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AJMike · 12-08-2022, 03:58 PM

We stopped south of Quartzsite on our way back from camping at the California Coast. We normally stop at the RoadRunner site about 7 miles south of Quartzsite because it is quiet and free, but there was a host there and he said that there was a $40 fee for stays of more than one night.

The RV show is still 6 weeks away so I don't see how it can be that, but if you are planning to stay at RoadRunner the host may hit you up for a fee that no one ever told us existed before. I don't know how that can be as it is not marked as a LTVA site, but that is what we were told.

twogypsies · 12-08-2022, 09:00 PM

Are you sure you were on Roadrunner area MP99 and not nearby LaPosa? I just looked at the BLM web site & it states Roadrunner is free.

LaPosa has up to 14 days from Sept 15 - April 15 for $40.

AJMike · 12-09-2022, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Are you sure you were on Roadrunner area MP99 and not nearby LaPosa? I just looked at the BLM web site & it states Roadrunner is free.

LaPosa has up to 14 days from Sept 15 - April 15 for $40.

Yes. I am sure.

We have been going to Quartzsite, both for the RV show in January and just as a stopping point on our way to and from California, for many years now and for the last 4 or 5 years we have stayed at RoadRunner. At MP 99. Since we generally stay only one or two nights we don't want to pay the LTVA fee and have almost always gone to RoadRunner. Lately we have also stopped at Kings Road, further down toward Yuma, but RoadRunner has been our most common stopping place.

It has also been my understanding that it was free, so when the host told me there was a fee for staying more than one night I thought I should post it. He also told me that if I was staying for only one night I had to stay on the road side of the 15 mph sign rather than go further into the camping area. I was more than a bit annoyed but since we were only stopping for the night I decided to not make a fuss. That is, we entered using the paved road that goes to La Paz Valley, and not from US 95, and about 1/4 mile in there was a 15 mph sign posted and we were told to not go beyond the sign if we were staying only one night.

This was all new to me and I wanted to post it. Of course it could just be that the host was being snotty because he accused me of exceeding the 15 mph speed limit and just wanted to be a pain.

UTTransplant · 12-09-2022, 07:09 AM

Everything on the BLM website shows that area as a no fee location. The OP should contact the BLM and tell them what happened. My guess is the host was filling in from one of the LTVAs and didn’t know what was going on.

dons2346 · 12-09-2022, 09:22 AM

Been staying at the MP 99 site for a number of years and have never paid. I think the guy guarding the dirt was misinformed

AJMike · 12-09-2022, 10:04 AM

Thanks for the replies.

Since we will be going back there next month I guess I will print off the BLM information and show it to him if he again tries to charge me for a stay. And I would recommend anyone else who plans to stay there in the next 2 or 3 months to do the same.

PJStough · 12-09-2022, 10:25 AM

Being the skeptic that I am, I wonder if he was really a camphost, and not just someone pretending to be a camphost, and trying to rip off an unsuspecting
RVer passing through?

twogypsies · 12-09-2022, 12:04 PM

When you contact BLM let us know the reason you were stopped. According the review sites Roadrunner was used this year with no issues.

I'm not sure of an access where you tried but we always entered from Hwy 95 at MM99.

Perhaps the long-term extends to the area you were trying to access.

AJMike · 12-10-2022, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twogypsies

I'm not sure of an access where you tried but we always entered from Hwy 95 at MM99.

Perhaps the long-term extends to the area you were trying to access.

There are several entrances to the RoadRunner area. One, and the one we used to use, is right off of US 95, but if you drive perhaps 1/4 mile further south you will see a paved road heading West and a sign La Paz Valley Road. Right after the right turn there is another entrance to the boondocking area, and that is where we turned. See the map below.

It is all the same area, and there are wide dirt paths between them. Sometimes we drive a bit further down the La Paz Valley Road to get a bit further away from the sound of US 95, but once you are in the camping area you can see all of the other areas.

I will call the BLM office at Yuma to let them know what happened, but I am not sure that they are open today (today being Saturday).

RoadRunner is significantly south of La Posa and we never thought seriously of staying there since RoadRunner is only another 5 miles or so and because La Posa charges for camping. And, in any case, we never stay there more than 2 nights, so $40 seems like a lot of money for a one or two night stay when there are no facilities.