Fishing, floating, and kayaking pull campers to BLM Oxbow Campground on the Colorado River near Palo Verde, Arizona. Sites cluster along the riverbank, with a handful positioned on Oxbow Lake, which stretches roughly 2.5 miles and supports waterfowl including coots, cormorants, and great egrets. Anglers can fish from shore, though the river's current means casting practice is often more productive than catching. Paddlers with two vehicles have run multi-car float trips down the river, shuttling back upstream afterward. The Oxbow Recreation Area sits just west of the campground, and the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge is also nearby.
The campground has picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilets, and a dumpster, but no water and no RV dump station. Bring everything you need. The vault toilets have drawn complaints about condition and odor, so some campers arrive with their own sanitation setups. The dirt access roads can be rough, running slow for low-clearance vehicles towing trailers. Military aircraft fly over at low altitude most evenings around 5 or 6 p.m., which can be startling at first. Cell service is listed as available.
Fees run $15 per vehicle per night, with a 50 percent discount for federal pass holders. The 14-day limit applies. A camp host is on-site and reviewers consistently note the host's attentiveness and the cleanliness of the facilities under their watch. Groceries are available in Blythe, California. For campers looking at campgrounds around BLM Land — Yuma Field Office, this site works best for self-sufficient RVers and tent campers who prioritize direct water access over developed amenities.
Description
Oxbow Recreation and Wildlife Area provides RV and tent camping sites, a boat launch, and a day use area on old river channel (oxbow) of the Colorado River. The site is heavily used on summer and holiday weekends, and is popular with winter visitors.
RV Road Trip Guides
Map & DirectionsBLM Oxbow Campground is located in Arizona near Cibola
Directions
The site is located approximately 23 miles south of Blythe, CA and 68 miles northwest of Yuma, AZ. From I-10: Exit at Neighbours Blvd. /CA-78 in Blythe, California, heading south on Highway 78. From I-8: Exit north on Ogilby Rd. Turn right on Highway 78 heading north. The site is approximately 3 miles south of Palo Verde, California, at Colorado River mile 100. Turn east onto the gravel road at sign marked "Colorado River." Oxbow is ? mile east of Highway 78.
Coordinates
33.38769823 N
114.71199827 W
Connectivity
T-MobileNo CoverageVerified by 3 usersLast on 6/29/26
VerizonLTESome CoverageVerified by 5 usersLast on 6/29/26- AT&TLTESome CoverageVerified by 1 userLast on 2/17/26
Connectivity
- T-MobileNo CoverageVerified by 3 usersLast on 6/29/26
- VerizonLTESome CoverageVerified by 5 usersLast on 6/29/26
- AT&TLTESome CoverageVerified by 1 userLast on 2/17/26
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
Features
For Campers
- ADA Access
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Phone Service
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Big Rig Friendly
Drive Time
- 1 hr 10 min from Yuma, AZ
- 1 hr 13 min from El Centro, CA
- 1 hr 59 min from Lake Havasu City, AZ
- 2 hrs 30 min from San Diego, CA
