid back little town, and they don't harass people like California, lol.

The town also has a couple desert races to boot, check out the Parker 425 (I think that's it), and a couple boat races too. So, I don't think there's a better spot in Arizona to spend the winter IMO.

[ROLLNSMOKE]

Originally Posted by Gilleshps

I would bring the jeep for sure!! Parker has lots of jeep club groups visiting throughout the winter. And it has some of the toughest jeeps trails in Arizona according to the clubs. If you can make room, I would not leave it behind.

Aside from the desert bar, Parker also has a few other popular bars that float on the river too. Check out roadrunner, foxes, Sundance, pirates den and the blue water casino (Indian res). So there's people of all age groups too, its a wild place in the summer if you ever get a chance.

Yes you can ride your atv to town for groceries and fuel, I doubt they'll check to see how long you've been there. It's a pretty laid back little town, and they don't harass people like California, lol.

The town also has a couple desert races to boot, check out the Parker 425 (I think that's it), and a couple boat races too. So, I don't think there's a better spot in Arizona to spend the winter IMO.

Wow this gets beter and beter...

I'll research the jeep trails. I'm not into hardcore rock crawling more into exploring. But if i have to winch off a cliff to see whats on the other side i will. Lol

[Gilleshps]

Originally Posted by ROLLNSMOKE

Wow this gets beter and beter...

I'll research the jeep trails. I'm not into hardcore rock crawling more into exploring. But if i have to winch off a cliff to see whats on the other side i will. Lol

There's plenty of trails, all the tough ones the crawlers take are marked. But we've been through one in this jeep below, and it was beautiful and nothing too drastic. I think it was called "deliverance". Check out the sunsets on the river too below.

There's a pic of one the several jeep clubs too, lots of street jeeps also.

[Engineer Guy]

.
Having been there for a few days, I would head to the massive Quartzsite Arizona RV/Gem Show at some point. Besides being in the Temps and the Activities 'Zone' that interests you, you'd have an unbelievable 'Data Base' at your Fingertips. A boatload of Folks doing exactly what you want to do. You could tap hundreds of years of RV experience in a few days of random conversation just by asking where Folks stay. I had a great time there.

Just South of Town - and elsewhere around - there's Long Term and Short Term Public Land [where I Boondocked]. Folks hang out there, even when the Show is not happening. Some have met there for years running.

Ask away, and find your 'ideal' location; very possibly some Town you'd never considered. It would just about be impossible to walk away from Quartzsite not knowing a whole bunch more than you do now!

- Quartzsite AZ RV Show Site -

See the BLM Dispersed Camping Link embedded here:

- BLM Website - Camping & Recreation -

- Arizona Public Lands.org -

See Town Weather History ~1/4th the way down this Webpage, on the left ['Almanac']. Put in various Dates and Years to get some sense of Weather in the past.

- Weather Underground - Quartzsite AZ -

Get a sense of Cellphone/Wireless Data coverage on your Carrier's Map:

- Verizon Wireless Coverage Map -

Bounce around Parker, and then hit Quartzsite for further Recon, if you like. Folks have their OHVs in tow. Go where they go, eh?

I also use Google Earth a lot. Trails are readily visible. I use the lil Icon with Readout at the Webpage bottom. Move it around to check Elevation. This will also give you a sense a Run/Rise, or Trail steepness, and dry Washes.
.

[ROLLNSMOKE]

Ghat's cool ya i will reasearch Quartzite.

[montana4two]

We boondock at a BLM long term visitor area called Imperial Dam. It is 20 miles north of Yuma. 3000 acres with a reservoir and a lake leading out to the Colorado River. You cannot use your ATV to go I to town, but there are trails to go on right outside your camping spot. One hour norther of here is Quartsite, the ATV Mecca, but no lakes. If you purchase the 7 month permit ($180) you can camp in both places and have the best of both worlds. We love it and can't beat the warm temps all winter.
We are also from Alberta!

[ROLLNSMOKE]

Originally Posted by montana4two

We boondock at a BLM long term visitor area called Imperial Dam. It is 20 miles north of Yuma. 3000 acres with a reservoir and a lake leading out to the Colorado River. You cannot use your ATV to go I to town, but there are trails to go on right outside your camping spot. One hour norther of here is Quartsite, the ATV Mecca, but no lakes. If you purchase the 7 month permit ($180) you can camp in both places and have the best of both worlds. We love it and can't beat the warm temps all winter.
We are also from Alberta!

Ok i looked into Quartzsite and that place looks like a city but with rv's lol not my thing. I definately don't want to b packed in like sardines while boondocking. So the majority of those people at Quartzite r there to atv/jeep??

[CJ7365]

New Mexico is warm, plenty of BLM land, Caballo State Park or Percha Dam State Park is where I go, fishing/ and 4 wheeling, plenty of trails, although windy season approaches in Feb


http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/cab...statepark.html


http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/per...statepark.html


www.olskool4x4.com


if you bring the Jeep, I would be happy to take you on a trail run, easy to extreme

[Gordon Dewald]

Couple places come to mind.

First is the Imperial Dunes west of Yuma in California.

Second is Quartzite in AZ