Best Dispersed Camping near Bullhead City, AZ

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

Halfway between Kingman and Bullhead City, on the western side of the pass, is this BLM land that will knock your socks off!  Many places to pull over for a night or for a week or two along the road. No services, no water, no toilets, just beautiful open desert with quintessential AZ mountains. Closest towns with supplies are Kingman and Bullhead City, about 20-30 minutes from each.

It’s BLM land. So pack out what you pack in. Roads are rough but you can find some really nice places with a 4 x 4 regardless free camping not much else happening there but pretty views

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!

This is a site that is in a dispersed camping area and is used be OHVs. It is on Buckwash Road off of Highway 68. Before you get to Bullhead City. When you turn off the highway be aware that crossing the cattle guard there is a major hole go driver side hard and you might miss it. There will be a staging area for OHVs and you head up the hill. We stopped at the top of the knoll on the left side. There was just enough room for our cabin and Jeep. No services. Amazing sunsets.

This is a perfect dispersed camping spot! Dirt road in was about 4 miles long from the highway but pretty well graded and easy to drive, big rig friendly. 

Plenty of camping spots along the water with some shade trees. Dumpster onsite and a few vault toilets for the tent campers. Very safe crowd.

But the place I ended up is just BLM land off the highway. There's a turn off the highway, super easy to miss, and it immediately goes up a hill. There's a gate at the top that just says "please close gate - Bureau of Land Management" so I just went in. The road is very smooth and well worn as of this review, my prius had no problem. Not a single other soul in sight. The road sorta stops after the electricity thing (why am I blanking on what these are called?), but it looks like high clearance vehicles have gone through.

This spot is amazing. Free public land. There are only a few pull off spots. Very quiet and beautiful.

Please practice leave no trace etiquette! This spot is gorgeous, let's keep it that way :)

One of the best things about Nevada and Arizona are the numerous areas which offer dispersed camping. There are a lot of BLM lands in the area as well as Recreational areas so it is really quite easy to find a place if you are willing to look. Since I have several full-time friends who spend the maximum of 2 weeks at each site before moving on, someone suggested I check this space out when I was on a trip to Nelson, NV.

It was along the same stretch of highway and not very far away at all. While it was vast and open, there wasn't a whole lot to really say about it other than just that, it is what you make it when you visit.

So what is the benefit of staying at one of these remote locations you might ask? It is about 45 minutes from Vegas, so that isn't terrible if you want to go into the city itself and explore, but part of what makes these spaces a bit more exciting is that they are removed from everything.

I took a moment when I was there to check the basics like what is there to do closely that does not involved the city itself. I could quickly see why my friends recommended this location because it was not far from Lake Mead Recreational Area in an area which was a non-pay station entrance, it was relatively close to Searchlight and not terribly far from Boulder City so if you did need supplies you could easily get out to get them without issue and I think the most intriguing was the proximity not just to Nelson Ghost Town, which is free, but also the many abandoned and never sealed mines.

Lots of activities in the area to keep you busy. Sure it doesn't have amenities but it was a perfect canvas for making the world around you all yours. The friend which recommended it also happens to meet up with other full timers at locations like this so they have a sense of community so I could see how something like this would be a perfect space for that kind of traveling community to set up and enjoy.

TIPS:

• Be able to sustain fully off grid living. There is plenty of sunshine to keep your solar panels full.

• Check out the surroundings and bring a motor bike if you have one to explore so you will not have more options for driving around some of the more remote areas.

• Be careful of mines, though they are fun to explore, some of these are not as stable, I would check out the one just past Nelson which is more heavily trafficked and also stable.

This spot is right off 40 which is convenient, but far enough off to not hear road noise and such. The road is dirt and a bit rough when we were here in November but passable in our FWD van. Drive down the road a bit if possible. There’s a hand gun of sites just as you turn into this place but they are all pretty close together. All and all a nice convenient free camp spot for the night but prob not somewhere I’d set up for a longer stay unless you are in a vehicle that can get back down the road a bit. I didn’t take any photos…sorry!!….it’s a beautiful area tho

This site is saying Telephone Cove is on the Arizona side and costs money? I stayed at Telephone Cove on the Nevada side....Dispersed camping and free! Took some effort to get there in a large motorhome...but we'll worth it. I kinda doubt there is a Telephone Cove on both sides of ....oh yeah...Lake Mohave...not Lake Mead!!?? Hmmmmm?

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 & some negatives. A pet peeve is that BLM only asks you take your trash & not camp on the first 1 mile of road which is restoration area. Despite this & a sign showing where the 1 mile ends & camping begins there are still people who insist on camping in the restoration area. Please just watch the signs & 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 & seen no rangers & even when we had to call BLM twice at other locations the rangers called me & said they were too far away to help). A big issue at Craggy Wash is the many disrespectful ATVrs. I've watched them closely & 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 & 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 & 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.

We stayed Oct 28-31. We stayed in a back-in dispersed camping spot ...exit 66 from I-40, and a couple miles on S Blake Ranch Road. Our rig is 43', towing a pickup with UTV loaded in the back. After unhooking (wide road) by the old Hwy 93 turnoff, we drove 93 a ways in the truck and determined it was too rough and washed out in places for our RV.

We explored down S Blake Ranch road and found our spot --several spots are available down that road, and easy access to trails if you go out trail-riding.

Blake Ranch road is wide, and pretty wash boarded in places, but easily doable, taking it slow. We backed into our chosen site, with room for the truck and UTV. A bonus = it's a level site!!

Beautiful scenery, extremely peaceful, wooded site with plenty of scrap wood around for a careful campfire.

Also making it a mission in retirement travel to practice Leave No Trace, so also cleaned up some prior trash left behind as well as our own.

A little traffic does go down the road, but not often.

Had 2 bars of Verizon cell service; husband had about the same on US Cellular.

This place is special to me. My family used to come here every year, and 7 days free camping right on the river. The road is windy and narrow, but drivable, there is our house and no running water, but they do have a dumpster

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 (& 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.

This is a free camping area inside the Lake Mead NRA but you do not have to pay an entry fee to access. 4.2 miles of dusty washboard gravel road, with some steep pops up and down, but folks haul TTs and Class As in there. The actual beach area is FCFS, 4 vault toilets, huge dumpster, but no potable water. Cell signal is best on far north end. Signs note 7 day camping limit, and park rangers do patrol this area.

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

ok, when you drive in from the entrance off of bullhead make sure you keep driving and pass princess cove and just keep driving until you see a paved road on your left... PASS THAT and a little way down the road you will see a turn on the left that is a dirt road take that down and find your spot!!! You want daylight because you want to make sure you see where you're going.

This is free camping!!

If you park at telephone cove and boat up to here that's also a way to get there as well.

Make sure you pick up after yourself.

Great place, wasn't busy today but in less than a month this area will be busy with boats and trucks.

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!

This would be a nice place to camp if it wasn’t for all the trash & sketchy people who just drive around in it. We went and stayed overnight at the Lowe’s in bullhead city! FYI Walmart here does not allow overnight parking

Great place for dispersed camping and the main dirt road goes As far as the eye can see you so there’s plenty of places to pull over park camp and enjoy your time when you first pull in there’s decent spots for big rigs but I wouldn’t drive any further back if you don’t feel comfortable with the road so just know what your rig can handle Before you push the limits and searchlight there is a corner store beef jerky and a gas station as well as a McDonald’s In case you need anything that’s the nearest town and it’s about a 2025 minute drive but regardless if you need something it’s there besides that just you and your rig

We stayed here for a night and the site was beautiful. We stayed in one of the spaces not too far down the road as it was our first time dispersed camping. I would definitely recommend staying further down the road as there were a few things we quickly realized:

• There is a Loves truck stop on the other side of the highway so if gets pretty loud with all of the truck traffic
• DW Ranch road had a lot of local traffic, including jeeps that I'm assuming were going off roading but they kept blasting by at 2/3AM with those huge light bars on them
• There is a parking lot right at the end of the road that seemed to be a hot spot for high school kids that wanted to come mess around in the field area at night (We stayed on a Saturday and got woken up by some drunk kids walking pretty close to our area yelling and screaming)

Along this gorgeous stretch of the Colorado River downstream of Hoover Dam, you will find numerous backcountry camping options on both the AZ and NV sides, many with existing fire rings. In addition, you’ll find emerald green waters, hot springs/hot waterfalls, sauna cave, slot canyons and interesting features along the sides of the canyon.   All camping is first-come, first-served and no permit is needed.  Water can be filtered in an emergency, but it is the Colorado River; so we’d recommend bringing 1 gallon of fresh drinking water per person per day. Please Leave No Trace by bringing Wag Bags or other poop removal method, including your toilet paper. 

**Weather & River Concerns: **

• If you are camping in a wash, be sure to keep an eye on the weather as flash flooding is a major concern during the rainy season.  
• We launched from Willow Beach marina (AZ side) and paddled up stream to the dam and back over 4 days. We had an amazing weather window, but have heard from locals that this place can be VERY windy (25-50mph), making it impossible to travel against the wind. 
• When the dam releases, it can also make upriver travel quite difficult (not impossible but difficult depending on your boat and paddling skills). Also, the river can rise 4-6 vertical feet when the dam releases water from Lake Mead, so haul your boats at least 50 feet up the washes and don’t camp close to the water or you’ll find yourself floating downstream in the middle of the night.
• Cell service in the canyon is very limited. We found a bit near the dam, but otherwise it was emergency calls only.

Note: If you’ve never done backcountry kayak camping, hire a guide or go with a group. There are numerous companies taking groups down the river each day.

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;)

This was a cool spot.

You wouldn’t think of getting as much privacy as one can in a National Park. The drive off the paved road isn’t as long/bad as you’d expect. I had a little trouble getting in but that’s partially my fault, try not to drive into a dispersed camping site at night when its the first time you’ve ever been. Getting in is a little harder than getting out because there is on particular steep, rocky hill on the drive in. Again, I only have front wheel drive but I questioned turning around at one point. Get over the first hill and your in!!

Total privacy at this hidden beach on Lake Mead. Listen though, its a pain, but if you get to the water and see someone else camping there... Follow the first come first serve rule. There is enough room for several tents in the area but given the surrounding terrain, if you don’t know them, move on. I can’t stress that enough. Luckily for me, no signs of human life were detected during my two night stay. That is of course excluding the time I went on a hike and came back to a warning stuck to my cooler. It was my fault, I brought a glass bottle of whiskey and left it out (NO GLASS ALLOWED). The park ranger whom I had not seen was nice about it though, just the warning and he didn’t dump it out or take it. THANK GOD. I will absolutely visit this site again, perhaps in the summer as you’re surrounded by that crystal clear water. 

-Chuck 
P.S. Don’t forget, always leave the area better than you found it!
          LEAVE NO TRACE. 

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.