When we were kids, our parents often drove us through the desert, not too it. The desert was a fleeting scene in the passenger window on the way to “somewhere else.” Somewhere beautiful, somewhere fun. Like many, they considered the desert to be a barren wasteland — something to endure in order to get anywhere interesting. But now, adults and full-time RVers see the desert differently. Now, the desert is the destination. Understandably, interest in desert RV camping has skyrocketed with it.
After spending several winter seasons exploring all four of North America’s deserts (like many snowbirds), we are officially hooked on these surprising and stunning places!
So, for anyone interest in desert RV camping, we’ll take a closer look at the misconceptions, rewards, rules, and regions of the American desert.
The Mirage of Desert Misconceptions
The word “desert” often conjures up negative images for many people — almost all dry, hot, sandy, barren, even dangerous. To be fair, there are times of the year that aren’t as appealing as others. Even so, our experiences have directly contradicted nearly all of these assumptions. We experienced one of the snowiest winters as well as one of the wettest weekends on record. We snuggled up on chilly nights. Got lost wandering among Saguaro forests. Watched super blooms appear almost overnight. And we marveled at the migrating and resident birds we’d never experienced anywhere else.
The diversity of the desert, as well as the stark differences among our four North American desert ecosystems, stretch nearly 730,000 square miles across eight western states — and large swaths of Mexico. Even after four months of hiking, mountain biking, paddling, and exploring, we feel like we’ve barely scratched the surface of the beauty, intrigue, and allure of these amazing landscapes.
A Land of Abundant Campsites
For anyone who RVs, no matter what make, model, or size of rig, the western deserts offer opportunities for camping that few other parts of the world can. No other region in this country can beat the concentration and acreage of accessible public land. It is a boondockers paradise, at least from October through April.
Quartzsite, Arizona is famous among desert-dwelling RVers, drawing nearly 2 million RVers each winter housed with millions of acres of BLM land — all within 25 miles of this tiny hamlet of less than 4,000 year round residents. Nearly every kind of RV, motorhome, fifth wheel, van, toy hauler, and travel trailer could be found scattered across the landscape. Within the La Posa Long-Term Visitor Area, run by the BLM near Quartzite, folks can stay for up to seven months for less than $200 — and still have all the services they need within a short drive.
We wandered into canyons, valleys and hilltops, where we were the only humans in sight. We hiked into areas that most reach by ATV. But no matter how you get in, the wonders are the same. The evidence of pr-history human development abounding throughout the region proves that our millenia isn’t the only to hear the desert’s call. From pictographs and grain pounding holes to cave dwellings perched high up a sandstone wall, what remains of those who came before can be a constant companion as you explore these regions.
What the Desert Teaches — and Reveals
Nature has valuable lessons to teach here. Once, we drove up a winding dirt road, which crossed several washes, up to Cochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains of southern Arizona for a night of camping and a forecast of a light rain. We awoke to 3.5 inches,and a wall of water rushing across the washes keeping everyone in place for the next few days. Fortunately, we had plenty of food, enough to share with the campers next to us, who had only brought enough for the night. A good camaraderie emerged among the other stranded campers as we simply accepted what we could not change and enjoyed every last minute of it.
If your timing is right, you might be rewarded with nature’s abundant beauty. When desert super blooms steal the headlines. And we’ve been right in the middle of it all. Rolling into a camping space at dusk gives little indication of what flowers might be pushing up all around you. In the morning, our curiosity was rewarded by little solar panels of yellow and orange blanketing the landscape, California Poppies as far as we could see. When the conditions are perfect for this little wild flower, and many others, they capture the world’s attention.
Because we boondock with solar as our main source of power, living in the desert is a no-brainer in the winter. With the abundance of sunshine, at all altitudes, our battery is always back up to a 100-percent charge by 11 a.m. We never run out of energy, nor worry about it. Going solar frees us up to enjoy these areas right up to our stay limit. All we need is an occasional resupply of water and groceries … and a laundromat.
Crucial Desert RV Camping Tips
What to Bring Along
- Water. Drink lots of water and always carry plenty of extra water with you, even if you are just driving an hour to your next destination. The dryness can dehydrate you very quickly even in cooler weather. If you get a headache, you are probably already dehydrated.
- Patch kits. Be prepared to do tire maintenance. This is not the place you want to be stranded —by RV or bike. While mountain biking, bring extra inner tubes as well as a patch kit. We went through two inner tubes per week, even with Slime protection in our tires.
- Solar. The options for campgrounds and boondocking are limitless. You won’t need to stay in RV parks or expensive “hook up” campgrounds, or even make reservations.
- Watercraft. Bring your boats! You surprised? There’s plenty of water everywhere. Just be sure to stop at each Boat Inspection Station to get checked and cleared of invasive species.
How to Live in the Desert
- Wake up. Even if you are not a morning person, try to get up and watch the sunrise a few times. It will set your day right. The sunrises and sunsets are the best light of the day.
- Keep snakes top of mind. Be aware, but not afraid of snakes. We didn’t see a single one in four months as they are cold blooded and don’t like being outside in the cooler months. Even so, they live in the desert. So, they shouldn’t be out of your decision-making processes when it comes to moving around and picking things up.
- See everything you touch. Be aware of where you put your feet and hands while climbing around on rocks. Everything in the desert pokes, stings, scratches, and bites.
- Unstick the stickers. Cholla cacti are like painful velcro and they stick to absolutely everything. Bring a hair pick or long-toothed comb with you when hiking or mountain biking to remove this unwanted friend from your shoe, leg, et cetera.
- Don’t ignore rain. Creeks and washes can rise quickly with just a bit of rain. Never cross water unless you know how deep it is and can assess its flow. Turn around, don’t drown.
- Tread lightly. While there may not appear to be life in the desert soil, it is very fragile. Cryptobiotic soil can take hundreds of years to regrow if accidentally stepped on. Watch where you step!
- Dip your hat. When the weather is warm, dip your hat in cold water before putting it on your head. It’ll keep you cooler than just putting it on dry.
Notes on the Four Deserts of North America
Can you name the four deserts in North America? We’ve found that most people struggle to name even one, so we thought we’d start with a bit of natural history and geography before diving into some highlights in each region.
Great Basin Desert
Classified as a cold mid-latitude desert, the Great Basin Desert covers an arid expanse of about 190,000 square miles. This makes it the biggest on the continent. It is bordered by the Sierra Nevada range on the west, the Wasatch Mountains on the east, the Columbia Plateau on the north, and the Mojave Desert on the south. Its distinctive natural feature is rugged north–south-trending mountain ranges interspersed with broad sweeping valleys.
Due to its remoteness, this desert does not draw many visitors for desert RV camping. (Which, ironically, makes it more … deserted.) This region is home to one of the most intriguing roads — Highway 50, known as the “Loneliest Road in America.” One of the Earth’s oldest trees, the Bristlecone Pine, finds its home at an elevation of 10,000 feet in Great Basin National Park.
A Few of Our Favorite Areas to Camp: Great Basin National Park, Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest, Ruby Mountains, Wild Horse Reservoir State Recreation Area
Sonoran Desert
Covering 120,000 square miles in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California, U.S., and including much of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, part of Baja California state, and the western half of the state of Sonora, the Sonoran Desert has a subtropical climate and receives three to 15 inches of rain per year. Most of the precipitation comes during monsoon season (July–September), when strong, brief thunderstorms bring heavy rain. Typically, lighter winter rainfall also occurs. A distinctive feature of the Sonoran Desert is the majestic Saguaro cacti, many of which are hundreds of years old. The mountain ranges dotted amongst this desert create a diversity of ecosystems rising above the desert floor, creating wetter and cooler “Islands in the Sky.”
A Few of Our Favorite Areas to Camp: Cochise Stronghold, Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Superstition Mountains, Tonto National Forest
Mojave Desert
Named for the Mojave people, the Mojave Desert occupies more than 25,000 square miles — extending from the Sierra Nevada range to the Colorado Plateau and merges with the Great Basin to the north and the Sonoran Desert to the south and southeast. The fascinating Joshua Tree is unique to the Mojave area, as it’s the only place it thrives.
A Few of Our Favorite Areas to Camp: Alabama Hills, Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Red Rocks Canyon National Conservation Area, Valley of Fire State Park
Chihuahuan Desert
To the east of the Sonoran Desert lies the huge Chihuahuan Desert. With an area of about 140,000 square miles, it is the second largest desert in North America. It occupies much of West Texas, parts of the middle and lower Rio Grande Valley and the lower Pecos Valley in New Mexico, and a portion of southeastern Arizona, as well as the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau. Lechuguilla (Agave lechuguilla), one of the indicator plants, as it is found only in this desert. It flowers just once in its lifetime, then promptly dies.
A Few of Our Favorite Areas to Camp: Big Bend National Park, Chiricahua National Monument (on the edge of this desert ecosystem), Hot Wells Dunes Recreation Area, White Sands National Park
The Joy of Desert RV Camping
Whether camping just outside of Tucson, or a hundred miles from anywhere in Nevada, the motto for visiting the desert is the same: Be prepared. With a little planning and an ounce of adventurous spirit, you too can answer the desert’s calling.
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