Best Dispersed Camping near Needles, CA

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

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!

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.

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 :)

Havasu BLM is Dispersed camping. Relatively flat, a lot of space to find a spot to park. Surfaces are hard packed generally with gravel base. Only 6 miles from Lake Havasu City makes for a great location. AT&T 4G signal 3 bars more or less. A great spot to lay over, bring your OHV to run around in the hills, or bring your boat and head to the lake!

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.

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?

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.

This is not a campground or a good dispersed camping by any means. This is a 4 corners intersection with the CA fruit inspection station and a Chevron station with $5 plus gas. The barren dirt lot is just that and the sound of semi trucks would be awful as this is also a 4 way stop intersection. Trash is everywhere in the bushes. Great cell signal though!

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 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 BLM road spur is across the hwy to the south from the other 139.0 north BLM dispersed area. However this site has much more open desert pavement fingers to camp on and access roads are better. Good cell and likely OTA tv, but no water, trash, restrooms or designated sites. Free BLM dispersed, 14d limit. This site is close to the boundary of the CRIT reservation lands.

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)

This dispersed camping area which requires a ridiculously inexpensive online permit ($20 per year), was perfect for what we needed. Our closest neighbor was about ¼ mile away, and we had views and sunsets aplenty. There is access to the Lake Havasu, but only by OHV or on foot, we chose the latter. 

The roads in from the highway are rough and rocky, but doable if you take it slow.  Once again our 67 year old vintage camper did great getting to our spot, though we recommend parking and walking the roads before committing to the drive in.

There’s hiking opportunities right out your front door, and nothing but the highway or the lake to stop your progress. The nearby Cattail Cove State Park offers designated hiking trails through the rugged desert terrain. 

Nothing in the way of services, so bring your own...but lots of space to be alone and private.  And, with sun, sun, sun, the California/ Arizona skies are great for solar gathering, so bring out all your panels. Starlink internet worked well too. 

Lake Havasu city is about 15 minutes up the road, and there you can find everything you might need in terms of services and supplies. Check out the world famous London Bridge while you’re there, too!

One of several BLM Spurs to north of Hwy 62 from Vidal Jct to Earp/Parker. This one is marked as the old wagon road. The turnoff is difficult to see in time so be careful for the fast moving semi traffic behind ya. Lots of campsites along the rocky two track dirt road for a mile or so and then ends at the water canal. Free dispersed, no toilets, trash, table, and no Shade!. Parker is nearest town with a Walmart, Safeway, gas, etc. Cell service is very good on all providers. Good views and sunsets. Hwy noise not too bad if you camp up by the canal. Three stars due to slow rocky road access

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;)

I ended up here after the place I had originally intended to stay didn't work out, and I am so glad I did. Yes, the front of this camping area, right off the highway, has a ton of trash. But it doesn't take much driving to get past it, and once you do you end up with a beautiful view of mountains and horizon. The highlight was watching the sun set behind the mountains. 

The campground: The road leading back is dirt and gravel, and it does have some ruts and a few big dips. It was a jarring ride, but ultimately my crossover did fine. Some of the sites do have markers with numbers; I was back near marker #6 where I found a clean, flat gravel space to park for the night. There were only two other campers, both closer to the front, and we were all able to be very spaced out. The noise from the highway was minimal, just an occasional low rumble. I felt pretty comfortable traveling on my own there, but there is very little privacy because everything is so wide open. I think if someone had parked closer to me, I would have felt like everything I was doing was on display and would have been less comfortable. 

The area: This place is right off of highway 95, and your closest gas/food is about 20 miles away (Needles, CA). Needles tends to have pretty pricey gas, so I recommend you have as close to a full tank before you head down or up 95. 

Booking: Primitive camping on public land: no booking, no fee, no assigned spots. 

Cell service: I have Verizon and this is maybe the best cell service I have ever had.

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.