Craggy Wash - Dispersed Camping Area, near Lake Havasu City, is a fantastic spot for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle. This area is perfect for boondocking, offering a peaceful night under the stars with plenty of space to spread out.

Visitors have noted the friendly vibe among campers, making it a welcoming place for families and solo travelers alike. With no hookups or amenities, it’s essential to come prepared, but the trade-off is the freedom to camp wherever you like. As one camper put it, “All the campers seemed respectful and very friendly.”

The location is just a short drive from town, so you’re never too far from essentials like food and gas. Plus, the nearby rock formations and open spaces provide a stunning backdrop for outdoor activities. Many campers have enjoyed the good cell service, making it easier to stay connected while enjoying nature.

While the area can get busy, especially on weekends, there are plenty of secluded spots if you venture further in. Just be ready for some dirt and dust, as ATVs are popular here, adding to the adventurous spirit of the place. Whether you’re looking to kick back or explore, Craggy Wash has a little something for everyone.

Craggy Wash - Dispersed Camping Area

Lake Havasu City is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Lake Havasu City is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Arizona camping adventure.

Lake Havasu City

The Best Camping Near Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Free!! Easy access roads. Literally right behind the airport. You can't miss it (unless you're driving too fast). Not noisy since there is little traffic at the airport. A lot of people use this with side-by-sides but people are very courteous. I saw a lot of people with RVs that camped out here but there are no hookups. Walmart is two stop lights away incase you need anything like ice. The London bridge is 7 mi down the way. I would not pass up this opportunity! Nights are amazing here.

Free!! Easy to get to, 1mi from Walmart, 7 mi from the lake and SHADE! 

Great boondocking site.  Pack it in, pack it out.  Use it but don’t loose it.

Quiet and free too.

Free/dispersed only. Some nice private sites if you’re willing to drive in a few miles, otherwise it gets really crowded at the head of the road. There are a number of offshoots that lead to private, secluded spots, some with great views. It’s all close to town, hardware, gas, stores. Castle Rock access point to Lake Havasu and Colorado River is close by. No amenities whatsoever but there is decent cell service. 

Can get crowded but worth it

We are on our second week here, having moved once in the wash to get better sun for our solar panels. The sun is weak here this time if year (Nov) and sets early. The other reviews covered the positives &amp; some negatives. A pet peeve is that BLM only asks you take your trash &amp; not camp on the first 1 mile of road which is restoration area. Despite this &amp; a sign showing where the 1 mile ends &amp; camping begins there are still people who insist on camping in the restoration area. Please just watch the signs &amp; don't camp for a mile - not hard! Also, there doesn't seem to be any camp host nor any BLM rangers (we've been on various BLM land all year &amp; seen no rangers &amp; even when we had to call BLM twice at other locations the rangers called me &amp; said they were too far away to help). A big issue at Craggy Wash is the many disrespectful ATVrs. I've watched them closely &amp; those ATVs coming in on RVs seem generally respectful but the locals coming in from town on CanAms, etc, are worst. They drive outrageously fast &amp; will run cars off the gravel road. The speed limit is 15 though most cars couldn't go that fast on the poor road. We've had some Jeeps go by very fast and many ATVrs doing at least 70. They even drive incredibly fast at night. So, you are going to get dusted out by them if you try to sit outside or eat outside. Heaven forbid your kid or dog wander into the road because they can't stop fast in the gravel even if they tried &amp; some look like they'd just keep going even if they hit you. There are also a few sketchy folks car camping who act like they don't want to be seen, but the last thing they want is attention from bothering you. There has only been one deputy sheriff, who came by in daytime, in almost 2 weeks.


Many disrespectful ATVrs

you can go to either side of the street and tons of areas to pull off and camp, some areas have better roads to pull off to get further in towards the mountains.

expect a lot of dirt because ATVs are all through here and have a blast getting dirty.

perfect area for group campers or long term… and it's freeeeeee

  

Here are my star ratings based on my lifestyle and what I like. I'm also a mother, dog mama, and a wife so it's not just me it's my crew and i. 1 star- AUTOMATIC relocate… the property is no longer there, trashed or/and I could never have my children there and I wouldn't ever think about staying no matter what. 2 star- Not really my jam, and would NEVER go to again… It probably more of desert life and not really my style for sure…Being from Vegas I can't stand being in the desert and I love the Trees and the Green more than anything. 3 star- Would stay there again in a pinch, but not really my style, the reason its not is because not enough family things to do, the scenery, or the location… but I would go again and feel safe having my kiddos here but only if I needed to in a pinch. 4 star- a really good rating for sure, maybe needed some improvements, minor things like being on top of each other, not a lot of privacy, but honestly little cosmetic things that aren't anything to sweat and would be back again for sure. 5 star- MY FAVORITE… love the location, safety, the surroundings, big camp spots available to fit toys for my kids to play, hammocks to hang, our big family tent, cases of firewood, our suburban or RV, etcccccc….. I would not only come back but would live if I could!!! Anyway thanks for reading and enjoy every moment like it's your last! CHEERS!

dispersed camping

This has been a popular place for years. Beautiful area which starts about a mile from the Hwy, so no road noise. It can be quite crowded when first entering the camping area, but the farther you go in the more secluded it gets, then again the road gets softer as well. Most of the sites are only a few feet from the road with a couple roads that branch off. Atv’s run up and down the roads most of the day and most of them respect your camp by not flying by. 

Busy, busy , busy

Going north just past the Walmart on 95, there is a road that will take you to Craggy Wash. there are signs posted so that you know when you have driven the mile and can start looking for a campsite. I like this site better than the next BLM north, Lone Tree, because there are hummingbirds and little white crowned sparrows in the shrubs to watch. Not as much wind either and it is FREE for 14 days. Fairly clean &amp; less Razor traffic too. No highway noise at all. I had plenty of places to park my Big Girl 30 footer. Pretty level sites. 

Another Lake Havasu BLM site

They don’t have any hook ups no trash cans nothing so make sure you pack out what you pack in the good part is if you have aTVs it is the perfect place to go if you want free camping the perfect place to go nice quiet but dirty do it all the ATVs

  

  

Here are my star ratings based on my lifestyle and what I like. I'm also a mother, dog mama, and a wife so it's not just me it's my crew and i. 1 star- AUTOMATIC relocate… the property is no longer there, trashed or/and I could never have my children there and I wouldn't ever think about staying no matter what. 2 star- Not really my jam, and would NEVER go to again… It probably more of desert life and not really my style for sure…Being from Vegas I can't stand being in the desert and I love the Trees and the Green more than anything. 3 star- Would stay there again in a pinch, but not really my style, the reason its not is because not enough family things to do, the scenery, or the location… but I would go again and feel safe having my kiddos here but only if I needed to in a pinch. 4 star- a really good rating for sure, maybe needed some improvements, minor things like being on top of each other, not a lot of privacy, but honestly little cosmetic things that aren't anything to sweat and would be back again for sure. 5 star- MY FAVORITE… love the location, safety, the surroundings, big camp spots available to fit toys for my kids to play, hammocks to hang, our big family tent, cases of firewood, our suburban or RV, etcccccc….. I would not only come back but would live if I could!!! Anyway thanks for reading and enjoy every moment like it's your last! CHEERS!

Free camping

Little dusty getting in. Well worth the visit, great rock formations. 

Craggy Wash BLM 

Found a great spot away from the main campground areas. Road is very rough going in. Recommend high clearance vehicles. Made a great fireplace protected within the the rocks. A little noisy from the highway about 1/4 mile away and a few off road vehicles passing by, more so on the weekends the the weekdays. Overall, it was secluded and protected by the winds.

Craggy Wash Ridge

This is a 14 day BLM campground. The entrance is just north of Walmart on the east side of the road. We drove up about 2.5 miles and found a fairly flat open space with fabulous cellular service. The only problem is that the wind kicks up every afternoon so you will want to position your rig to block the majority of it. There is a camp host who drives around a couple times each day but never said a word to us. Great location especially if you have 4 wheel drive. 

Gorgeous, quiet, and windy

This free BLM camping area is just north of Lake Havasu airport.  Road is a dusty washboard gravel, first 1 mile no camping, then a couple miles of free dispersed camping.  Craggy Wash is a narrow draw and camps are clustered along the main gravel roads.  Cell signal is dependent on where you camp, have to have line of sight to the cell tower across hwy 95, otherwise no cell signal.  No water, no trash dumpsters, no toilets, no designated sites. BLM site host was onsite during my visit to monitor the 14d limit. 

Main negative is the significant trash that is scattered around in bushes, side cubbies etc, hence the two stars,...this place needs an organized cleanup with the BLM bringing in a big dumpster...imo

Craggy Wash BLM free Dispersed

I loved this area. Not all BLM campgrounds are equal, and this one is one of the top on my list. Only 12 to a planet fitness for showers and only 5 minutes to groceries and supplies. The area is a mile off the highway. When you get to the mile in, there is a large lot with plenty of parking, but the road goes farther with more private spaces along the road. I went quite a ways back and found a great spot with an amazing view of the rocky knolls.

The road to get there is dirt, but not rutted, so any low clearance vehicle should be able to make it. The area is definitely busy with OHV and plenty of other campers, but I didn't have any issue with rowdy neighbors. 

No services, pack in, pack out. Verizon service was good. Great place to go walking and found a few trails to various viewpoints. 

Best BLM camping near the lake

Lots of room, good cell service and close to town

Nice spot 

Lots of places to camp but very busy. The roads aren’t in great condition, but pretty much any vehicle can make it. Just take it slow and watch out for the rocks in the road (they are spray painted bright colors) 
I loved how we felt completely secluded
 while only being a few miles from town. 

Would definitely visit again

Kinds busy area we only stayed for one night but it's free and it got us out of the car for the night roads are decent it's easy to find there is no running water or toilets 

Bit of an odd spot

You need to go 1 mile up the road before you can camp. At the first spot there are lots of rigs and interesting characters. Took me another mile to find a place that was away from people. The spot was beautiful, but fair amount of trash and dog crap. I can see the appeal, but upon closer examination, it’s good for a night or two at most. Verizon service worked. 

Different and crowded 

As a solo female traveler, my main priority is safety and this spot was incredible. I stayed here for a week and already miss it. 
It’s 5 minutes from McDonald’s/gas for food and/or bathrooms and in that same area is a Walmart. Just 15 minutes down the road is the heart to lake havasu. 
Can’t wait to go back and stay there. There’s plenty of spots well marked. You’ll head up a dirt road for about a mile and then can go as far as you want. Verizon had 2 bars, so spotty but enough connection. 
I drive a 2WD sedan and had no problems on the road. 

Safe, quiet, convenient 

This was our first overnight in our new overcab camper truck rig, family of four with two young girls. Drove back about 2 mi, lots of folks, finally found a quiet area with even a bit of kale overlook, on a short offshoot road Left of the main, and stayed a very peaceful night. Not a place to stay all day, but good for boondocking. All the campers seemed respectful and very friendly. “No bad days,” havasu style;)

Godsend on late arrival

We stopped here as a one night stop on our way to New Mexico. It was a decently maintained dirt road, you should know how to crawl around potholes and/or have a higher clearance vehicle. I could see a 2WD getting stuck in the sand/fine rock areas. If you want to sleep in at all, definitely pick the west side of a large rock structure to help block the morning sun. It very quickly got hot, but with no canopy on the tent at night, we slept comfortably. 

Solid Overnight Stop

We spent 4 days here and it was very nice! People seem respectful on the UTVs. Local amenities are super super convenient!

Large area with plenty of space 

I just followed the GPS / Google Maps coordinates to go to the Craggy Wash dispersed camping area south of Lake Havasu City (was actually in Lake Havasu City when I searched for nearby dispersed camping sites via The Dyrt ...).  Copied the coordinates provided on The Dyrt webpage, turned left off US 95 South where directed (&amp; it was the correct road on the live map), but there is a locked gate there with big sign: "Private Property Keep Out.". So.....since it was only 4:10 pm PST (Dec. 28, 2024), I travelled on to Hi Jolly just above Quartzsite.  I did leave the Google Maps app active as I turned back south on 95 just to see if the voice directions might provide an alternate entrance to Craggy Wash, but ....no.

No admission / entry

Pulled in here to see an old burnt out RV being towed away with the assistance of BLM officers. Did a lap around the camping area and it did not feel safe at all. Lots of homeless camping since this is really close to part of Lake Havasu City. Couple of campers looked broke down and stuck there long term. Lots of tent camping with vehicles (homeless). 

  

Talked to one of the BLM officers on the way out and he recommended that I don't camp there. They have lots of issues with this place. He said the places South of town and further North were much safer.

Not Safe - local homeless camping

This is April, and so far, no problems with anyone.  Yes, there are homeless people, but where should they go? Hopefully, people will keep it clean. There is trash we have seen been left behind. an old trailer is burnt down. It's fun to walk around and explore a little. Every one has been nice so far. We have enjoyed our stay but it's difficult to turn around 39ft around but we did. We are on our way up to utah so we stopped here to explore lake Havasu. 

Very peaceful 

There is a lot of trash, and it has been here for some time. The trash attracts bugs, so the fly situation is higher than some other places we have been.

You DO need to go a ways in.. like a mile or two to get a decent spot, though the road isn't all that bad, so it's just cruising along until you find the one.

Our experience was mostly peaceful, some dude had a generator running most of the night down the hill, but it was far enough away to not be a big deal.

Cool spot to fly the drone, caves and weird stuff left behind by previous campers. 

Light winds, a little rain.

Ok enough to stay, but a bit of a dump

Stayed for a couple of days.   Not bad - close to Lake Havasu city so it's not a far trip to get supplies.  A lot of noise from the highway but I got used to it.  Random people coming out to shoot guns or ride side-by-sides.  Overall a pretty nice little free spot to relax.

Photos of Craggy Wash - Dispersed Camping Area

Real photos from real campers