Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR

  As a US congressman from California, Sonny Bono fought for funding to save the Salton Sea which suffers from water depletion, pollution, and too much salinity. The refuge was established in 1930 as a breeding ground for birds and wild animals, and renamed to honor Bono after he died in a skiing accident in 1998.  Over 400 bird species, 41 species of mammals, 18 species of reptiles, 4 species of amphibians, and 15 species of fish have been recorded on the refuge.

  The refuge features a visitor center, an observation tower, and a trail that climbs to the top of a small inactive volcano – two miles out and back.

   The visitor center was closed during our visit due to coronavirus. Native bushes and tree along with a small pool and a bird feeder attract many common birds to the grounds around the center. A visitor kindly pointed out the nesting spot of a barn owl almost hidden in a palm tree. Very cool!

  The rest of the refuge is not wheelchair accessible. The observation tower has a long ADA compliant ramp but railing blocks the view from the top deck and a view of the sky is all that can be seen by looking through the viewing scope. The trail is flat for a short distance then climbs up a steep hill to elevated trail that goes to the base of the volcano. The trail to the top of the volcano is very steep, narrow, and rocky.

    

  The roads to the refuge are paved and suitable for any RV. The refuge parking lot is small. Since it wasn’t busy when we visited we fit by parking across the spaces.  During busier times RVs and buses can be parked in a  dirt lot on the opposite side of the street. The lot may not be large enough to easily turn around.   Refuge  33.17687, -115.61565

Holtville Hot Springs Boondocking

  Silty soil and gravel bars deposited along the long gone shore of prehistoric Lake Cahuilla makes finding a solid, flat camping spot a little challenging. This time (our third try) we did find a good spot. I’m not sure if it’s completely legal but we walked/rolled most of the surrounding roads and didn’t find any nearby signs prohibiting camping.

  The land north and south of I-8 is designated Long Term Visitor Area by the BLM which means free camping doesn’t start until a mile past the LTVA boundary. A sign along Holdridge Road marks the LTVA boundary and another sign marks the start of 14 day free camping. We camped outside the LTVA boundary and a mile away by roadways but we may have been in the mile buffer zone.

  Conditions of the network of roads on the south side of I-8 vary. Many get sloppy when wet, some dead end, and others became impassible due to the loose soil. Holdridge Road is wide and hard packed so it’s the best route to take. The road along the canal is good too but there are a few narrow section where the reeds hang over the road.

 

  North of I-8 is the most popular area for people with a LTVA pass because of the easy access to the hot spring. We expected the hot spring (closed due to coronavirus) to be larger than it is – just three small soaking tubs and a pond signed “No Swimming”. A recent brush fire burnt all of the vegetation including the large palm trees that circle the pond. Fortunately even though the trunks are badly scorched the trees look like they’ll survive.

  The hard packed soil where we camped makes rolling around fairly easy.  Walking/rolling along the canal road is nice but there are a few spots where the soil is loose. Boondock   32.74823, -115.27085

Pilot Knob Boondocking

  Long Term Visitor Area camping is less than 1/2 mile south of the I-8 but since we don’t have a pass we drove west on the power line road to the 14 day camping. The road is in good condition. Signs mark the no-camping areas and the 14 day areas which must be at least one mile past the LTVA. The signs are faded so look carefully and park on the gravel area, not in the washes.

  This a barren area but good for an overnight stop or for quick access to Algodones, Mexico which is about 6 miles southeast.  Pilot Knob  32.74319, -114.77751

Palo Verde Park

   This county park appears to have been abandoned. We stayed here years ago and at that time there was a host and a nightly fee. Amenities included restrooms, a dump station and a dumpster. Now the restrooms are closed and the dump station and dumpster are gone. The sites and shoreline are overgrown. No fee.

  It’s still okay to camp here but it’s not nice enough for a long stay. The sites are all along a single road that loops off of Route 78. The road gets muddy in the rainy season. The entrance and exit at the loop ends are in good shape but do not use the middle entrance. It has a large drop off that is hard to spot. Expect highway noise from early morning to late evening.   Park  33.39862, -114.7241

 

American Girl Mine

Still in the desert!  We went from Quartzsite to Ajo, then back to Quartzsite, and now we’re about 20 miles west of Yuma camping on BLM land at American Girl Mine. Everyone in our little group has been following the recommended safety precautions since last spring so we can relax a little around each other.

The BLM land stretches for miles in all directions with a few privately owned plots, including the American Girl Mine, the site of a gold discovery in 1892.  Just about every method of mining gold has been tried here – placer mining, underground, open pit, and leaching of the waste piles. There’s still a little mining activity evidenced by the occasional loaded ore truck that rumbles down the main road.

  The ground is flat and hard packed so all you have to do is find a path and drive until you like the view. American Girl Mine  32.8356, -114.81039

RTR 2020

  Large in-person gatherings are impossible due to coronavirus so the RTR and WRT are online this year. Two seminars on a variety of subjects will be presented each day from Jan 14 to Jan 20. The first five days represent the RTR and the last two are the WRTR. Men are welcome to attend the WRTR sessions but cannot comment.  YouTube Videos

 

Staying Safe

  Until the vaccine has been given to almost everyone we’ll be following the guidelines that have kept us healthy so far. That means staying semi-isolated in southern Arizona until the weather warms up enough to move north to Nevada – basically a repeat of last winter and spring so I probably won’t be posting often. We’re grateful for the beautiful sunsets, the nice weather, and our many nomadic friends who share camping spots but we’re really anxious for things to get back to some form of normalcy. Stay safe everyone!

Katherine Landing Campgrounds

There are two campgrounds, North and South, for a total of 170 sites. We camped at South which is the larger one although most of the loops are closed this late in the year. Amenities include tables, fire rings, restrooms, and a dump station. Judging by the large parking lots for boaters and the size of the marina it looks like this is a busy place in the summer. Private RV parks and a motel are located nearby.

The sites in both campgrounds have paved parking pads that are fairly short so campers with long RVs may have trouble fitting into them. Most of the sites are sloped and leveling may be necessary. Two sites close to the restrooms are designated as accessible but, with the exception of the very sloped ones, most are usable. Campgrounds 35.22281, -114.55732

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

  Water that entered the groundwater system thousands of years ago bubbles to the surface in thirty seeps and springs to create a wetland of over 23,000 acres. The refuge has been protected since 1984 but it was almost destroyed in the 1960s and 70s when a portion of land was drained and mined for peat; additional land was drained for hay and alfalfa farms; and plans were drawn up for a housing development. None of these activities and plans were sustainable for long – there is just not enough water.

   

The refuge has a visitor center (closed due to conronavirus), three short boardwalk trails, and five roads that are closed to traffic but open for hiking. The best times to see wildlife and unique plants are in spring and fall. Since we visited in the winter the wildlife was scarce but the refuge was still very enjoyable.

 

 

 The visitor center appears to be accessible. All of the boardwalk trails are accessible. The closed roads at Crystal Reservoir and Rodger Spring are accessible with assistance. The Devils Hole area is not accessible due to rocky ground and steep, narrow trails.

 

The main roads are suitable for any vehicle but all of them are horrible washboard. The other roads get sloppy when it rains and have ruts. Parking is limited at Peterson Reservoir and DeviIs Hole. I recommend driving in one entrance and out the other to avoid having to go back over the same territory. We came in at the south entrance, saw the sights at that end of the refuge, then boondocked on BLM land outside of the refuge and saw the sites near the west entrance over the next two days.  Refuge  36.42376, -116.32818

 

Update 2026 - The visitor center is open again. It's small but informative and there's a short film. We also went to Longstreet Cabin and Spring. The spring trail is not accessible. 

Roads in 2020 - no better in 2026

Snowbird Mesa

Also know as Poverty Flats. Ownership of the piece of land is in question. It’s not BLM land as many people assume. It may be Bureau of Reclamation due to it’s proximity to Lake Mead but the most realist possibility is that it’s private land owned by the Simplot Company which has a silica plant a few miles north. As long as the campers don’t cause any problems Simplot welcomes them to stay. Some people stay for several months in the winter.

  There are two separate areas. One is up on the mesa with sweeping views of the highway, mountains, and the town of Overton. The other is a large flat area that looks like the preferred spot for people with long RVs but the slight hill to the mesa top should be doable with most RVs. This place is huge and I can’t imagine that it ever gets to the point of feeling crowded. Snowbird Mesa   36.48502, -114.44556