Just found this video. We have been staying at the Senator Wash LTVA for six years. Love it here. We stay down my the Center. I am going to share this video with the family so they can get an idea of what it is like. Thank you.
Closer to the River usually is better. I hung out lots in same area as in your video. I put some travels on RUclips. Search with my name & the words Arizona or Colorado River. It’s a great area.
My Dad worked for the Bureau of Reclamation in the 1960's. We lived in some government housing near Imperial Dam. It was an incredible time for me & my friends who lived nearby. We hiked & drove to every place you can imagine around the area. Lot of hidden places few people knew about. Fishing, swimming, hiking, it was fantastic. Senator's Wash was being built at that time & we would take a dune buggy & drive inside the wash before it was finished & empty of water.
@@arielsaavedra802 Hi Ariel, Yes I knew Jimmy & I went to high school with him. I knew the whole family and at times I was at his house where they lived in Bard. They were a great family.
Imperial Dam is one of the least frequented LTVAs, though it is not empty by any stretch of the word, and is one of the couple that has services like water and "sewage." Most other LTVAs require the unit to be self-contained, so people like me in their Priuses have to stay here.
@@DenaliDad After my comment several months ago, I camped there with 3 other guys with their rigs for about a week, shortly after the RTR and Skooliepalooza. I would find it hard to believe it was one of the least frequented. It was packed when we were there. I personally didn't like it though and don't intend to stay there again. But it was quite clear that many people go there and set up camp for the whole 6 months or so. They were living there. Certainly the services such as water and dump stations and trash bins were welcome, along with some vault toilets. The showers turned out to be elsewhere - not as expected, with the other services. The showers you paid for, though not expensive. I also checked out the La Posa LTVA's near Quartzsite, but ultimately stayed on BLM land there instead during the RTR. I guess I'm just not enough of a desert rat to truly appreciate all that, although obviously many people love it. Gorgeous sunsets and sunrises, dramatic landscape and cloud formations though, for sure.
Yeah, I'm pretty much with you on this kind of desert land. The Imperial Dam LTVA was way too barren - and windy for my tastes. There was no signal for Google Fi, but friends were pretty good with Verizon. I also stayed at La Posa LTVA and as well at Dome Rock BLM. If I were to stay just 2 weeks in Quartzsite, Dome Rock is preferred. There may be better ones, but from there, we had a nice city view at night and good cell/internet reception. For more than a month or for the season, then La Posa for the amenities; they do have and the wonderful low fee. Overall, it's a little too barren in all of them for my tastes, but the sky can sure be dramatic. My favorite spot by far on that trip was on some BLM land N. of Tucson. Lots of cactus - watch out for the Chollo thorns, I swear they can jump! The best way to locate it on a Google map is to find the cross roads E. Park Link Dr and S. Cattle Tank Rd. From there you go south ~1 mile and it's on the right. When I was there in early Feb. of that year, it was nearly empty. The road is fairly well messed up, and the vegetation grows right up to it: I wouldn't bring a fancy 40 footer in there. LOTS more vegetation. Note: you will have to take the Camino Adelante frontage road to connect with E. Park Link Dr. If you zoom to max where it says BLM Camping it also adds Cactus Forest Campground - which the perfect name for it.
So theoretically you could live in any old trailer and move it from your campsite to storage and back twice a year and pay $180 for 7 months of use and $25 a month for 5 months of storage? And have your car there also (for the 7 months) to use for transportation?
Yes! However, The Christian Center is in Winterhaven, California, and the "California government" has tightened up on the Center! They tell us they're packed in terms of storage of units-more paperwork required and regulations, etc. So before last year, that's what a lot of people did! Not now, but we have moved on, so you should check in with the Christian Center before you camp at the LTVA!
Verizon works the best out there and AT&T will work but both need a booster. As the LTVA starts to fill out the signal strength drops. We recently invested in a Starlink system its a game changer for us. Check out some of our other vlogs on Starlink.
Sir Joseph, There is indeed. Yuma Army Proving Grounds, some times you can feel them testing. The base is about 4 miles to the east. Yuma Proving Ground is a United States Army proving ground, a census-designated place, and one of the largest military installations in the world. It is a subordinate command of the Army Test and Evaluation Command.
road my mc through there this last february a couple of times. stayed at a park south of yuma. its a great area and a good deal if you want to boon dock. alot of room to spread out. good combination of scenery - lakes, hills and off road opportunities. good vibe, safe and definitely worth a look. great post for the boondock interested
Hi Debbie, We thinks so, you don't really want to be there too early in the season and stay too late, It can be in the high 90s on both ends. You can camp any time though, it's just the long term stays for $180.00 cover September to April. It's a BLM thing. You can get an over night stay/pass or a two week pass at any time.
No way they will all be gone, especially in October. A lot of folks don't make it down there until December. But even arriving then, the LTVA goes on for miles. There will be a place for you.
See you for the 20-21 winter season. Will be in Lake Havasu the first week of October. Need to get some work done on the motorhome. I can't agree more about the outstanding people at the CSC. However I think people would be happier at Quartzite 😉😉😉
Absolutely! Lots of RVers camp right on the Reservoir. I will do a video about that in the near future. In fact check out our episode titled Showers in the Desert. Dry Camping S2 E11
@@parkininparadise We actually used Verizon the first couple of years, we stayed at the LTVA in Yuma AZ. Verizon does work if you get out away from the check in office. Which is where most people camp. Once the LTVA fills up the signal drops. We got StarLink this year which changed everything for us.
They better stay in whatever state they come from,cause out here on Yuma they are making a complete shit show,they are causing accidents left and right,destroying restaurants, and making the traffic a completely pain in the ass.
Love it see you next year
Thanks for watching
Storm Watch Team
great video. thanks for the infor.
Cloesed groceries in down town yuma
Not down town Yuma but Fortuna Hills has large supper market chain store, about 26 miles away.
Great video...very informative...Thank you.
Lots of good information 👍
Thanks
That was a nearly PERFECT video. I know exactly what I'm looking for and where it is. You did a really great job! See ya all down there!
Thanks! We will be down there in November.
Oh I clicked this thinking it said Snowmobiles, I was like "This has to be interesting"but it still was even though it wasn't what I expected lol
Well, we hope you found it interesting. Thanks for watching!
@@writersinastorm It still was lol
Thank you I’m new to traveling that far usually just up and down East Coast NY to Fl. Bought a bigger rig almost ready to adventure. Enjoy !
Enjoy the journey and thanks for watching. If you make it out to the west next winter you will not regret it.
Just found this video. We have been staying at the Senator Wash LTVA for six years. Love it here. We stay down my the Center. I am going to share this video with the family so they can get an idea of what it is like. Thank you.
Judy, thanks for you comments and we hope your family enjoys the video.
This is excellent! Thank you! Cheers!
Great video but some of the updates are good too.
Yeah I agree
Great video! This looks like a great place!
Hey Bugs On The Windshield, it is a great place.
Thanks
I spent the 2021-22 season in Imperial Dam LTVA; they now have free, one-temperature outside showers near the check-in building.
I thought those were always there?
Closer to the River usually is better. I hung out lots in same area as in your video. I put some travels on RUclips. Search with my name & the words Arizona or Colorado River. It’s a great area.
Thanks Don we'll take a look!
I'm new to your channel. This vid is awesome.
Stephanie, Thanks for watching. This LTVA was super popular this year.
My Dad worked for the Bureau of Reclamation in the 1960's. We lived in some government housing near Imperial Dam. It was an incredible time for me & my friends who lived nearby. We hiked & drove to every place you can imagine around the area. Lot of hidden places few people knew about. Fishing, swimming, hiking, it was fantastic. Senator's Wash was being built at that time & we would take a dune buggy & drive inside the wash before it was finished & empty of water.
by any chance did you know jimmy lugo? hes my grandpa, he grew up out in that area and so did i. shoot i still fish out there to this day.
Sheikh, Thanks for your comment. You should stop in and show us around. We took a ride in a side by side down some back trails, what fun.
@@arielsaavedra802 Hi Ariel, Yes I knew Jimmy & I went to high school with him. I knew the whole family and at times I was at his house where they lived in Bard. They were a great family.
@@writersinastorm No longer in Yuma. Have you visited Johnny Cloud's car museum in Bard? That's a real treat.
In case it isn't clear to you, this BLM site is in California.
John, You are correct its closer to Winterhaven, CA. Yuma AZ is used as a reference point. Yuma is easier to find on a map.
Very good, thank you. Had no idea there would be services like this at an LTVA.
Thanks for your comments Michael.
Yeah out of the four five LTVA this one is the best.
Imperial Dam is one of the least frequented LTVAs, though it is not empty by any stretch of the word, and is one of the couple that has services like water and "sewage." Most other LTVAs require the unit to be self-contained, so people like me in their Priuses have to stay here.
@@DenaliDad After my comment several months ago, I camped there with 3 other guys with their rigs for about a week, shortly after the RTR and Skooliepalooza. I would find it hard to believe it was one of the least frequented. It was packed when we were there. I personally didn't like it though and don't intend to stay there again. But it was quite clear that many people go there and set up camp for the whole 6 months or so. They were living there. Certainly the services such as water and dump stations and trash bins were welcome, along with some vault toilets. The showers turned out to be elsewhere - not as expected, with the other services. The showers you paid for, though not expensive.
I also checked out the La Posa LTVA's near Quartzsite, but ultimately stayed on BLM land there instead during the RTR. I guess I'm just not enough of a desert rat to truly appreciate all that, although obviously many people love it. Gorgeous sunsets and sunrises, dramatic landscape and cloud formations though, for sure.
Yeah, I'm pretty much with you on this kind of desert land. The Imperial Dam LTVA was way too barren - and windy for my tastes. There was no signal for Google Fi, but friends were pretty good with Verizon.
I also stayed at La Posa LTVA and as well at Dome Rock BLM. If I were to stay just 2 weeks in Quartzsite, Dome Rock is preferred. There may be better ones, but from there, we had a nice city view at night and good cell/internet reception. For more than a month or for the season, then La Posa for the amenities; they do have and the wonderful low fee.
Overall, it's a little too barren in all of them for my tastes, but the sky can sure be dramatic.
My favorite spot by far on that trip was on some BLM land N. of Tucson. Lots of cactus - watch out for the Chollo thorns, I swear they can jump! The best way to locate it on a Google map is to find the cross roads E. Park Link Dr and S. Cattle Tank Rd. From there you go south ~1 mile and it's on the right. When I was there in early Feb. of that year, it was nearly empty.
The road is fairly well messed up, and the vegetation grows right up to it: I wouldn't bring a fancy 40 footer in there. LOTS more vegetation. Note: you will have to take the Camino Adelante frontage road to connect with E. Park Link Dr.
If you zoom to max where it says BLM Camping it also adds Cactus Forest Campground - which the perfect name for it.
How do u pay for the permits for LYVA & shower tokens. Nobody ever mentions that. See how u do on this. Thanks
So theoretically you could live in any old trailer and move it from your campsite to storage and back twice a year and pay $180 for 7 months of use and $25 a month for 5 months of storage? And have your car there also (for the 7 months) to use for transportation?
Yes! However, The Christian Center is in Winterhaven, California, and the "California government" has tightened up on the Center! They tell us they're packed in terms of storage of units-more paperwork required and regulations, etc.
So before last year, that's what a lot of people did! Not now, but we have moved on, so you should check in with the Christian Center before you camp at the LTVA!
How is the internet and phone signal in that area?
Verizon works the best out there and AT&T will work but both need a booster. As the LTVA starts to fill out the signal strength drops.
We recently invested in a Starlink system its a game changer for us. Check out some of our other vlogs on Starlink.
What pet limit we have 4 small dog fixed and tagged our 2 and my mom 2
I think they tag per vehicle not the number of pets or family
Tags for 3 vehicles
$180 per season
I see the howitzers, is there a base near by?
Sir Joseph, There is indeed. Yuma Army Proving Grounds, some times you can feel them testing. The base is about 4 miles to the east.
Yuma Proving Ground is a United States Army proving ground, a census-designated place, and one of the largest military installations in the world. It is a subordinate command of the Army Test and Evaluation Command.
@@writersinastorm I need to look into ti to see if they have a commissary. It would perfect for me to go then
road my mc through there this last february a couple of times. stayed at a park south of yuma. its a great area and a good deal if you want to boon dock. alot of room to spread out. good combination of scenery - lakes, hills and off road opportunities. good vibe, safe and definitely worth a look. great post for the boondock interested
We agree with your comments
I am curious why the Long Term Visitors season is Sept. 15th - April 15th. Is it, because the summer is too hot?
Hi Debbie, We thinks so, you don't really want to be there too early in the season and stay too late,
It can be in the high 90s on both ends. You can camp any time though, it's just the long term stays for $180.00 cover September to April. It's a BLM thing. You can get an over night stay/pass or a two week pass at any time.
Believe it or not, that's not the smallest P.O. in the country.
Great little video thanks for the extra bits of info ... any chance finding a spot around mid October or are they about gone by then / slim pickings ?
No way they will all be gone, especially in October. A lot of folks don't make it down there until December. But even arriving then, the LTVA goes on for miles. There will be a place for you.
@@stevemurphy2064 Awesome ! Great vids and content , keep em coming . Thank you again for the info and maybe we’ll see ya down there !
Does anyone know a Kate Smith 35 years ,who has a 9 year old son Chris who live in Yuma? Thank you.
See you for the 20-21 winter season. Will be in Lake Havasu the first week of October. Need to get some work done on the motorhome. I can't agree more about the outstanding people at the CSC. However I think people would be happier at Quartzite 😉😉😉
Thanks again for your response, best of luck with the work on your motorhome. See ya down there.
the rattlesnakes are thrown in for free!
We haven't seen them ourselves but others have. We hear they are starting to come out now. However the LTVA is starting to close down.
Is this in California side of the Dam, I’m not sure if I’m in the right area, I’m having a moment?
It’s the California side near WINTERHAVEN, CA
California side
Thanks so much for the valuable info.! Do you know if there is rv camping near the water at Senator Wash?
Absolutely! Lots of RVers camp right on the Reservoir.
I will do a video about that in the near future.
In fact check out our episode titled Showers in the Desert. Dry Camping S2 E11
Yes. It's great. No cell service there for Verizon.
@@parkininparadise We actually used Verizon the first couple of years, we stayed at the LTVA in Yuma AZ. Verizon does work if you get out away from the check in office.
Which is where most people camp. Once the LTVA fills up the signal drops. We got StarLink this year which changed everything for us.
What? WHAT?????
What?
They better stay in whatever state they come from,cause out here on Yuma they are making a complete shit show,they are causing accidents left and right,destroying restaurants, and making the traffic a completely pain in the ass.
Are you crying in your gravy?
Storm Watch Team
@@writersinastorm are y’all done playing twisted metal on the streets?
Nice video until at the end, awful music selection. We all stopped for the video, but left because of the off beat music!!!
Thanks Randy!!! We always hope for great critiques it means the world to us. Thanks a million!
Why film and give away all the good spots????
Unbelievable