Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Winterhaven, CA has a lot to offer. Winterhaven is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your California camping adventure.
The Mittry Lake Wildlife Area includes about 600 acres of surface water and 2400 acres of marsh or upland. A wide variety of vegetative and wildlife species can be found here, with a scenic backdrop of three mountain ranges. Numerous serpentine waterways connect to the main lake body and make exploring by boat a unique experience. This area is jointly managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Known as "The Friendliest Park" in Yuma, many guests return season after season. At Suni Sands RV Resort , we pride ourselves on a clean park, well-kept facilities, and many activities. Our private walkway to the WalMart Superstore next door makes this RV resort in Yuma popular with residents who arrive without a car or are conserving on gas. Walk, golf cart, or scooter to WalMart for all your shopping needs! Located in town, our RV resort in Yuma is close to theaters, swap meets/flea markets, a new state-of-the-art mall, International Airport, hotels, and many wonderful restaurants. The Mexican border town of Los Algodones is approximately 10 miles from Suni Sands RV Resort. Shop in Mexico for arts & crafts and enjoy the dance, music and culture. We are 3 hours from both Phoenix and San Diego, CA. Quartzite is 90 minutes north, close enough for a day trip during January's "Main Event" and Rock, Gem & Mineral Show. Discover the Friendliest RV resort in Yuma! Whether you're planning a retreat for a group of friends or a getaway for two, there's no shortage of unique activities to explore at Suni Sands RV Resort. Plan activities upon arrival or visit this page before your departure to plan ahead. Looking for more? Our friendly staff can fill you in on all of the great ways to make your stay a memorable experience.
The Mittry Lake Wildlife Area includes about 600 acres of water surface and 2400 acres of marsh or upland. A wide variety of vegetative and wildlife species can be found here, with a scenic backdrop of three mountain ranges. Numerous serpentine waterways connect to main lake body and make exploring by boat a unique experience. This area is jointly managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
125 RV sites, numerous dispersed tent sites, 4 restrooms with flush toilets and showers available for a fee, potable water at central location, trash and gray water disposal, RV dump station nearby at South Mesa, two boat ramps, cartop and trailered, two buoyed swimming areas, picnic tables and BBG grills, day-use and boat trailer parking, pay phones, and hiking trail.
Overview The Imperial Dam Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA) was created in 1983 to fulfill the needs of winter visitors and to protect the local desert ecosystem from overuse. The campground is approximately 3,500 acres in size, flat landscape, sparsely vegetated with plants such as creosote bushes, palo verde trees, ironwood trees, mesquite trees and various species of cacti. Imperial Dam LTVA offers solitude in a unique desert landscape and a variety of recreational opportunities such as hiking, swimming, boating, and fishing. Facilities Two restroom facilities with outdoor showers, trash services, grey water dump sites, black water dump site with water, dance floor and ramadas.
$1 - $15 / night
The area in and around Pilot Knob is rich in both human and natural history. At one time, Patton's troops trained here in preparation for desert fighting in World War II. A State of California Historic Marker lies on the site of Patton's camp. The marker is located just north of Interstate 8 on Sidewinder Road. The Fort Yuma Indian Reservation borders public lands near Pilot Knob. Every year, thousands of visitors come and enjoy the natural beauty and recreational opportunities offered at BLM's Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVAs), where visitors can camp for as long as seven months.
$75 - $180 / night
Located near the center of Yuma, Arizona, Capri RV Resort is an age-qualified RV community that offers a quiet yet active facility year-round. Even during the winter months, Yuma's temperatures are moderate and comfortable. Visitors to this Encore Yuma RV resort will find a very active community that will keep you busy during your stay, with both relaxing or exciting activities to suit your needs. Our staff is always available to assist you. Capri RV Resort is a short distance from Mexico and several casinos. Major stores and delicious dining options at the new Yuma Palms Mall are within easy driving distance of our RV resort in Yuma. There are two movie complexes, as well as the Yuma Arts Center, Farmer's Market downtown and a very busy and entertaining Swap Meet just a short drive away for the bargain hunter. And let us not forget the famous Lettuce Days Festival. Small pets welcome. A quiet yet active year-round Yuma RV resort community Whether you're planning a retreat for a group of friends or a getaway for two, there's no shortage of unique activities to explore at Capri RV Resort. Plan activities upon arrival or visit this page before your departure to plan ahead. Looking for more? Our friendly staff can fill you in on all of the great ways to make your stay a memorable experience.
Ranger
We spent 10 nights here and really enjoyed the experience. There are campsites over several miles, along the road and places in the floodplain of the lake.
We camped near the gate valve station 2. Very quiet at night and almost no visitors. We loved the solitude!
Bathroom is located East of our camp site in a densely packed camping area with little to no privacy. We found the bathrooms only convenient when we drove there.
This is supposed to be a wildlife refuge but we awoke several mornings to gunshots which we presumed were quail hunters. That was confusing.
There were a lot of off road vehicles stiring up dust on the weekends. I got the impression that they were joy-riding. Simple pleasures...
Guide
There is plenty of space for rigs of any size, and a very smooth gravel road into the camping area. Some train noise from tracks about 1/2 mile away. Great for Solar and Starlink(did not test cellular specific but had decent service on my Verizon phone). Did a video review of the area as well as the resources available. You can find that in the videos with this link https://youtu.be/XZRaOBQY7c4
Scout
Free 14 day camping. Very dusty when wind picks up but plenty of places to tent camp or RV. VFW club house on site.
Guide
FREE & SPACIOUSNESS! Lots of places to park without being on top of the neighbors. Closest camper is over 400 yards away. Great views in all directions and only 3.5 miles to Palm Canyon. PC is the ONLY place in AZ where Palm trees are native. Apparently they have been growing in this secluded spot since this whole area was under water. Think of the song "Beach Front Property in Arizona".... Anyway, something cool to see. It's less than 4 miles off AZ-95 on a dirt road followed by a 1/2 mile VERY EASY hike from the parking area.
Guide
Located South of Q Casino on way to boarder crossing. No amenities. Just a great place to park for free. Casino charges $10/nite for exact same amenities.
Guide
One of the best boon docking places yet. 40ft Rv made it in easy
Ranger
Hippie Hole is a fantastic boondocking spot with easy access to the Colorado River and plenty of nearby walking trails. The campground is right next to the Cibola Wildlife Preserve, making it perfect for anyone who loves nature and wildlife.
Getting There: If you’re using Google Maps, I recommend skipping the first suggested right turn into the campground and instead pulling in the other entrance across from Baseline Road. This route is much wider and less steep, making it a safer option—especially for larger rigs.
Planning Ahead: The closest town is Blythe, about 30 minutes north, so stock up before arriving. That said, there’s a little store just down Baseline Road with last-minute essentials. The staff there are incredibly kind; they even gave us some free, fresh lemons during our visit!
The Campground: Technically, there’s a 14-day stay limit, but it’s clear that many campers spend most of the winter here. Vault toilets are available, though they come with their fair share of spider friends. There’s supposed to be weekly trash pickup, but it’s inconsistent, so we packed out as much as we could. If you plan to stay a while, be prepared to manage your own trash.
The Vibe: The relaxed, friendly atmosphere makes this spot stand out. You’ll find a mix of travelers and snowbirds enjoying the simple life here. The easy river access and proximity to wildlife make it ideal for kayaking, fishing, and birdwatching.
Overall, Hippie Hole is a laid-back spot for those seeking a peaceful retreat surrounded by nature. Just plan ahead and pack out your trash to keep this gem clean and enjoyable for everyone!
Ranger
Pilot Knob RV Resort is a solid option for RV travelers, especially those affiliated with Thousand Trails or Encore campgrounds. Overall, I’d give it 4 stars, with the only downside being its remote location. Aside from the Granite Museum and the overpriced gas station at the exit, there’s not much nearby. For most necessities, you’ll need to drive into Yuma, which also involves crossing a time zone.
On the positive side, the amenities at the campground are great and seem recently renovated. The restrooms, game room, and pool area are all clean and well-maintained, and the shuffleboard courts and bocce ball are fun additions. There always seem to be organized events on the calendar, which is nice if you’re into social activities, though we didn’t attend any ourselves.
The RV sites are spacious, especially compared to other Thousand Trails locations. This makes it a great spot for those who RV part-time or full-time and enjoy a bit more room to spread out.
The staff here is incredibly friendly and helpful, and package/mail handling is seamless, which is a bonus for longer stays. The sunsets are absolutely gorgeous, and the nearby Pilot Knob hiking trails and Sand Dunes offer excellent opportunities to explore the outdoors.
Lastly, we enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the nearby casino—it was delicious and convenient, though the casino itself wasn’t our favorite for gambling.
Yuma is about a 20 minute drive.
Traveler
We had a great stay, enjoyed the atmosphere, delicious food and excellent beers. The live music in the weekend is a plus. We had an opportunity to see the beer brewer in action, and highly recommend their date beer. We also checked out the date farm; impressive. Camp spot is on the parking area, no hookups. Evenings and nights were quiet under the stars.
Traveler
This an excellent place for a stopover especially if you are heading south through the algodones border crossing. Although you can hear traffic it’s not intrusive. 5 minutes east of the 95 just north of the border patrol check point. It’s dispersed camping, flat, no shade. It has nice views of the surrounding mountains. The one thing to be on the lookout for is the tiny red cactus that is abundant.
Guide
We loved the spot so very much!! We will be back every winter
Scout
It was a nice place very clean and very quiet.
Guide
Traveling down Black Mountain road for about 2miles of wash boards before turning down the camping road.
All the sites were empty as it was almost 100degrees outside and nothing for shade of a creature larger than a bird could find. But here we found quiet solitude and a cooler evening, perhaps the winds helped.
If you have furry friends keep a watch for their paws, there’s small cacti/pokeys scattered about.
Lovely sunrise and sunset 360 views.
Good Verizon service!
Scout
Big rig friendly - lots of space to spread out. Nice areas to hike and climb. Can get rather windy and there is some smelly smoke at times from Mexico area. Can drive to Mexico for various doctor/dentist/etc. Easy drive to Yuma as well. Great deal for the winter! Present when the 'scary' situation occurred in March as noted by someone else. Involved 2 parties with dogs loose. We did not and do not feel unsafe at all here.
Scout
Most certainly a relaxing place. Lots of birds. Quite except for the store fridge compressor that ran and ran. Hosts are friendly. We were the only ones there. Expect to dry camp. There are no power hookups. The campground does have a central RV dump station, so you can dump before you hit the road. There are water hose hookups, but I would not introduce this water into your RV. It is brownish and not well treated. It is basically river water from a shallow well that ran through a sediment filter. You can wash dishes with it outside using a basin, but that's about it. I will say the community showers are great. Hot water and seemingly the same water at the sites but somehow seems clear. Anyway showers are great. Oh, one more thing, we choose a site sort of close to the store and showers. Well the store has a noisy compressor that runs pretty much 24 hours a day. Seemingly never cycles on and off. Very annoying.
Traveler
We stayed just one night while traveling through. It's about 1/4 mile from a Walmart with a few other RV parks around it. The Staff was friendly and helpful. We were able to make a reservation over the phone. We had full hook-ups (both 30 & 50 amps were available). It's a small RV camp with spaces, a pool, and a building with bathrooms (very clean), showers (use quarters), and several washers and dryers that cost $1.25 & $1 respectively. Wifi was on slower side but sufficient to stream TV shows. We paid $45.
ScoutPulled in for a night, and stayed 3. Clean camp, showers with great pressure and plenty of hot water. Stayed on the river with great access for swimming and fishing. Very quiet this time of year, also great access to BLM lands for Off road, etc, disperse camping is an option. Hosts were great.
Guide
Apparently they have done lots of updating and things are looking better. They clearly have put some money into the place but staff is not taking care of it good enough. Bathrooms are new but are not cleaned well. New tile is stained already. Staff told us we had to buy a washcard, they just didn't know you can use that app only and recommended us drive down the road so we didn't have to buy a $10 card. The dryers count down weather you have the door open or closed. Pools are great and are popular. Lots of spaces available. In March. Mix match of mini homes and RVs. Pretty big place. They parked just near the entrance and it was very noisy with the freeway. If you can get in the back I'm sure it is much better. We also had a very strange sulfur smell at night, almost suffocating. It happened twice?
ScoutI had a very bad scary experience here. The camphost wasn't available at 4 pm to help w a man behaving erratically, threatening my life & others.
TravelerIt's quiet, very few people here and plenty of places to choose from.
Scout
It was lovely. We were lakeside and able to fish daily. Wish we’d had a kayak. Only had 4 days there. Wanted 14! A lot of hiking trails! Sometimes I felt I was on another planet. (That’s why we travel:) The weather just got better and better but we had to cut it short. See you next year!
TravelerLots of nice flight that spots very nice view
Scout
No overnight camping allowed
Guide
We loved this spot. FREE Dispersed camping is located just past power lines behind the actual hot springs. To stay at the LTVA you must have self contained trailer, van, rv…we didn’t know this. It worked out better-FREE camping and just a lil over an ¼ mile to the springs. It is well maintained by camp host Bill. Vault toilets, with TP & bonus there is great food at The Holtville Taco Shop 7 miles from springs. The Del Sol market has great marinated chicken for the BBQ and the tortillas are best outside of Mexico I have found. We will be back as the sunsets are too good not to experience over and over again…cold at night this time of year…
LegendGreat spot on the river. Private spots or group. Vault toilet and trash. Fantastic sunsets.
Guide
I was looking forward to this campground and booked five nights. There are some really nice amenities and pools. There is a golf course on site and my husband played. We left early because we felt isolated in our camp location and felt like we were not as welcome as shorter timers. Office staff cold and overcharged us.
RangerIt state trust land. You need a permit, which is available online and I believe the image of the receipt on your phone or laptop would suffice. Should anyone check, which I have never seen. This is at least my second stay here. Nothing exciting but it is right off of I eight, which is not audible right now over the noise from apparently someone's generator. Haven't heard any yapping dogs or idiot kids running around with a parents bearing their asses off but this is my kind of place.
Camping near Winterhaven, California, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and unique experiences. Whether you're into RVing or tent camping, there are plenty of spots to explore.
Camping near Winterhaven, California, has something for everyone, whether you're looking for adventure or relaxation. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Winterhaven, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Winterhaven, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 119 campgrounds and RV parks near Winterhaven, CA and 27 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Winterhaven, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Winterhaven, CA is Mittry Lake Wildlife Area with a 4.4-star rating from 14 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Winterhaven, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 27 free dispersed camping spots near Winterhaven, CA.
What parks are near Winterhaven, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 2 parks near Winterhaven, CA that allow camping, notably Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Cleveland National Forest.
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