Free Camping in Arizona
Arizona is undoubtedly one of the most popular winter RVing destinations and for good reason. There is so much free camping in Arizona and it’s such a pleasure to bask in the warmth of the sun knowing back at home it’s cold and wet or even snowy. Over the years I’ve spent a significant amount of time in Arizona. The map below shows where I’ve camped during my visits. I’ll provide links to those places in this post. Free camping in Arizona is one of my absolute favorites and I think you’ll love it too.

Elevation and Location
A lot of Arizona is very high in elevation which means cold temperatures and winter weather during the busy snowbird season. However, these high elevation areas are perfect for spring and fall when it’s too hot in the lower elevations.

The most popular areas for free camping in Arizona for enjoying the sunshine and mild temperatures during the winter are the areas shown in green and very light tan on the map above. Even those areas can drop well below freezing during winter nights. This area includes Gila Bend, Quartzsite, Tucson, Yuma, Phoenix, Mesa, Lake Havasu City, Surprise, Gilbert, and Peoria.
You can winter in a place as busy or as remote as you like. The Phoenix/Mesa area is densely populated but also has everything you might want in the way of shopping and restaurants, medical care, and nightlife. The RV parks in these areas tend to be gigantic with hundreds of sites. Of course, there are exceptions. Keep in mind, that there is much less public land for free camping in Arizona, due to the population.
In comparison, the southwest corner of the state is vast and many parts are sparsely populated. As with any popular destination, there are a lot of RV parks in the areas surrounding towns. There is also an enormous amount of public land offering free camping in Arizona.
Southern Arizona
Of course, the warmest, and one of the most popular places to spend the winter is the southwest corner of Arizona. With its proximity to Mexico, many snowbirds take advantage of inexpensive vision and dental care opportunities across the border. The difference in the prices we pay here in the US and the prices paid south of the border is staggering. It’s no reason people take advantage of that opportunity. This area also offers a tremendous amount of BLM land offering free camping in Arizona.
The cities and towns are limited but Yuma, Quartzsite, Gila Bend, Why, are all tucked into the southwest corner. Southcentral Arizona is home to Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, and Peoria. Just to name a few. It’s a manageable day trip from the Quartzsite area to Phoenix and surrounding areas.
The southeast part of the state is home to Tucson, Sierra Vista, Tombstone, Saint David, Benson, and Bisby. Elevations in this area are higher, between 1,500 and 4,500 feet above sea level. Higher elevations mean lower temperatures. I spent part of February and March in the Tucson area and routinely had overnight temperatures in the teens and twenties. Daytime temps were usually in the 60s or 70s.
Southern Arizona Long-Term Visitor Areas (LTVA)
Arizona and California have Long-Term Visitor Areas (LTVA) on BLM land. In designated LTVAs you can camp for as long as 7 months for one fee. The dates covered by the permit are September 15th to April 15 the following year. You can also move from one LTVA location to another at no additional cost. Some have water and/or a dump station but all have trash service. Some also have restrooms. Other than those amenities, this is primitive camping. The map below shows the LTVA locations in Arizona and California.
Short Term Camping on BLM Land In Southern Arizona
There are so many short-term camping options on BLM land in Arizona. Short term means 14-days or less unless otherwise posted. There may be areas where the limit is fewer than 14-days so always check. The rule is after you have reached the limit you must move outside a 25-mile radius of your current site. With so much BLM land at your disposal, that’s easy to do.
Campers who wish to stay in the desert outside of an LTVA
From the BLM LTVA Brochure
may camp in one location on undeveloped public lands for
up to 14 days in any 28-day period at no charge unless
otherwise posted. After 14 days, short-term campers must
move to a new site outside of a 25-mile radius of their
original campsite. Short-term camping in the Quartzite area
is limited, but there are five designated camping areas.
Things to do in Southern Arizona
- Saguaro National Park – Tuscon
- Mission San Xavier Del Bac – Just south of Tucson
- Fort Bowie National Historic Site – Bowie
- Kitt Peak National Observatory– 1 1/4 hours west of Tucson
- Kartchner Caverns State Park – Benson
- Ramsey Canyon Preserve – Sierra Vista
- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – Tucson
- Tombstone
- Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument – South of Gila Bend
- Visit the Town of Bisbee
- Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park – Yuma
- So Many Great Hikes
Places I’ve Camped in Southern Arizona With Links to Related Blog Posts
Whether you choose to camp in a full-service campground, LTVA, or on short-term BLM land, the choices are plentiful. Here are some of the places where I have camped in Southern Arizona.
- Vicksburg Dispersed BLM, Salome, Arizona, March 2021
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- Free Camping at Vicksburg Dispersed Near Salome, Arizona
- Tow Vehicle Problems in A Remote Location
- My Stay At Ramblin Roads RV Resort
- The Lake At Saint David RV Park, Saint David, Arizona, February and March 2021 (website not found)
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- An Abandoned Campground Being Brought Back To Life
- Living and Working On The Road
- How to Keep Packrats From Invading Your RV
- Vee Quiva Casino, Laveen, Arizona, February 2021
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- Free Casino Camping – Morongo Casino, Cabazon, California
- Picacho Tucson NW KOA, Picacho, Arizona, March 2019
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- Pandemic Flight and Home Again
- Needle Mountain Road, Topock, Arizona, December 2020
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- Too Rough, Too Dusty, and Just Right
- Craggy Wash BLM, Lake Havasu City, Arizona December 2020
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- Lake Havasu City, Arizona Free Camping Guide
- Roadrunner BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, November 2020
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- Quartzsite Arizona in the Year of the Pandemic
- Quartzsite Boondocking, Roadrunner BLM
- Goodbye Quartzsite, We’ll Be Back
- Snyder Hill BLM Near Tucson, November 2020
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- Free Dry Camping Near Tucson
- Casino Del Sol, Tucson, November 2020
- Hackle Road BLM, November 2020
- Indian Bread Rocks BLM, November 2020
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- Arizona Boondocking, Indian Bread Rocks, or Hackle Road BLM?
- The RV Park at Pima County Fairgrounds, March 2019
- Sonoran Desert RV Park, March 2019
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- Exploring Gila Bend and Tucson
- CT RV Resort, Benson, Arizona, March-May 2015
Central and North Arizona
The terrain in Arizona changes dramatically as you approach central and north Arizona. This is called the Colorado Plateau with elevations ranging from 5,000 to 8,000 feet. The Colorado Plateau is also called Red Rock Country and the views are stunning.
Things to Do In Central and North Arizona
- Stand on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona
- Grand Canyon National Park – Northwest Arizona
- Visit the Meteor Crater – Northeast Arizona
- Visit Sedona
- Monument Valley – Also in Utah
- Lake Powell – North Central Arizona
- Antelope Canyon – Limited Entry
- Horseshoe Bend – Glen Canyon Recreation Area
- Visit Jerome – Near Sedona
- Petrified Forest National Park – Northeast Arizona
- Walnut Canyon – Flagstaff
- Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride in Sedona
- Follow Verde Valley Wine Trail – South of Sedona
- Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Drive – Near Sedona
Places I’ve Camped in Central and North Arizona With Links to Related Blog Posts
- Kaibab Paiute Band Tribal Campground, Fredonia, Arizona, April 2021
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- How I Saved Money By Getting a Full Hookup Site
- Soap Creek Dispersed BLM, Marble Canyon, Arizona, April 2021
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- Marble Canyon, Arizona – Free Dispersed Camping
- Page, Arizona Walmart Parking Lot, April 2021
- Sedona, Arizona, Coconino National Forest FR 525 or Main Drag, April 2021
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- Boondocking Near Beautiful Sedona
- What You Need to Know About Boondocking Near Sedona
- Meteor Crater RV Park, Winslow, Arizona, April 2019 and May 2019
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- Winslow, Arizona, and Heading For Home
- Standing On The Corner, A Medior Crater, And Route 66
With so much free camping in Arizona combined with the weather, no wonder it’s a mecca for snowbirds every winter.
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