Polly and I check out an old ore shoot in the hills by our boondocking spot
A huge, easy lesser-known boondocking area with tons of interesting mining history ~14 miles west of Yuma, AZ on the CA side of the AZ/CA border.
Location: Ogilby Road, CA, S34 (no official info on the web, but there’s a very crude map of Yuma BLM areas HERE)
Coordinates: Approx. 32.817215N,-114.837856W (= SW corner of boondocking area). Link to map location HERE
Cost: FREE (2 week stay limit)
How We Found It: We asked around about Yuma boondocking sites on the RV forums and this was one of the options given. It seems to be one of the lesser-known areas with no “official” info (that I could find) on the web so it took a bit of “digging” to get to.
Nearest Dump/Water: There is water, propane and dump at the Shell Station at 611 Sidewinder Rd directly off I-8 a just few miles east of Ogilby Road.
- Access – 4.5/5
Very easy access for any sized-rig here although as usual a little extra effort is needed to access the best spots.
Directions -> From Yuma, AZ take I-8 west ~14 miles to Ogilby Road (S34, Exit 159) and turn right to go north. Drive approx. 5 miles on Ogilby Road (easy, paved road) until you cross some railroad tracks. Immediately after the tracks there will be 2 wide, flat, firm dirt roads going off to your right. The first is Sidewinder and this is where the majority of rigs seem to boondock. The second is American Girl Mine and seems to be lesser used.
Boondocking Spots -> BLM land surrounds both of the dirt roads going back multiple miles and you will see “14-day camping” signs all around. For easy boondocking simply drive down either dirt road and pick a spot close-by. For more scenic spots drive several miles back towards the hills and take anyone of the many ”dirt spurs” off the main road. Towards the very back the dirt roads can get washed out, narrower and bumpy so scope out these areas before bringing in a big-rig. - Nature – 4.5/5
It’s all nature out here, but might be considered a bit “barren” for some. This is dry, scrub-like desert. The boondocking area is mostly flat-land with large barren spots, some shrubs here and there, a few smaller trees and some ocotillo cacti. The hills towards the back are rocky mining areas. Lots of interesting browns, minerals & texture, but not alot of wildlife or green. - Isolation – 4.5/5
Very good isolation with only one (very minor) ding. This is a huge area and seems lesser-used so if you’re willing to drive around and explore you can certainly find a spot to yourself. Only very minor ding is there can be some noise from the railroad tracks depending on where you park. - Pet Friendliness – 5/5
Another great pet spot. You have days-worth of hiking and exploring in the surrounding hills, plus lots of space to hang out in camp. Also this is “scrub” desert so not alot of cactus around which is a big positive for paws on the ground.
Overall Rating = 4.6
Summary: This area seems to be one of the lesser-known boondocking spots around Yuma and took a bit of “digging” to find. It’s a large, flat easily accessed spot ~14 miles West of Yuma and ~5 miles North of I-8 on Ogilby Road. Once you get to the area 2 wide, flat dirt roads take you back across several miles of open, flat boondocking landscape. We chose American Girl Mine Rd and drove as far back as we could towards the hills finding a lovely and quiet spot by ourselves, but you can choose to be closer to other rigs too. Most of the area is very flat, firm/rocky and fairly barren, but the hills are a fascinating place to explore esp. if you take the time to discover the old mines. Lots to do and see in the surrounding area. We had a most relaxing time here and would certainly come back.
Extra Info: No water or facilities (nearest dump/water at the Shell Station exit 164 off I-8). Good Verizon 3G signal.
Extra, Extra Info – OTHER BOONDOCKING? There is actually a ton of other boondocking around Yuma.
- LVTA SITES - For long-term stays there are four official LVTA BLM sites at Imperial Dam, Pilot Knob, Tamarisk and Holtville Hot Springs (LVTA fees apply at all sites). See more HERE.
- FREE (14-day limit) SITES - These are a little harder to find with less “official” info available on the web, but here are a few that I’ve discovered:
- Mittry Lake - This is ~18 miles NE of Yuma and can (apparently) accommodate any sized-rig. More info HERE
- Pilot Knob – Aprox. 1 mile west of Pilot Knob LVTA there is apparently a separate free 14-day stay area.
- KOFA National Wildlife Refuge – North of Yuma on the 95 (towards Quartzite). More info HERE.
View of our spot back by the hills on one of the “dirt spurs” off American Girl Mine
View of a “site” along American Girl Mine. You’ll find people have built home-made fire-rings all over the place.
Another nice “site” view by the back hills
View of the wide flat-land to the right side of our boondocking site
“Aerial” view of our boondocking area off American Girl Mine Rd as seen from the hills in front of our RV. Not alot of folks out here.
“Aerial” view towards the rigs boondocking near Sidewinder Road. Again, taken from the hills in front of our RV. This seemed to be a more popular spot.
View of one of the many “dirt spurs” leading off American Girl Mine. As long as you see this 14-day camping sign you’ll know you’re still on free boondocking BLM land.
“The beast” driving on American Girl Mine Road. This is a firm, wide dirt road.
Very approx. map of Ogilby Rd free boondocking area. I-8 is at the bottom and the railroad tracks are in red.
