• About Us
  • US Maps
  • US Camping
    • CAMPING MAP
    • MT
    • AL
    • NC
    • AZ
    • ND
    • CA
    • NE
    • CO
    • NJ
    • FL
    • NM
    • GA
    • NV
    • IA
    • NY
    • ID
    • OR
    • IL
    • PA
    • KY
    • SC
    • LA
    • SD
    • MA
    • TN
    • MD
    • TX
    • ME
    • UT
    • MI
    • VA
    • MN
    • WA
    • MO
    • WY
  • US Travel Tales
    • Travel Map
    • MO
    • AL
    • NC
    • AZ
    • ND
    • CA
    • NE
    • CO
    • NM
    • FL
    • NV
    • GA
    • NY
    • IA
    • OR
    • ID
    • PA
    • IL
    • SC
    • KY
    • SD
    • LA
    • TN
    • MA
    • TX
    • MD
    • UT
    • ME
    • VA
    • MI
    • WA
    • MN
    • WY
  • Boondocking
    • Boondocking How To
    • Boondocking Sites
  • US RVing Tips
    • Overview (All Topics)
    • RVing With Pets
    • RV Lifestyle Tips
    • Volunteering & Hosting
    • Solar Power
    • Health Care
    • RV Mods & Upgrades
    • US Blog Links & Resources

Wheeling It: Tales From a Nomadic Life

On the Road Since 2010, Traveling Across USA & Europe With Pets

  • Europe Tips
  • Europe Travel Maps
  • Europe Travel Tales
    • Denmark
    • Spain
    • France
    • Sweden
    • Germany
    • UK
    • Portugal
  • Europe Blog Links & Resources
  • Privacy Policy

Boondocking Site Review – Ogilby Road, Imperial County/Yuma, CA/AZ

December 14, 2011 by libertatemamo 39 Comments

Polly and I check out an old ore shoot in the hills by our boondocking spot

A huge boondocking area with tons of interesting mining history ~14 miles west of Yuma, AZ on the CA side of the AZ/CA border.

Note/ Review updated as of last stay Jan, 2015

Location: Ogilby Road, CA, S34 (no specific info on the web, but you can download a detailed PDF BLM map of the area 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 specific info (that I could find) on the web so it took a bit of “digging” to get to.
Nearest Dump/Water: Nearest propane and dump is at the Chevron Station at 611 Sidewinder Rd directly off I-8 a just few miles east of Ogilby Road, however it is expensive ($20 for dump only!). Cheaper dump is either Gold Rock Ranch RV Park (just up the road on Ogilby) that only charges $15 for water PLUS dump. Alternatively the Loves station in Yuma has a dump and only charges $10 (no water though).

  1. 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 the second is American Girl Mine. Both are good boondocking options. Also almost everything on East side of Ogilby from the train tracks northwards is BLM so there are additional dirt roads north of these two options if you want more choice.
    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.
  2. Nature – 4.5/5
    It’s all nature out here, but might be considered a too “barren” for some. This is dry, scrub-like, rocky desert. The boondocking area is mostly flat-land with large barren spots, some select 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.
  3. Isolation – 4.5/5
    Very good isolation with only only a few dings. 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. One minor ding is there can be some noise from the railroad tracks depending on where you park. The second (more significant) ding is that American Girl Mine is now an “active” gold-mining operation (since 2013) and gets ALOT of truck traffic all day to/from the mine, so if you don’t want to hear the truck traffic and/or experience the dust make sure you park a good jump away from the road.
  4. 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 doggies. The rocky ground, especially back by the hills can be rough on paws so give your pet paws time to acclimatize/harden if you’re out hiking in the area.

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. There are also additional boondocking areas north of this spot (the entire East side of Ogilby Rd north of the railroad tracks is BLM). We 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. Be aware that the railroad does travel through the area (so, you will hear trains every now and then, especially close to the rail tracks), plus American Girl is an active mining operation with lots of trucks travelling back/forth along the road (so, park well away from the road to avoid the traffic noise & dust). 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 and fabulous ghost towns. Lots to do and see (click HERE and HERE), plus you are close to Los Algodonoes, Mexico for dentistry. We always have a most relaxing time here and come back on a regular basis.

Extra Info: No water or facilities. Excellent cellphone/data signal -> both Verizon LTE and AT&T LTE at 4 bars unboosted.

Extra, Extra Info – OTHER BOONDOCKING? There is actually a ton of other boondocking around Yuma.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
    – Tumco/Hedges Ghost Town – Just a few extra miles north on Ogilby Road. This is an official BLM area so you can boondock right on-site! More info HERE.
View of our spot back by the hills on one of the “dirt spurs”
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 site
“Aerial” view of our boondocking area 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.
View of one of the many “dirt spurs” leading off American Girl Mine & Sidewinder Road. 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.

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

« ‘Tis The Season For RV Gifting! -> My Top 5 RV Gifts for 2011
Getting Into the Christmas Spirit…And a Few Exciting Repairs »

We LOooVE Comments, So Please Do

  1. Terry Sarter says

    December 14, 2011 at 3:28 pm

    Hi Paul And Nina, I would like to thank you for the great description of the American Girl mine area. I’m a rock and mineral collecter and will be travelling from Ajo (Darby Wells BLM) to Anza Borrego. So will spend a couple of nights where you were camping checking out the mines. Right now I am still in Canada and won’t be heading for Arizona until the beginning of Jan. Like you, I love boondocking. Take care. Terry Sarter

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 14, 2011 at 6:32 pm

      Terry,
      Oh you will LOVE the area. There are so many mines around there with tons of interesting stuff to discover. If you didn’t catch the link in my last post check out this map CLICKY -> just zoom out to see the other mines in the area. Enjoy!
      Nina

      Reply
  2. Yair says

    December 14, 2011 at 3:45 pm

    Before we visited Yuma last year I looked into boondocking spots and found Ogilby Road. We had plans to visit Algodones (Mexico), however, so we ended up parking at a casino around 2 miles from the border. It’s certainly less scenic, but is another option for people heading to Mexico.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 14, 2011 at 6:33 pm

      Good tip Yair! I’d heard about the Casino from some other folks, but didn’t know exactly where it was.
      Nina

      Reply
  3. Sherry says

    December 14, 2011 at 3:58 pm

    Great information. Thanks so much!

    Reply
  4. Susan Thomson says

    December 15, 2011 at 4:54 am

    Being a first time boondocker and also having concerns about it, you have been such a wealth of information. You have also been a great confidence builder for me even with my husbands disability as we travel…we will just have to make more adjustments now than we would have under normal circumstances. Thank you so very much for all you do to help us RV’ers.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 15, 2011 at 9:04 am

      So happy it’s helpful. We were first-timers too once 🙂
      Nina

      Reply
  5. Denise Murrin says

    December 15, 2011 at 8:19 pm

    WOW, That is really an impressive and detailed review. Such a great source of information for others. Thank you !

    Reply
  6. Jim Mellema says

    December 20, 2011 at 8:25 pm

    That’s just amazing. Someday I’ll spend a week somewhere that no where!

    Reply
  7. don says

    February 3, 2012 at 9:41 pm

    just north of your boondocking area is http://www.goldrockranch.us/

    go 3 miles north on Ogilby rd to gold rock ranch road then left (heading west) 1.25 miles to the campgrounds. water and dump available $15.00.
    or pay the $20.00 and spend the night, mention Passport America.

    Don

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      February 4, 2012 at 2:00 pm

      Don,
      Fabulous! Thanks so much for adding that info to the blog. Good to know.
      Nina

      Reply
  8. Dave'n'Kim says

    February 8, 2015 at 1:52 pm

    RIP-OFF ALERT! The Shell station at 611 Sidewinder Rd is now Chevron, had no price signs up (1Feb15), charged $1/gal more than elsewhere for diesel, and a staggering $20 to use the dump! They also wouldn’t give any receipt. Methinks they’re ‘milking it’. The $1 for 5gals water machine was also ‘not working’ – perhaps they’re waiting for a technician to hike that machine’s prices higher too? Sadly we were leaving, full, and had to use it, not knowing where better to go.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      February 8, 2015 at 3:51 pm

      You are TOTALLY RIGHT!! We encountered the exact same rip-off leaving Ogilby road this past stay (just last month) and I totally forgot to update my review. $20 to dump!!

      I found out that Gold Rock Ranch RV Park (just up the road on Ogilby) only charges $15 for water PLUS dump. Also the Loves station in Yuma has a dump and only charges $10 (no water though).

      Nina

      Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      February 8, 2015 at 4:04 pm

      Just updated the review, so hopefully others will know now.

      Nina

      Reply
  9. Jason Reich says

    March 16, 2015 at 8:53 am

    Hi Nina,
    Thanks for the clear description and information, we stayed just off American Girl Mine for an overnight boondock last week returning from Tucson, and it was very nice, much nicer than the casino parking lots we’ve used in the past.
    Thanks
    Jason.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      March 16, 2015 at 9:12 am

      Glad you enjoyed it. Hope it wasn’t too hot!

      Nina

      Reply
  10. p.j.safady says

    January 19, 2016 at 4:42 pm

    Hey…Thanks for the info on this area….we’ve always searched for a ‘remoter’
    spot to unwind, and anxious to check this spot out….
    wondering where this reactivated Am Grl mine is….is it visible on google earth, on the Mt. tops……i.e tailings type mine…do you have a rough idea of how far back in (from Ogilby), it is ? we do not want to be near truck or mine noise either !….quieter the better

    Thanks for sharing
    (Oregon is washing away as I speak !)
    Bring on the Yuma warmth !!

    Paul & Larken

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      January 19, 2016 at 7:25 pm

      The mine is *very* visible on Google Earth. It’s huge! Just follow the road back and it leads right to it. Enjoy the area.

      Nina

      Reply
  11. libertatemamo says

    March 11, 2016 at 6:59 pm

    Oh sweeeet! I am definitely hunting that down. Cheers for that tip.

    Nina

    Reply
  12. Sally Gilbert says

    April 15, 2016 at 10:20 am

    Hi Nina

    Many thanks for your info on this BLM area, we used it last night as a stopover on our way to San Diego from Eloy, AZ.

    As i am sure nobody reads all the comments, Please update to let folks know that right now access to the camping areas is difficult off both roads as they have recently been graded, leaving 2 to 3 feet of piled dirt between the road and the camping areas there is evidence of recent heavy rain in the area, as the washes are pretty rough, you can see that places previously used as traffic access between camping areas are now only really accessible by 4WD, at least where we explored on foot.

    We were lucky, we used the American Girl Mine rd as we decided to be further from the rail line, and a couple of miles in there was a curve in the road that didn’t have any dirt piled up on the right, so we were easily able to pull off, and onto a nice flat area for the night. Really gorgeous area, though VERY windy til around 10pm, thought we might have to pull one slide in, but then it died down, thank goodness!

    Thanks again for being such an inspiration. We are finally full timing – we don’t feel that the last 2 months count as we were in transition mode while selling our house in Phoenix, but it’s sold, and we are now on the road will still have to return to phoenix for the roof replacement, but heard from winnebago today that (at last) ours is next in line and will be started next week. In the mean time we will explore southern CA a bit, and are testing our solar, having finalized the installation last weekend.
    Lithium batteries are great, aren’t they!!! We didn’t stick with our Morningstar MPPT controller after all, and have installed a Midnight Classic, purchased from Starlight Solar. Morningstar, as you know, is complicated to program for lithium, and Larry at Starlight pre programmed the Midnight for us, so it just dropped in and everything works great. We will have the hassle of putting the panels on the new roof, but everything else is in place now, so it shouldn’t be too much hassle. She said hopefully…..!

    Reply
  13. Devil Travels says

    December 8, 2017 at 9:15 am

    There’s free camping West of Pilot Knob LTVA? This is the first I have heard of it. So far, can’t find any other information to verify other than vague references by Techno Viking.

    Reply
  14. George says

    March 5, 2015 at 3:30 pm

    Thanks so much for this review! I have seen pictures from the area, but was not sure where it was. I am looking for next year, so will check it out then. Great Review!

    Reply
  15. Jeff and Deb says

    January 3, 2017 at 5:28 pm

    Hi Paul , Nina and Polly- After years of reading your posts, we finally made it to Ogilby Road. After spending a week in Why, AZ around illegal aliens, drug mules, cholla and coyotes we are enjoying to wide open boondocking peaceful space that American Girl Mine offers. Sam had so much fun running off leash he ran 10 miles to our 5. Fun way to start the new year and decompress before we roll to crazy Q. Happy New Year!

    Reply
  16. libertatemamo says

    January 4, 2017 at 8:04 am

    Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the area!

    Nina

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 2011 Top RV Parks & Campgrounds Of The Year | Wheeling It says:
    January 3, 2012 at 5:46 pm

    […] Boondocking -> What’s even better than $5/night? That would be FREE!! There are tons of great boondocking sites especially on BLM land out west. We snagged a gorgeous spot on the beach in Sea Rim, TX, a desert beauty in Quartzsite, AZ and a remote lovely just outside of Yuma. […]

    Reply
  2. A Day In The Fulltimer RV Boonies….. | Wheeling It says:
    February 1, 2012 at 12:25 pm

    […] and were surprised by a visit. A lovely Canadian gentleman that we met in November boondocking at Ogilby Road just happened to be passing by and spotted our rig. That led to a good long chat, exchanging […]

    Reply
  3. We May Be In The Boonies, But We Are Not Alone…. | Wheeling It says:
    January 14, 2013 at 11:35 am

    […] place we’re currently boondocking (reviewed last year in THIS POST) is quite large. It’s somewhat stark in nature without the intimate prettiness of some of our […]

    Reply
  4. Yuma, AZ Has Grown On Me | Wheeling It says:
    January 22, 2013 at 10:17 am

    […] then there’s the boondocking….ahhhh….the boondocking. This is really what clinches it for me. I don’t think I […]

    Reply
  5. Desert Livin’, Part 1 | OnTheRoadWithRiley says:
    April 8, 2013 at 5:39 pm

    […] We moved on up I-8 a little to Ogilby Road and then to American Girl Mine Road, where RVSue and Wheeling It had written about good boondocking […]

    Reply
  6. Off To Yuma….Gold….And Mexico! | Wheeling It says:
    January 12, 2014 at 2:25 pm

    […] is where we find our peace. The boondocking site here is not nearly as attractive as our last spot at Borrego Springs. The roads are drearily flat apart […]

    Reply
  7. Papa’s Boondocking Birthday and Yellin in Yuma | Goin' Road Trippin' says:
    January 19, 2014 at 12:23 pm

    […] Oh, so liberating it’s been to and stay on BLM land away from the masses.  We found this place thanks to Nina, and her website wheelingit.us. […]

    Reply
  8. 2014 Best Campgrounds Of The Year | Wheeling It says:
    January 1, 2015 at 3:39 pm

    […] here for years. Wide open views, lots of hidden mines (gold?) and enough space to call your own. Link to Review HERE. Rating = […]

    Reply
  9. Hiding Out, Rocky Sunsets, & Mexico – Yuma, AZ | Wheeling It says:
    January 23, 2015 at 5:13 pm

    […] been coming to this spot in Yuma (right off Ogilby Road) since our second year on the road, and some might consider it an unusual choice. You see Yuma is […]

    Reply
  10. Quartzsite, Yuma, and Why Arizona | Bear Tracks says:
    February 10, 2015 at 11:05 pm

    […] headed down to Yuma to checkout the boondocking on BLM land off of Ogilby Road that Nina of Wheeling It blog wrote about.  We were out in the middle of wide open nowhere and we loved […]

    Reply
  11. Winter 2015 Boondocking Location Round-Up | Technomadia says:
    March 25, 2015 at 3:12 pm

    […] WheelingIt’s Review of the Ogilby Road Boondocking Area […]

    Reply
  12. 2015 Best Campgrounds Of The Year – Wheeling It says:
    January 6, 2016 at 5:14 pm

    […] Ogilby Road, Yuma, AZ -> Another old-time favorite. This is typically where we boondock every time we visit Yuma. It’s a rocky, crazy, barren landscape but for whatever reason we just love it. We come here to visit the dentist in Mexico, catch the always-dramatic sunsets and just chill out. Rating = 4.6/5. Link to review HERE. […]

    Reply
  13. Off To Yuma….Gold….And Mexico! – Wheeling It says:
    April 7, 2016 at 11:15 am

    […] is where we find our peace. The boondocking site here is not nearly as attractive as our last spot at Borrego Springs. The roads are drearily flat apart […]

    Reply
  14. 2016 Best Campgrounds & Stays Of The Year – Wheeling It says:
    December 18, 2016 at 9:01 am

    […] Ogilby Road, Yuma, AZ -> This is an old-time favorite of ours and makes the “top list” almost every year. It’s a rocky, crazy, barren place but we just love how relaxed and remote it feels. Plus it’s got easy access to Yuma and our annual dental appointments in Mexico. We come here when we want to escape the world for a few weeks. Rating = 4.6/5. Read my review HERE. […]

    Reply
  15. Friends, Fires and a Little Bit of Fretting | Chico's and Logan's Great Adventures says:
    January 6, 2017 at 11:49 am

    […] sunshiney day, and the road time was short, less than two hours. We reached our camp spot at the Ogilby Road BLM area near the base of the Cargo Muchacho Mountains in the early afternoon. It looked great but […]

    Reply

A Comment For Your Thoughts? Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Where Are We Today?

Home Base, SW France

About Us

Europe Travel Maps

Top Blog Posts

  • Moving To Europe V - Pet Transport Options (By Sea, By Air, Pet Carriers & More)
  • The Splendor Of Scenic Highway 395
  • 8 Tips For Visiting & Photographing Niagara Falls
  • Moving To Europe VII - Shipping Your RV From USA to Europe
  • Château Living Part II – Interior Details

Archives

Subscribe Via Email

Disclosure Notice: WheelingIt is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Wheelingit US Camping Map

Reviews of every place we camped 2010-2018. Click to explore and enjoy!

Connect With Us

Want more Wheelingit? Connect with us by subscribing to one of our feeds!
 
Twitter Instagram
RSS YouTube

Tip The Beer Fund

Feeling the love? Share it with a contribution towards the Wheelingit beer fund (or rum fund, depending on weather & other random factors). We'll be sure to raise a glass to your health!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
COPYRIGHT INFO © 2024 Wheeling It. Share and enjoy, but please don't swipe it. All material, text and pictures in this blog are copyrighted. Should you be interested in using them please feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to talk about it!

© 2025 · Wheelingit · Built on the Genesis Framework

This website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience Got It!
To find out more, or learn how to change your cookie settings, click here Read more
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d