By Cheri Sicard
Mittry Lake Wildlife Area BLM sits just north of Yuma, Arizona, and offers wide-open views, water, and plenty of tucked-away spots to camp.
In the video at the end of this post, RVers Scott and Nan use their drone to show how much quiet space is out there, along with canals, farm fields, and little pockets of rigs scattered around the shore. They went to scout it first because it is a first-come, first-served area. They came away seeing that there is plenty of space for boondocking. Anyone curious about dry camping near Yuma will get a clear feel for the place from their flyover.
Getting to Mittry Lake Wildlife Area BLM
Mittry Lake sits about 25 minutes northeast of Yuma, AZ. The drive in starts on pavement, with farm fields showing up off in the distance, off to the left.
At some point, the pavement ends around a corner, and the road turns to dirt. There is one bumpy spot that might slow drivers down, but the video shows bigger rigs already parked inside the area, so the road seems passable for more than just small vans.
This BLM area works on a first-come, first-served basis, which is why Scott and Nan went to scout it before committing to a stay. From above, there are camping spots tucked in almost everywhere along the water and off the main track.
They describe it as the kind of place where someone can start at the beginning of the road and work their way out, picking from many pull-outs and clearings as they go.
Camping rules
In the video, they mention rough stay limits that campers will want to keep in mind. The common rule shared there is 10 days on the water side and 14 days if someone parks away from the water.
They also point out a couple of areas where it looks like people have been there longer, and enforcement may not be very strict. A smart approach is to read any posted signs, watch what others are doing, and still plan around that 10- to 14-day window.
What the drone shows of the area
The drone sweeps out over a broad open expanse. Off in the distance, fields stretch out, and they guess the crops might be broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, or lettuce.
From higher up, it is easy to see the canals on one side and the lakes on the other. The water shines between strips of land where campers park. Birds are not thrilled with the buzzing drone and shift away as it passes overhead, and at one point, there is a glimpse of an animal on the ground that is hard to identify from that height.
Off to the left in one pan, there is also a small off-road gathering. A few off-highway vehicles are grouped together, which shows that some parts of the area draw OHV riders as well as boondockers.
Closer to the water, the drone passes a spot that looks like a boat launch area. Around it, a group of campers has set up, and some of the rigs look like they have been there a while. It is not clear from the video how long people are allowed to stay right at that launch, but it is clearly a popular spot.
Near the camping areas, they spot at least one vault toilet. Other than that, services seem very limited. Later in the video, they mention a couple of trash bins or dumpsters, but no sign of hookups, dump stations, or potable water.
Space, services, and picking a campsite
As the drone keeps flying, it becomes clear just how large the camping area is. The shoreline and nearby dirt roads run on for quite a few miles, with scattered rigs and many empty spots between them.
Scott and Nan point out that there are a couple of dumpsters, but no other services. Campers need to come in ready to dry camp, bring their own water, and pack out what does not fit in the trash bins. Because there are so many options, a camper could drive in, watch how full each cluster looks, then keep going until they find a pull-out that feels private and calm.
By the end of the flyover, the big picture comes into focus. Mittry Lake Wildlife Area BLM offers free, first-come, first-served camping, a mix of lakes, canals, and desert washes, and a whole lot of space to spread out. There is some off-road and boating activity, but the area is large enough that campers can usually find a quieter pocket.
Scott and Nan started out wondering if this would be a good boondocking spot and ended up convinced that there is plenty of room. For anyone looking for public land camping a short drive from Yuma, this scouting trip gives a real sense of what to expect on the ground and from the air.
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