Long-Term Visitor Area (LTVA) - Long-Term Camping on Public Lands Brochure
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) welcomes you to the warmth and sunshine of the beautiful desert Southwest. Every year, thousands of visitors come to enjoy the natural beauty and recreational opportunities offered at BLM’s Long-Term Visitor Areas (LTVAs), where visitors may camp for as long as seven months. A growing number of visitors choose to stay on public lands in the Arizona and California deserts and along the lower Colorado River where they enjoy the mild winter climate, an independent lifestyle, and the companionship of fellow winter visitors. Recreational and leisure-time activities abound - hiking, fishing, boating, enjoying the beauty of desert wildlife, and the simple pleasure of visiting with old friends.
Management of Desert Lands
The BLM is responsible for managing public lands for the benefit of all. Traditionally, most recreational visitor use has been in established, developed campground areas, but in the past few years much more use has been in the open desert where facilities are scarce. Here, the impact on the desert environment can be severe. BLM urges visitors to use and protect public lands for all to enjoy.
BLM’s Long-Term Visitor Use Program
To meet the long-term desire of winter visitors for open desert camping while at the same time protecting the desert environment, the BLM established LTVAs where visitors may camp for the entire winter without being in a developed campground. The goals of the Bureau of Land Management, Long Term Visitor Areas are to provide a safe and enjoyable public land camping experience for all visitors, while promoting environmental stewardship, mutual respect and responsible use of America’s natural resources. This program was initiated in 1983 and continues today thanks in large part to many of the winter visitors themselves who volunteer to help BLM carry out the LTVA program.
Winter Visitors who wish to stay in an LTVA must purchase a long-term permit, or a short-visit permit. The long-term permit is valid for the entire season or any part of the season, while the short-visit permit is valid for 14 consecutive days with the option to purchase an unlimited quantity of additional permits. Both permits are valid in any of the designated LTVA’s. The permit covers the long-term use season from September 15 to April 15. Permit holders may move from one LTVA to another without incurring additional fees.
Because LTVAs are special permit areas and not developed campgrounds, the Golden Eagle, Golden Age, Golden Access Passports, and America the Beautiful Pass discounts DO NOT apply to LTVA permit fees. Campers who wish to stay on the desert outside of an LTVA may camp in one location on undeveloped public lands for up to 14 days in any 28-day period at no charge, unless other-wise posted. After 14 days, short-term campers must move to a new site outside of a 25-mile radius of their original camp-site. Short-term camping in the Quartzite area is limited, but there are five designated camping areas.
Location of Long-Term Visitor Areas
The areas designated as Long-Term Visitor Areas were chosen because of their past popularity with winter visitors and because access roads have been developed and facilities are available nearby. The map and legend in this brochure illustrate the location of each LTVA, and the map contains a key of camping facilities available at each site. Since only minimum facilities are available at most of the sites, visitors should plan to arrive in a self-contained camping unit. Self-contained units are those with a permanently affixed wastewater holding tank of 10-gallon minimum capacity. Non-self-contained units are allowed only at Mule Mountain, Imperial, and La Posa LTVAs. In most cases, running water, showers, and bathrooms are not available on site. Garbage and sewage must be transported by visitors to the nearest disposal site (see map).
Where to Obtain Your Long-Term Visitor Permit
Campers may obtain permits at LTVA host entrance stations, or by contacting the following BLM offices in Arizona and southern California. Permits are not available through the mail. For further information on the LTVA program please contact one of the following offices.
Yuma Field Office
7341 E. 30th Street, Suite A Yuma, AZ 85365
(928) 317-3200
Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office
1201 Bird Center Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262
(760) 833-7100
El Centro Field Office
1661 South 4th Street El Centro, CA 92243
(760) 337-4400
As stewards of the public lands in the desert Southwest, we invite you to come and enjoy all of the beautiful resources your lands have to offer. You can help us protect the fragile desert environment for future generations by following the rules and regulations established for the Long-Term Visitor Program, by reporting acts of vandalism and theft of cactus or cultural artifacts, and by volunteering your services to support the management of our unique lands and resources.
For more LTVA information and rules, visit: