New to Boondocking near Quartzsite/BLM

[LarryDel]

We are planning to visit the southwest winter of Jan Feb 2018. When boondocking near Quartzsite we will have solar panels for electricity, but are concerned about where there is enough water to replenish our fresh water tank. Are there showers close by so as to conserve our fresh water?? Any info would be helpful. Any other thoughts or information would be welcome!!! Thanks so much..

[SCVJeff]

Then there is the occasional Gold nuggets still being found out there

[pnichols]

D.E.Bishop wrote:
There were(carted off now) potshards, crystals, agates, jaspers and exploring, oh yeah other like minded folks

Dave ... do you mean there are no more rocks to be found in the surrounding desert areas? I wish that weren't the case, if true. 😞

We're rockhounds, but drycamp close in at Quartzite to mostly to shop for rocks at the vendors. We do our field rockhhounding a few miles away in areas along the Colorado river foothills. I'm right now as I type this looking at a beautiful piece of petrified wood on the fireplace hearth that we found in that area!

[D_E_Bishop]

I think Daniel's question has been covered, there are 783,961 reasons why, ours is we have been rockhounds on and off for forty years and the school clerk at our daughters elementary school introduced us to the area. She and her husband introduced us to both rockhounding and Q. There are old folk songs about Hi Jolly and the Camel Corp, There were(carted off now) potshards, crystals, agates, jaspers and exploring, oh yeah other like minded folks. We have had second homes in the desert(kids own it now), mountains, and beachfront and our S&B in Eagle Rock. As a John Denver song said "I couldn't love just one kind of woman or drink just one kind of wine". If you don't want to go and join a million of your new BFFs, there are several videos from folks that go every year with some aerial shots of maybe a hundred million or so dollars of rigs. One of the BLM sites is only 18,000 acres and there are six or seven sites in the area.

And for the OP, at The Pit Stop, when you pull in for what ever, someone will ask what you want, if you just want one thing tell them you're there for that, be it water, dump, propane, if you want all three, tell them that and they will put a post-it on your rig with different letters designating what you want and have paid for. It's fun and usually pretty fast.

Some things are a little spendy, beer, ATM fees, groceries and firewood. I'd bring my own firewood, most everything else. I am not sure of the name of the hardware store on Hwy 95 north of town on the west side of the road but the prices there are comparable with the big box stores like HD and Lowes. Nice folks and very helpful.

So there you go, it's big, it's dusty at times, there are a lot of cool people and it is a Gathering.

[SCVJeff]

TexasChaps wrote:

catkins wrote:
Quartzite is an interesting place to visit and a mecca for rock hounds, shoppers and ATVers as well. Lots going on in town with the Big Tent event capping the shopping opportunities and local population peak.

We have dry camped there for 6 years and our solar works very well there. Have always had a good time there. Happy to answer any questions in a PM if interested. Happy Trails!

wow, camped there for 6 years.. now THAT'S long term camping.. :B

We've been there for 11 and never run into Catkins... 🙂

[TexasChaps]

catkins wrote:

Quartzite is an interesting place to visit and a mecca for rock hounds, shoppers and ATVers as well. Lots going on in town with the Big Tent event capping the shopping opportunities and local population peak.

We have dry camped there for 6 years and our solar works very well there. Have always had a good time there. Happy to answer any questions in a PM if interested. Happy Trails!

wow, camped there for 6 years.. now THAT'S long term camping.. :B

[catkins]

2oldman is correct - South La Posa has a 2 dump stations and multiple water fill stations. Access to this is included in your BLM Long term camping pass, last year $40 for 2 weeks or $180 for 6 months. Garbage bins are located in the long term areas.The Pit Stop offers dumping and water fill for a fee if not staying in the long term BLM areas.

Quartzite is an interesting place to visit and a mecca for rock hounds, shoppers and ATVers as well. Lots going on in town with the Big Tent event capping the shopping opportunities and local population peak.

We have dry camped there for 6 years and our solar works very well there. Have always had a good time there. Happy to answer any questions in a PM if interested. Happy Trails!

[catkins]

sorry - duplicate post

[catkins]

Love Quartzsite area for beauty, interesting people, lots of ATving and of unique shopping. There are two types of BLM areas around Quartzsite - short term and long term.

Short term is with zero services and you are supposed to move 25 mile(??) every two weeks. FREE. Rarely do they check the short term areas for length of stay but they can.

Long term areas are $40 for two weeks or $180 for the season(in 2016) You have access to garbage bins, water fill stations and dump stations in one just one of the long term areas. Is in the one across highway 95 from Tyson Wash area, name escapes me. In January when the Big Tent event is there, waits can be rather lengthy, rest of the season not too bad.

In Q you can also dump and fill water for a fee, get propane, get a shower and do laundry all for a fee. Several grocery stores and dollar stores for the basics. I believe you can also get showers at the two truck stops in town, most RVers use the laundromat showers.

If you have questions about the area, send a PM. We have done this area for six years as we ATV with friends and love the area. Never dull and the price is right!

[beemerphile1]

fulltimedaniel wrote:


Odd, I dont see the "Moderator" handle by your name??

I have to be a moderator to ask a question? Get over yourself.

[fulltimedaniel]

beemerphile1 wrote:

fulltimedaniel wrote:
This may not be directly to your point but It escapes me what people see in Quartzsite...

fulltimedaniel wrote:
I am truly mystified by the attraction of Quartzsite.....

fulltimedaniel wrote:

Well I can see your point for sure...but just to plop down and spend a season....

You have now made three hijack posts to this thread. How do your posts answer the OP's question?

Two of those were in answer to posts responding to mine. No hijack was intended, but where better to understand this idea of what is the attraction to Quartzsite than a thread about Quartzsite?

And as I said while my question may not have been DIRECTLY to the point I think it was within the topic.

Odd...I dont see the "Moderator" handle by your name??

[beemerphile1]

fulltimedaniel wrote:
This may not be directly to your point but It escapes me what people see in Quartzsite...

fulltimedaniel wrote:
I am truly mystified by the attraction of Quartzsite.....

fulltimedaniel wrote:

Well I can see your point for sure...but just to plop down and spend a season....

You have now made three hijack posts to this thread. How do your posts answer the OP's question?

[pnichols]

We go to Q for a few days in January specifically for the gem and mineral vendors. When we do this, we drycamp in a parking lot that is not crowded and has free trolleys that take and return us to/from the vendor areas.

However, after leaving Q we usually explore in our RV for our own rocks along the Colorado river.

[Vette_Racer]

We spent two and a half months near Q this last winter, love it there as long as we are out in the desert and not in the LTVA or RV Parks. When you are out in the desert you have no noise pollution and can pretty much have it your way while still being close to supplies if you need them. Great place! Course we have solar, remote start genset, carry 120 gal water and have large holding tanks as well as inverter so life is good off the grid.

[2gypsies1]

fulltimedaniel wrote:


And I would say that equating Tucson as a destination to Quartzsite is altogether apples and grapefruit. But your point is taken.

1.5 million annually is what this site states - give or take. 🙂

Also, Tucson is an awesome city, it was the specific RV park you stayed that I questioned.:W Everyone has different tastes, for sure.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartzsite,_Arizona