Yuma Proving Ground – Squaw Lake – Fee BLM & Dry Camping!

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We left River Island State Park and headed to the Yuma Proving Ground and dry camping (no water; electric and dumping only at a dump station) on the Squaw Lake.  On the advice from another camper, we decided we would give it a try, so after our stop at the Poston Memorial we found our way to the Yuma Proving Ground.  It was pretty easy to spot, as there were two huge guns on either side of the road at our turn off. This was going to be a very different stay since we were not going to have any hookups and it would be a good test for our solar system.

We went all the way to the end of the road and down the hill to the parking lot on the Squaw Lake.  This was a BLM (Bureau of land management) area.  To stay in these areas, you pay a very low fee per day; or you can purchase a $75 permit which allows you to stay two weeks in the fee area and then you would have to move out, or you could purchase a $180 permit for the LTVA (long term visitor area) which allowed you to stay for 6 months in one place.  Some campers will flip flop between the two.  BLM area was around the lake; the LTVA land was in the hills and surrounding desert.  Any of the campers can use the restroom and shower facilities, which were located down, by the lake.  There was a  $1 fee to use the showers, which allowed you a ‘7 minute’ hot shower! LOL.  When you are dry camping water is a very important thing and you have to be careful with how you use it. Our solar panels supplied all the electric “I” needed (hairdryer & microwave!) and we had plenty of water until we packed up to move on!

This is where we actually stayed on Squaw Lake – Paved parking lot. Our camper and truck have a small white arrow next to it. The camper to our right (hard to see) was completely made by hand. The gentleman we met had sold his house and most of his belongings, built the small trailer and had been full time RVing for 5 months. He wanted to make sure he liked doing it before he purchased a bigger truck and a toy hauler. A lot of people are full time RV’ers at this park and spend most of the winter here.

There were many places you could hike; bike or just walk.  One day, early in our stay, while we were walking one of the trails, Chet & Ziggy came across a coyote sunning itself on a rock. When he looked in to the area below he saw a very large bobcat.  In the early evenings you could hear the coyotes begin to howl which they continued to do quite often throughout the night!

Near the boat ramp – Squaw Lake
Ziggy & Chet checkin out one of the trails by the lake and getting a little ‘chuckit’ time in!
Look in the hills on the left and you’ll see campers everywhere! All size trailers and large motor homes! All boon docking and a lot had 4 wheelers and side by sides at their sites and would go exploring in the hills on the many available trails.
Homemade Schoolie! You truly see everything and anything!
This is the supply or feed from the pumping station from the lake that was above the hill. (There were two lakes)
Pumping station

On one of our last days at the campground we decided we would hike around the entire lake, which was supposed to be 3.5 miles, well … it turned into 5.5 miles and 2.5 hours later we were back at our site, but the hike was well worth it. We saw a landscape we otherwise would not have seen if we hadn’t walked. The following pictures are just some of the beautiful landscape we saw on our hike!

Everywhere we looked there was a blending of green and brown. Depending on what time of day it was and how the light reflected off the hills, you would see an entirely different scene. It really was very unique.
On this side of the lake you could actually camp right down on the beach. If we hadn’t hiked around the lake we would have never seen this because it was at the bottom of the hill along side the two lane road in and out of the camping area.
On one of our hikes after a rain, we were gifted with this rainbow!
‘you talkin to me?’

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