There be camping near here
One advantage of having a motorcycle with you is that you can go exploring around your environs and see what other spots might be available near you for boondocking. I typically look at the aerials of my surroundings while I’m boondocked in a new area and go explore anything that might be a good boondocking spot nearby. The motorcycle gives me extra range to go exploring further afield. This time, I end up finding an unexpected free boondocking spot right by the Colorado River!
Canal bordering Havasu NWR to the right
As I mentioned in my previous post, this area of the Colorado River Valley is a bit more challenging to find good boondocking spots. I explored all around with my Honda Grom motorcycle the previous week, not finding much of anything, at least until I decided to take a cruise to Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, a sanctuary that follows the east side of the Colorado River north of Interstate 40. The googles map doesn’t seem to map it properly but Five Mile Landing marks the east side pretty well.
I was following the levee road along the Colorado River on the west side of the Refuge, finding the entrance to the park down a nice but not heavily trafficked gravel road. The road dead ends in the park with only a couple of lesser used trailheads in the area. It’s definitely the area to come in if you are willing to deal with several miles of gravel road to get away from people. However, the rules at the entrance sign made it quite clear you are not allowed to boondock in the Refuge. Too bad for me – there are a ton of good spots down there for boondocking.
Former permacamper spot
On the way there, I noted on the BLM National Data map that there was one chunk of land up against the Colorado River that was actually BLM land. There were a few pull offs from the gravel road you could camp on. It would be a little dusty everytime someone passed, but not too bad for being a five minute walk to the river. However, there is as an offshoot road that runs for about a klick along the river. I wasn’t expecting much, as most spots this close to civilization and river are blocked off and/or marked ‘no camping’. To my surprise, I find two spots, one in the trees that looked to have been recently vacated by a perma-camper, and another smaller spot with less junk. While neither was on the river, you just had to cross the road and hop down the rocky bank to be at the river. That is pretty good for a free camping spot on the Colorado River!
To my spot. Note the rocks on the left
I noted both spots, hoping to return the following day after my resupply to have at least one open for me to boondock on. I returned fairly early in the day, as I only had to travel a half hour up the road to Bullhead City for some groceries. Both spots turned out to be still available, so I chose the smaller spot for its partial view of the river and better access to the water. I intended to put the kayak out on the water, as I don’t get that opportunity very often in the desert!
Colorado River Boondocking
Exploring to the south of my new spot, I find some construction and pumping going on. From what I can see of the road I have come in on, it looks like it might be blocked normally as there are some boulders on the side that look like they may have been moved not too long ago. But there are no signs saying I can’t camp and it looks like someone has camped here, so I decided to stay. While I had a few work trucks drive by, no one did more than wave back at me while I was there. The larger camp to the north does not look to have ever been blocked off so that might still be around. Looking at iOverlander currently, I see spots that have been marked as closed over the area I’m in. It would not surprise me if this area gets blocked off to vehicle traffic – these good spots get abused then shut down due to local pressure to ‘clean up the area’.
In the meanwhile I took full advantage of my river spot, hauling out the kayak and going for a State Line crossing paddle to California! The Colorado River water is crystal clear here, although you can see the river has been channelized. It feels like going down a big canal more than a river at this location, but that is what happens when you tame a river to keep it from flooding its surroundings. There was a good (cat?)fish population in the river. I saw them below me, slowly swimming away from my approaching kayak. Someday, I’ll have to try fishing for these. I crossed the a State Line for the first time ever in my kayak, crossing over to the California shore to explore for possible boondocking. 
While the California side has a nice sandy shore, the sand extends back from the shore on roads I’d only try with a 4×4. I was on foot, so I couldn’t explore up and down the bank too far, but there is nothing I could take an RV down anywhere around there.
I was fortunate to have calm and warm weather. I’m in mid-December ’24 now, paddling on a river in the warm sun. This is why I’m down here in the winter. Snow sports is not my thing, but paddling is A-OK. I didn’t have complete calm here though. There is a major railway line on the California side, about a half a klick away from the river, so you do hear a somewhat muted sound of the train going by regularly. What is not muted is the speedboats going by on the Colorado River. I was glad I got on the water sooner rather than later, as once the weekend hit, it was a wall of noise everytime one of the loud jetboats went by. Even the outboard motorboats were super loud. Americans really like their loud toys, be they guns, quads, or boats. But at least they don’t boat after dark so I always had quiet evenings with the occasional train going by.
RV almost hidden, river completely hidden
I have to say, this spot is one of my best finds ever, with nice warm weather to boot. I’ll definitely check to see if it is open when I head down in ’25. But you’ll have to figure out for yourself where this spot is. I’ve kept the coordinates blocked for those of you who know how to find out where a Flickr photo was taken. The more map savvy people among you will find it. I’ve left plenty of clues, so if you do figure it out, just don’t go perma- camping, and take your garbage with you, thank you very much.
