Strolling Amok

Pops goes on tour.

Archive for the tag “campsites”

25 Feb 2014
5 Comments

Ferguson Lake

The west end of Ferguson Lake.

The west end of Ferguson Lake.

The BLM’s road to Ferguson Lake heads northward from the Imperial Dam LTVA near Yuma, Arizona. This BLM800 gravel road carries the Ferguson name and heads discreetly into the hills. An impulsive desire to see what Ferguson Lake is like quickly leads to wonderment, because the road soon goes up hill and down dale, coming close to needing 4WD in the nose-heavy Ford pickup at times.

The east end of Ferguson Lake, from the same high vantage point.

The east end of Ferguson Lake, from the same high vantage point.

I was going to write that, “aside from washboard and rocky bumps here and there, this road is not unduly rugged since high clearance and 4WD are not required”. I was going to write that until some motorhome campers I know here tore the Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Tourista! and tagged ,
18 Feb 2014
14 Comments

Mittry Lake

Your invitation to some great free 10-day campsites.

Your invitation to some great free 10-day campsites.

This will be a slightly odd post because my not-so-trusty Nikon pocket camera lost battery power while touring Mittry Lake Wildlife Area just when I was starting to record campsite variations. So, I have just enough photos to make a quirky article, but not enough to make a well-rounded one.

There are a few non-lakeshore campsites on the way in, level and large.

There are a few non-lakeshore campsites on the way in, level and large.

Mittry Lake Wildlife Area is administered by the Arizona Fish and Game Department, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Reclamation. The free camping limit is Read more…

Posted in Campsites and tagged
19 Jan 2014
13 Comments

Free 14-day? In LTVA? Yah Hey!

The turnoff for 727 is just prior to the one for Coyote Ridge.

The turnoff for 727 is just prior to the one for Coyote Ridge.

You don’t say! No way! Before you cough up your last meal, I’ll simply say that I was surprised to find two areas just at the borders of the Imperial Dam LTVA that are signed as officially open to free 14-day camping. I never knew they existed, as all I could find were Mittry Lake (to be covered in a later post), several Recreation Fee areas (also to be covered), and day use or camping prohibited areas. I mention them here just to provide another free option to those wanting to stay in a secluded, traditional desert camping area for free. Unlike Yuma’s roadside sand areas I’ve seen elsewhere, both of these BLM areas together had just one camper between them. You want privacy? Here it is.

This is merely a closer view of the same 727 signpost.

This is merely a closer view of the same 727 signpost.

Neither imposes any demands for either ground clearance or 4WD. I could tow the Defiant into either, which is really saying something. The only thing I wouldn’t do is drive a maxo-motorhome in blind. There are tons of these within the LTVA borders, but these 14-day areas should be seen first before taking an extremely heavy, low-clearance vehicle in. It’s a prudence thing. Turn-around areas are limited, but there.

To get there from Route 95, the same west turn is made on Imperial Dam Road to head for the Imperial Dam LTVA. Once a couple of miles past the entrance to Mittry Lake, the usual turn is made on Read more…

Posted in Campsites and tagged , ,

Post Navigation

Newer Entries →