The town of Quartzsite, Arizona lies about 17 miles east of the California border along I-10 and is known as “The Rock Capital of the World”. It is also an area that balloons from about a thousand or more people most of the year to over 100,00 during the winter months as thousands of RVers flock to the area to take advantage of the thousands of acres of BLM camping areas, the great wether, and to partake of the many shows and swap meets that occur in the surrounding area. It is a great place to meet up with fellow RVers or meet new friends for a week or more of fun.
About 5 or 6 miles north of Quartzsite off Highway 95 is Plomosa Rd which is a free short-term BLM camping area. There is a host there where you can register for a 14 day permit and then choose your location anywhere amongst the desert (except where signs designate no camping or day use only). The area required for a permit are clearly marked along the road and is roughly between mile marker 0 and 4.
The Plomosa BLM area tends to be the least crowded of the local BLM areas,, relatively speaking, during the winter months when the Quartzsite area is inundated with snowbirds. Plomosa Rd tends to be not be very busy during the night with traffic so a good night’s sleep is possible.
If you would like a more remote area then continue on east on Plomosa Rd over the hill towards Bouse for some more wonderful boondocking areas where registration is not required. This is approximately between mile marker 10-15. The views are fabulous, the phone signals are strong, the area is less crowded, and yet there is still easy access to the town of Quartzsite (albeit a bit further) for amenities.
We love this area as it is possible to find a nice, quiet place with beautiful scenery to prop your feet up for a few days and enjoy.
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