Plomosa Road BLM in Quartzsite, AZ Review and Info
Location: 33.748944, -114.216519
Cost: Free
Camping Limit: 14 Day
Amenities: None
Essentials Nearby
Town: Quartzsite, Arizona – 5 miles
Gas Station: 76 Quik-Chek Market – 5.7 miles
Dump Station & Potable Water: RV Pitstop – 5 miles
Grocery Store: Roadrunner Market – 6 miles
Cell Phone Service
Excellent (Verizon & AT&T)
Nearby Attractions
Bouse, Arizona – 20 miles
Tyson’s Well Stage Station Museum – 6 miles
Celia’s Rainbow Gardens – 5.4 miles
Palm Canyon – 48 miles
Dripping Spring – 37 miles
Plomosa Road BLM is a huge open free camping area that runs along Plomosa Road which eventually ends up in Bouse, AZ.
You can camp on either side of Plomosa Road for about 3 miles.
It’s a nice paved 55 mph road so it’s easy to drive on and search for a spot.
Once you get to the signs that say no camping beyond this point then you have to stop and turn around.
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As soon as you turn off the main highway and onto Plomosa Road there is a camp host just past the cattle guard to your right.
You need to register to stay so if you are there between 9 am and 4 pm, stop by and get your slip of paper that says your registered.
If you show up too early or late just head over there the day after and register then.
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Not only can you camp right along the road there are also lots of small dirt roads that shoot off and you can camp quite a ways into the desert.
You will know when you aren’t allowed to camp in an area because there will be skinny white signs everywhere that say “No Camping.”
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Most of the ground is hard and rocky with tiny spikey plants everywhere.
They can be hard on dog paws so be careful where you walk your four-legged friend.
We camped about a half-mile off the highway on the north side of Plomosa Road.
We could see other campers but were camping basically in our own area.
No one even drove near us during the time we stayed.
Our camper door opened up to a nice flat area with a large wash.
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Across from the wash, there were signs that said no camping allowed so our view of the desert was open and without campers.
You can go on long walks into the desert to see the few scattered Saguaro cacti and explore the many washes. We heard coyotes at night but never saw any during the day.
The only downside to Plomosa Road was the noise from the main highway.
Sound travels really well across the desert rocks and semi-trucks could get pretty loud.
The way to avoid the noise would be to camp further in.
Next time we stay at Plomosa Road we will be sure to do that because the entire area is very accessible for any size of RV, travel trailer, or van.
5 Reasons To Boondock at Plomosa Road When Visting Quartzsite, AZ
1. Space
We explored a lot of Quartzsite Arizona while we were there in December. We checked out most of the other BLM camping areas and found that Plomosa Road was the least crowded.
There is another free camping area called Hi-jolly a mile or so down the main road but it was very crowded and it was more worth it to camp a little further North to have our own space.
A lot of times there aren’t any quiet times at BLM camping areas so people can run their generators all night long if they want to.
And a lot of people driving by all day can take away from the camping experience.
We value having a little bit of space when camping in the desert. That’s why we stay at Plomosa Road whenever we are in Quartzsite, AZ.
2. Accessibility
Sometimes a free campground looks like it’s close to town on a map and the perfect place to stay if you want to eat out or go shopping often.
But when you get to the road leading to the campground it can be full of ruts, rocks, and holes making it hard and time-consuming to drive in and out of.
Not to mention stress on your RV, travel trailer, or van.
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Plomosa Road is a 55 mph paved road that is the main route from Quartzsite to Bouse. It’s maintained well and easy to drive on.
You can camp as close to this road as you want for easy driving to Quartzite.
So even if you are a few more miles from town than some of the other free BLM campgrounds you are probably going to be able to drive there faster because the road is paved.
3. Clean
If you are a boondocker like us you’ve most likely seen your fair share of dirty, trashed free campgrounds and state trust land.
Plomosa Road was surprisingly clean. Believe it or not, I saw no glass where we were camping either.
A clean free campground is like a breath of fresh air sometimes and makes it easier to enjoy the time spent there.
4. Good Phone Service
Whether you are working from your RV or just like to stay in touch with the world having good cell reception can be what decides where you will camp.
Plomosa Road has great service from all carriers and we had no problems with any of that during our stay.
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Note that when the area gets really busy during January the data speeds can get really slow at Quartzsite, Arizona.
5. Close to the RV Pitstop
Before we had even visited Quartzsite, AZ we had heard about the RV Pitstop.
This little locally owned business is an RV park and a great place to fill up your freshwater, dump your holding tanks, and refill your propane.
The service there is friendly and it’s somewhat of a local icon. It’s only 5 miles from Plomosa Road.
Have any questions about free camping at Plomosa Road in Quartzsite, Arizona? Leave a comment below.
Very useful info ! Thank you 🙂
Best info I’ve found on Plomosa Campground… Thanks!
Thank you, I hope you enjoy camping there!
Jesse, I have stayed at Plomosa Road and agree with your blog! I am heading there now!!
Awesome, enjoy it! We might be back in a couple of weeks!
Very good info, thanks