Best Tent Camping near Yucca, AZ

  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!

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.

First, you get what you pay for, this tent site was 5.00 per night! The location is great, right on the Colorado River. We made reservations ahead of time using reservation.gov. We knew there were no amenities but were ok with it.

I use a rating scale based on amenities, location, cell service, cleanliness and campsite.

There is no running water available at the site, only one vault toilet, obviously no showers.

The campsite itself was great, nice shady spot with a grill, picnic table and did I mention right on the water.

Cell service was spotty, usually one bar with AT&T.

There are wild burros that roam the area and we were quite surprised that they walked through our campsite down to the water.

We stayed on a Friday night and there were people riding motorcycles or ATVs through the park chasing the burros, making a lot of noise. Also people on the river all through the night making lots of noise.

We rented kayaks in Parker AZ, Parker watercraft and it was great, we loved every minute.

While there we also made the quick trip to Lake Havasu city to see the London Bridge.

Crossroads Campground is located on the riverfront of the beautiful Lower Colorado River. This campground is popular with winter visitors looking to enjoy the warm winter temperatures and relax on the riverfront. This campground has great access to fishing, boating and off-roading.

Natural Features:

The campground is situated on the shoreline of the Lower Colorado River. The river runs through a backdrop of steep rocky terrain, and wind shaped sand dunes. The area is teeming with wildlife, especially fish, migratory birds and small mammals.

Recreation:

The Lower Colorado River offers excellent boating, fishing, canoeing and swimming opportunities. The campground provides river front views and a beach.

Just follow the Parker Dam Road Scenic Backcountry Byway to various recreation sites along the river. The Rock House Visitor Center and Boat Launch are within a mile of the campground, and offers information and a free boat launch open year-round.

Other popular activities in the Parker Strip Recreation Area include hiking, biking, rock hounding and off-road vehicle travel.

Facilities:

This small campground contains individual campsites and one accessible campsite. All of the sites are dry camping (no water) and provide a picnic table and grill. 

One vault toilet is available. There is a Campground Host available to answer questions.

Nearby Attractions:

The Copper Basin Dunes and Crossroads Off- Highway Vehicle Open Areas offer miles of off-road adventures. Rock hounders enjoy hiking and driving through the area to search for unique rocks. 

Rock House Visitor Center has a free boat launch and a visitor center stocked with brochures and information about the area.

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. 

I enjoyed my stay here. The terrain is steep, with mountain pines and boulders. This was a welcome change from the surrounding country, as was the lower temperature that comes with higher elevation. It was about 10 °F cooler here than in Kingman when I visited in June. Tent camping is first come first served. I had no problem finding a good spot on a Friday night.

There are two areas to the campground. The front section has paved roads and is mostly cabins with some tent sites mixed in. There are real bathrooms here, though they were in need of a cleaning when I visited. The back section has dirt roads and all tent sites, with a few porta potties. The roads are steep in places, but nicely graded. My front wheel drive passenger car traversed them without difficulty.

It is very quiet and dark here at night. Flashlights are a must, as are water vessels: there are no water spigots in the back section. I also saw what I am 80% sure was a mountain lion crossing the road at night when I was walking to one of the porta potties.

The only real downside I noticed here was the flies. They don't bite, but they buzz around you constantly and can get pretty annoying.