By Cheri Sicard
Every winter scores of RVers flock to Quartzsite, Arizona. In the video below, Bob Wells from Cheap RV Living gives seven reasons why he thinks it is a good idea to go to Quartzsite in the winter, and he does recommend it. Ever the realist, he does balance out the advice with three reasons why a visit to the RV mecca that is Quartzsite might not be right for you, as well.
7 reasons to visit Quartzsite this winter
#1 Community — No matter what kind of RV you have, there is probably a community for you in Quartzsite. Nomads of all kinds flock there each winter and it is a good place to find your tribe.
#2 Get a job — For those who are still working while RVing, opportunities are available in Quartzsite for snowbirds and for jobs in other locations throughout the rest of the year. Watch the videos for details and how to apply.
#3 Great camping — There is free fantastic camping all over town, according to Bob, and he shares the options and how to find them.
#4 It’s set up for RVers and campers — Infrastructure is there: propane, dump stations, water, trash collection, showers, laundromats, free Wi-Fi, and more all over town.
#5 Super easy access to town — Getting into town is super close, quick, and easy. You can even camp within walking distance of downtown.
#6 Great location — The location is central to the Colorado River, Yuma, Arizona, and Algodones, Mexico, to the south. To the north, you have Parker, Arizona, about 45 miles away. Many RVing snowbirds alternate camping between Parker and Quartzsite. North of Parker you’ll also find great camping at Lake Havasu.
# 7 Fast food and cheap shopping — If you like fast food, a variety is available nearby as well as some Mom and Pop restaurants. There’s also interesting shopping at the vendor tents at the annual RV show.
3 reasons NOT to visit Quartzsite this winter
#1 Traffic and crowds — It can get crowded, especially close to the big tent, and traffic can get congested. Bob says once you get to know it, you can learn to get around this.
#2 Limited food and shopping — Shopping in the town of Quartzsite itself is extremely limited and expensive. The nearest reasonably priced shopping is in Blythe, about 30 miles away.
#3 Unpredictable desert weather — Cold, rainy, and/or windy weather can be commonplace in Quartzsite.
Will you be visiting Quartzsite this year? Have you visited in the past? Drop a comment below and let us know all about it.
##RVDT2512
20th winter in QZ.
Dry camping with a thousand of your closest neighbors just ain’t for me. The Mojave is just too big for this kid to settle on squeezing in to one of the LTVA encampments.
Negative for me is the wildlife….rats, snakes, scorpions, more rats, more snakes…etc etc.
That’s true at any boondocking site in the Southwest, not just Quartzsite. Does that mean you never dry camp or boondock in a quarter of the US?
#1 Traffic and crowds…period.
Oddly enough, I’ve never seen the wildlife mimi speaks of. I’ve never seen a rat (which usually only show up in places with water), snakes, scorpions etc. I expect to see them, but don’t. If you don’t go there during the “Big Tent”, most of the thousands of your best friends will be gone. We’ve never stayed in the LTVA areas. We have always stayed out on Plomosa Road which is a two week limit area. We’ve never stayed in the “High Jolly” two week area either. It’s much closer to town and attracts many more campers than Plamosa. The other thing to know is if you plan to bring an ATV or side by side, you need to get an AZ permit. No reciprocity here!
I went three years ago and “found my tribe”, a Roadtrek group out in the colorless desert. It was cold and windy during the day (hoodies and blankets needed attire) and even colder at night. Evening campfires were not fun.
I found that the Big Tent event was a joke. Over half of the vendors were selling non-RV related products (i.e. scented candles and tee shirts). I did the bucket list and will not be back.
We have stayed in Parker, Ehrenberg, Blythe, and near Vicksburg, but never in Quarzsite itself. But, during January, those towns were close enough for us!
We are going to be heading to the area this year for the first time-mainly because of the proximity to areas of interest and hopefully explore and have fun. I’ve been to the gem show once years ago, and the traffic was crazy THEN. 😬 it should be an adventure!!
Thank you, Cheri! No, never been to Quartzsite. I doubt that we’ll ever go there. We typically stay closer to Chattanooga through the winter than visiting Arizona would require. We typically have way too much work around the farm in the winter to be gone more than 3 or 4 nights at a time. Have a great day and safe travels!