By Cheri Sicard
If you have ever thought about joining the hordes of other RVers snowbirding in Quartzsite, Arizona, but don’t know how to go about it, join Eric, aka The Nomadic Fanatic on YouTube [240K subscribers, 114M views], as he arrives at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) LTVA (long-term visitors area) in the video below.
BLM LTVA passes are available for $180 a year (and are usable at more than just Quartzsite). For short-term stays, you can get a $40 pass for two weeks.
Eric begins with a word of warning about the prices in Quartzsite being a little inflated, so it’s a good idea to shop before heading in. He also stops at the RV Pit Stop in Quartzsite to fill the propane and top off the gas tank.
He then pays for the pass before heading to the La Posa South Long Term Visitors Area. As Eric arrived in November, it was not very busy, but expect that to drastically change if you go later in the season.
The road in has been repaved from years past, making the drive more pleasant. Note that if your RV is not completely self-contained, you will be required to camp near one of the vault toilets scattered throughout the area. RVers will find an on-site dump station.
Eric then went on to find the friends he would be camping with and spending the Thanksgiving holiday with.
In November, temperatures got up to the 80s in the day, and down to the 50s at night.
I have not been to Quartzsite yet but am considering it this year. It looks like a lot of fun, provided you are with a fun group. Have you been? Please share your experiences in the comments below.
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We find Quartzsite to be fun and relaxing. Sometimes we even bring my wife’s vehicle so she can tow our enclosed trailer with our Polaris RZR. There are endless places to ride, and bazillions of Geocaches to find. Sometimes we just sit outside and read, or walk around. It’s just a quiet and relaxing place to be. In our favorite Plamosa Rd two-week area there are far fewer people camping so you have a lot more space between you and your closest neighbor – which may be a block away. Unlike the LTVA areas which tend to be packed.
Thank you, Cheri! I follow Eric, but don’t recall this video, so I’ll give it a watch (2nd watch?). No, never been to Quartzsite, probably will never go. Always interested to see how it goes for others though. Thank you!
I have been to Quartzite numerous times for day trips and maybe one overnight for the January RV/Rock show. I tie this in with my yearly 2+ week trip to Scottsdale for the week long classic car auctions.
Crowded? You betcha!
In January there you will be surrounded with 100,000+ of your closest friends! Pretty amazing site when your cross the last hill before Quartzite heading West on I-10 from Phoenix. You are greeted by the site of HUNDREDS of RV’s.
With all the day folks like me there for the rock/RV show and the Snowbirds probably NOT a place I would want to camp for a week or the whole Winter season. What normally is the middle of nowhere suddenly becomes somewhere!
We’ve been going every year for the past 15 years or so during the week of the big RV show. We usually stay in the free areas, but this past year we went with a group and stayed in LaPosa South. It was a different vibe because this is the area with more full-timers, but still fun. If you go during the show beware that there are 100s of thousands of RVs there. Stores, restaurants & gas stations are very crowded with lots of traffic. We always have a good time and love to hit up the swap meets, even though they haven’t been as good since Covid. Sometimes we luck out and camp next to great neighbors, other times not. Best thing about Quartzsite though, is you can easily move.
I find that Quartzsite is a love it or hate it destination. Personally I love it and try to get there each winter. As long as you go with the right attitude, it’s a blast to be surrounded by RVs of all kinds, from pop ups to Prevost, the desert seems to welcome all. I’ve met some lifelong friends there.
Been going to Quartzsite for 15 years during the week of the rv show. We stay in a FHU park and are able to ride our rzr underneath the freeway and park at the edge of the car parking lot. Even with the crowds, we don’t have to be concerned with traffic and finding a place to park. Lots of atv riding areas out there too.
Went last year. Nice experience. If you prepay for the LTVA, make sure you print out the pass. There was an option for using your phone, but they didn’t have the capability to process that last year. Very annoying- had to pay over again, or find a printer somewhere.