The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Mohave Valley, AZ

414 Reviews

Tent camping opportunities near Mohave Valley, Arizona range from remote mountain sites to desert dispersed camping areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). BLM Wild Cow Springs Recreation Area offers a mountainous tent camping experience with sites featuring fire rings and picnic tables, while dispersed options like Havasu Heights provide more basic accommodations for campers seeking solitude and simplicity.

Most primitive tent campsites in the region have minimal amenities, with many lacking drinking water, showers, and flush toilets. Vault toilets are available at some established sites like Windy Point Campground, but dispersed areas require campers to pack out waste and bring adequate water supplies. Road conditions often present challenges, with several campgrounds requiring high-clearance or 4WD vehicles. A recent review noted, "Do not attempt in an RV of any kind. Miles and miles of difficult winding roads will not work well with your high top heavy clearance." The 14-day stay limit applies to most BLM dispersed camping areas, and summer temperatures regularly exceed 100°F, making spring and fall more comfortable for tent camping.

Tent campers particularly value the elevated views and relative solitude found at higher elevation sites like Wild Cow Springs Recreation Area. Tree cover provides essential shade at select campgrounds, while desert dispersed sites typically offer minimal protection from sun and wind. According to one visitor, "Trees cover almost everything, there is a little creek, and plenty of opportunities to go exploring on hikes." Sites along Lake Mohave's shoreline offer water access but may experience higher visitation during peak seasons. Stargazing opportunities are exceptional throughout the region due to minimal light pollution, with desert areas providing particularly clear night skies. A camper commented, "There's not a lot of light pollution so you can get great stars and moon pictures."

Map showing campgrounds near Mohave Valley, ArizonaExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Mohave Valley, Arizona (8)

Show More
Showing results 1-8 of 8 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Mohave Valley Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Tent Camping Photos near Mohave Valley, AZ

3 Photos of 8 Mohave Valley Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Mohave Valley, AZ

414 Reviews of 8 Mohave Valley Campgrounds

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 23, 2018

    Hole In The Wall Campground — Mojave National Preserve

    Great Place To Camp In The Desert

    We wanted to check out ZZYZX but there was no camping there so we had to explore other options. Really wanting to be as close to the dried salt lake area where you can literally yell out and hear your voice echo for miles we discovered Hole-In-The-Wall. It sounded a bit funny considered it was in the middle of the desert and everything is like a hole in the wall as you pass through miles and miles of nothingness, but we gave it a shot and were very pleased.

    It is a first come first serve campsite but when we were there that wasn't an issue there were only a few campers. It made for a quiet night in the desert where we were surrounded by low laying vegetation and views of the mountains around. It looked like a pretty large campground overall with lots of sites each with a picnic table and fire ring.

    There was no potable water when we were there and only pit toilets. Pretty basic, no hook ups and no showers.

    It was pleasant though and I would say it made us happy that we had stumbled upon it. It was $12 fo the night for our site and I did notice that those having the senior card could get a discount, so something to look forward to when I get older!!

    It was pretty no frills camping. But since we always come prepared we had firewood ready to go and were able to enjoy setting up then venturing over to ZZYZX to check out the "abandoned" site, which is actually partially used as a research facility and partially a ruin of times passed. Really unique experience from every angle.

    TIPS:

    • Pack extra water since there is none available and if you are interested in a shower make sure you have an outdoor shower bag already filled before you arrive.

    • While you can have a generator they do have a quiet hours policy for other guest. The campground is so quiet at night and everything echoes in the canyon.

    • Do not camp in washes because even though it seems dry when rain comes it quickly moves across the desert and will flood these areas and create very scary conditions.

  • Charlie C.
    Mar. 23, 2021

    Wild Cow Springs Campground

    Amazing Place

      Let me start off by saying I made it to this spot in my Kia Niro with its front wheel drive. Not the worst dirt road I've encountered but very steep in some parts and I would not recommend going to this site in the snow unless you have 4 wheel drive, snow chains and experience. I didn't go in the snow but I could imagine. One slip and you're in serious trouble. That out of the way, this place is GREAT!

      On the drive up you go through a sleepy little town half way up the mountain, the views along the drive are stunning. Bring plenty of supplies and know its about a 40 min drive each way to get more.

       Lots of wildlife in the area, was a little concerned about bears in the area as it looked like they had some scratching posts right around our campsite (pictures posted) but didn't end up seeing a one.

       May be pretty tight for a larger RV as sites are pretty small. Vaulted toilets were very well maintained. I will go back!

    -Chuck

    P.S. Don't forget, always leave the area better than you found it!

                LEAVE NO TRACE!

  • Kyle V.
    Jul. 8, 2018

    Windy Point Campground

    Remote campground where you wouldn’t expect to find one.

    Although you can make it to the campground in 2wd, I wouldn’t take a car. SUV/truck preferred. Tent camping/car camping only, no RV sites at all. The road is steep, winding, dirt with loose gravel 11 miles off the paved road. Camp sites have a great view because of the elevation. picnic tables and fire rings in each site as well as many trash receptacles and clean toilets. no other amenities. Rough off-roading in the areas surrounding the campground leading to old mining areas. Awesome views, we went in June when it was probably 110 degrees at the base of the mountain, mid 90s up at the camp site.

  • Edwin M.
    Jan. 22, 2022

    Hole In The Wall Campground — Mojave National Preserve

    Such a cool place to camp

    We stayed here for two nights both of which were quite windy so stake down your tent extra tight. The views here are definitely what make this place worth it to camp at. The Ring Loop trail is also a blast. Theres potable water available and we payed a total of $24 for two nights here. I would definitely visit again.

  • Ashlee L.
    Apr. 20, 2018

    Hole In The Wall Campground — Mojave National Preserve

    Gorgeous scenery and quiet, SUPER windy

    Pros: very quiet campground, with sites that are some distance apart. Absolutely breathtaking scenery - this campground is in the valley between hills and the undeveloped land around the campsites is covered in an amazing variety of cacti. The cost is also reasonable at $12/night. The tent sites are nicely designed with a large tent pad, a picnic table, and fire ring. The visitors' center is very close up the road, and they have flush toilets and water, as well as a very small gift shop, but not really anything else.

    Cons: The only way to get to the campground is driving for about a 1-2 hours on unpaved roads, which are rough in some spots. Once you get there, there are only pit toilets and no sinks or showers. There is usually potable water in the campground, but that was also unavailable during my visit because of drought conditions (however that info was easily found on the website and I was prepared for that). But by far the worst thing about this campground was the wind. It was breezy all day, which was fine, but at about 9 or 10 pm at night the winds picked up to about 30-40 mph sustained through the whole night, with gusts of ~50 mph. It definitely caught myself off guard, and by the looks of the remaining tents the next morning it caught a lot of other campers off guard also.

    If the conditions are like that most of the time (possible since it's in a valley?), I wouldn't tent camp there again because it wasn't relaxing at all. But if that was a fluke or I had an RV, I would consider another stay there. There were a lot of ORVs in the area, and I think anyone who enjoys doing that would love this campground.

  • Colette K.
    Apr. 25, 2018

    Cottonwood Cove Campground — Lake Mead National Recreation Area

    Cottonwood Cove Lower Campground, near Lake Mohave, NV

    Ranger Review: Midland X-Talker Two-way Radios at Cottonwood Cove Lower Campground, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, NV

    CAMPGROUND REVIEW

    Cottonwood Cove Lower Campground is located 14 miles east of Searchlight, NV, on the shores of Lake Mohave. The decent into Cottonwood Cove is quite dramatic (about 2900 ft), for which the roadside cactus can attest, as the types of cacti change even with the slightest elevation change.

    The "lower" in Cottonwood Cove Lower Campground's name characterizes it's lower elevation compared to the "upper" campground, which naturally has higher elevation.

    Cottonwood Cove Lower Campground is included in Lake Mead National Recreation Area campgrounds, and keeping with their custom, all sites are first come first serve. The Cottonwood Cove area has low elevation, at about 650 feet above sea level, which means it gets very hot during the late spring, summer, and early fall months.

    Only a few of the 45 sites have shady cottonwood trees, and there are only uncovered picnic tables, so come prepared with a shade canopy for much needed relief! There are beautiful views of Lake Mohave, three very clean restroom buildings (no showers), water on taps, and fire rings at every site. There is an RV dump station located near the entrance to the Upper Campground (although the Upper Campground is closed).

    The Lower Campground is situated behind a hill, which obstructs cell service. Walking only a short distance to the marina area, you'll find a strong 4G signal. The park service provides fee-based internet at the campground, but we didn't try it.

    Cottonwood Cove has a full service boat marina, gas, motel, RV resort (with full hook-ups), watercraft rentals/supplies, sandy beach, and shaded picnic tables with BBQs.

    Here's a drive-along tour of Cottonwood Cove Lower Campground: https://youtu.be/s6AQ6KqtxPg

    Overall, we enjoyed our stay at this campground. It was a peaceful place, with jackrabbits, a couple of hungry ducks, many songbirds, and the stars at night were bright & beautiful. 4 stars (not 5 stars due to lack of provided shade).

    PRODUCT REVIEW

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. While camping at Cottonwood Cove Lower Campground, we tested Midland X-Talker Two-way Radios (model T51).

    https://midlandusa.com/product/x-talker-t51vp/

    Camping in an isolated area behind a large hill was the perfect place to review these radios. However, with the hill as an obstruction our range was limited. [Note: We also tried these radios at home, and our maximum range was 3 small neighborhood blocks. Perhaps to achieve the maximum range of "28 miles," you'd need to be on the open ocean on a calm day or out on a very flat prairie.]

    Here's a video demonstration of the Midland X-Talker Two-way Radios:

    https://youtu.be/ocCEzY-MgUc

    As you can see in our review video, we compared the Midland radios with a very inexpensive set. Midland's quality is far superior.

    The Midland's instruction booklet is easy to follow, buttons are easy to operate, radio is comfortable to hold, and the belt clip is very tight (exercise care unlatching to prevent breaking). And… the NOAA Weather Radio scan was our biggest surprise, as you'll see in this video:

    https://youtu.be/nZvTipRcln8

    The radios can be charged while positioned on the charging stand or via a charging cord plugged directly into the radio and to an electrical source (such as a portable power bank).

    Overall, we are very impressed with the clear reception and convenience of the Midland X-Talker Two-way Radios. We are looking forward to using these radios during our future no-cell service camping, fishing, and hiking adventures. 5 stars

  • Charlie C.
    Mar. 9, 2021

    Arrowhead Cove — Lake Mead National Recreation Area

    Gosh Darn Beautiful

    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.
  • Wayne B.
    Nov. 9, 2023

    Cottonwood Cove Campground — Lake Mead National Recreation Area

    Quiet, inexpensive and peaceful

    When we first got here there was no available water ( main water line break) and the bathrooms were closed and they had set up several portable bathrooms. They quickly fixed the water line on day two and bathrooms were re-opened and water was available at the sites. No hook ups, but worth the $20 a night ( must be done online), quiet, peaceful and only a couple other campers here. Walking distance to Lake Mojave ( Sandy beach looks beautiful when you walk up to it, but then you see all the rusty battle caps, bottles, some broken glass, fishing line and trash about) where there is a marina with a store ( pricey as you’d expect). Camp sites aren’t very big, but I had no problem with my 19ft trailer. They have 45 sites ( loops around for easy turn around at top of campground) and ours was level. No camp host here, but service truck drives through at about noon everyday. Trash bins available. Regular flush bathrooms were pretty clean ( no showers).The nights ( sun down here at 4:30pm) are awesome and star gazing is amazing and you can hear coyote’s in the distance. A few palm trees and some sites have nice shade. We had such a nice experience here, we decided to stay an extra night!

  • T K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 24, 2021

    Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area

    Beach and regular campsite open

    Visited today and seen the primitive camping area (no hookups) was currently closed. The regular campsites with full hookups was open. Maybe with weather, and less campers is the reason for closing the overflow/primitive side. Only 1 RV today and all the other sites open. Beach was crowded on both sides. Was still able to get a spot on the water and set up canopy. Still favorite spot in Laughlin/Bullhead City area.

Guide to Mohave Valley

Tent campsites near Mohave Valley, Arizona range from shoreline locations along Lake Mohave to remote desert camping areas on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. Elevations vary significantly from approximately 500 feet in the valley to over 3,500 feet in surrounding mountain areas, creating distinct microclimates for campers. Winter temperatures typically range from 40-65°F while spring and fall offer milder conditions with daytime temperatures in the 70-85°F range.

What to do

Explore mining history: Several dispersed camping areas near Mohave Valley provide access to historic mining districts. According to one camper at Windy Point Campground, "Check out some of the abandoned mines scattered throughout this area. If you look hard enough as your drive you will find great little places to check out. Just be safe and DO NOT try to go inside them."

Stargazing sessions: The remote desert location creates exceptional night sky viewing opportunities. A visitor to Havasu Heights noted, "I absolutely love camping here. There's not a lot of light pollution so you can get great stars and moon pictures."

Mountain hiking: Higher elevation campsites offer multiple hiking trails with panoramic desert views. One camper at BLM Wild Cow Springs Recreation Area shared, "Hiking and views for days. Clean vaulted toilets and well maintained site. Each site has a table and fire ring as well as parking for one, sometimes two vehicles."

What campers like

Privacy between campsites: Many tent campers appreciate the well-spaced sites at established campgrounds in the region. A visitor to Wild Cow Springs Recreation Area commented, "The sites are well spread out so each camp has privacy. We will definitely be back!"

Accessibility to towns: Multiple dispersed camping areas offer proximity to nearby communities while maintaining a wilderness feel. One camper at Havasu Heights shared, "Town is about 10 minutes south, and interstate 40 is about 10 minutes north," making it convenient for supply runs.

Creek access: Some mountain camping areas feature seasonal water features not typically associated with desert camping. A reviewer at Wild Cow Springs noted, "Trees cover almost everything, there is a little creek, and plenty of opportunities to go exploring on hikes. Loved it!"

What you should know

Road conditions vary significantly: Many tent campsites require high-clearance vehicles or 4WD, especially after rain. A camper at Mid-Basin Cove shared, "Mid-Basin cove is more secluded than its sister site up the road but much more secluded and enjoyable. Dispersed camping on the beach, fires and pets allowed."

Temperature extremes: Desert camping temperatures fluctuate dramatically between day and night, requiring appropriate gear for both hot and cold conditions. According to one camper at Windy Point, "we went in June when it was probably 110 degrees at the base of the mountain, mid 90s up at the camp site."

Wind protection considerations: Several areas experience significant wind, particularly in spring months. A camper at BLM dispersed camping spur at MP 133.8 noted, "Mid Spring the wind was fairly constant with some decent gusts, got pretty chilly at night. No shade, no wind break, but plenty of road to get away from the highway noise."

Tips for camping with families

Surface preparation: Desert camping requires additional equipment for comfortable sleeping. One camper recommended, "I learned quick that I need to add a shovel to my essential supplies for BLM camping," which helps level tent sites and clear debris.

Seasonal planning: For family camping trips, spring and fall provide more comfortable temperatures. A visitor to Wild Cow Springs shared, "Stay was in September and the weather was beautiful," indicating optimal family camping conditions.

Cell service considerations: Many families appreciate knowing connectivity options for safety reasons. A camper at BLM Earp-Parker to Needles Wagon Road Dispersed noted, "Cell service is very good on all providers. Good views and sunsets. Hwy noise not too bad if you camp up by the canal."

Tips from RVers

Leveling challenges: Many dispersed sites require preparation for comfortable parking. A reviewer at Havasu Heights advised, "There are lots of flat areas for easy setup, but there are also quite a few areas that would be challenging to level. Depending on your rig you may want to walk the area first."

Highway proximity: Some sites balance accessibility with noise considerations. One RVer at BLM dispersed camping spur mentioned, "Hwy 62 has some noise," suggesting camping farther from main roads for quieter experiences.

Site selection process: First-time visitors should scout locations before committing. According to a camper at North of Rovey's Rock, "From Parker all the way to I-40, you have large graded areas that have an RV, Toy Hauler, or 5th wheel trailer parked about every 300 ft," which helps in understanding the camping layout and choosing appropriate spots.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mohave Valley, AZ?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mohave Valley, AZ is Havasu Heights with a 4.3-star rating from 3 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Mohave Valley, AZ?

TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Mohave Valley, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring