The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) runs seven Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVAs) in Arizona and California. A long-term permit costs $180 and covers September 15 to April 15, per the BLM La Posa LTVA page as of September 27, 2026. One permit works at all seven sites.
Last updated: September 27, 2026
Chuck Price has 35+ years of RV camping experience and owns a 2018 Hymer Aktiv Class B.
Land access, permits, road conditions, and site availability change. Verify all information with the relevant land management agency before your trip.
- Must-know: The LTVA permit is $180 for September 15 to April 15, or $40 for any 14 consecutive days, per BLM.
- Trip killers: Four LTVAs allow only self-contained units, and a port-a-potty does not count (2004 BLM supplementary rules). You may not collect wood inside an LTVA, or possess native firewood (mesquite, ironwood or palo verde) there.
- Best for: RVers who want one permit valid at all seven BLM LTVAs for the winter season (Recreation.gov).
- Confirm before you go: From April 16 to September 14 you may stay 14 days in any 28-day period, then must move beyond 25 miles.
What an LTVA is and who runs the seven sites
An LTVA is a BLM camping area set aside for long winter stays on public land. BLM established the program in 1983 “to meet the long-term camping needs of winter visitors staying on the public lands,” per a 2007 Federal Register notice. Three BLM field offices share the seven sites. If you are new to camping without hookups, start with our boondocking basics for beginners.
- Yuma Field Office: La Posa and Imperial Dam.
- El Centro Field Office: Tamarisk, Pilot Knob and Hot Springs.
- Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office: Mule Mountain and Midland.
The permit and decals are valid at all seven, per the Recreation.gov LTVA site pass page. A BLM brochure says permit holders may move from one LTVA to another without paying again (BLM LTVA brochure). The rules come from federal regulation 43 CFR 8365.1-6, which lets a BLM State Director set supplementary rules (eCFR, current as of September 24, 2026). LTVAs are different from national park campgrounds, which follow separate rules covered in our guide to boondocking rules in national parks.
LTVA permit cost for the 2026-27 season
The long-term LTVA permit costs $180 as of September 27, 2026. It covers continuous use from September 15 to April 15, a total of 7 months (Recreation.gov). For context on other trip costs, see what boondocking costs.
Long-term and short-visit permits
- Short-visit permit: $40 for any 14 consecutive day period, per the BLM La Posa page.
- BLM set the long-term fee at $180 in 2007 (Federal Register, September 25, 2007).
- The current rule text does not fix a dollar amount. It says users “must pay the cost of the fee indicated on the LTVA permit.”
The El Centro 4-week option
An $80 4-week stay appears only on the three El Centro Field Office LTVA pages. Hot Springs, Tamarisk and Pilot Knob list it.
The proposed fee increase
A $600 long-term fee is a proposal, not the current price. The Yuma Field Office’s September 2024 LTVA Draft Business Plan proposed $600 long-term and $200 short-term. The same plan proposed stretching the short-term permit from 14 to 30 days. The plan also proposed managing LTVA fees and permits separately by field office starting September 1, 2025. As of September 27, 2026, BLM LTVA pages still list $180, and Recreation.gov still sells one pass valid at all seven.
How to buy a permit and get your decal
An online LTVA purchase gives you a receipt, not a permit. You must exchange the printed receipt for a decal, per Recreation.gov. Receipts may not be redeemed for permits before September 15. If you arrive after hours, you may camp and exchange the pass the next morning. Hours below are as of September 27, 2026, and can change.
- Tyson Wash contact station at La Posa: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily (Recreation.gov).
- Imperial LTVA contact station: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
- Yuma Field Office: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
- Hot Springs: campground hosts at the site or at Pilot Knob LTVA, Recreation.gov, or the El Centro Field Office weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (BLM Hot Springs page).
Put the decal on the bottom right-hand corner of the windshield of every transportation vehicle, per the 2004 BLM supplementary rules. Place one in a clearly visible spot on every camping unit. You may have no more than 2 secondary vehicles within the LTVA.
Self-containment: which LTVAs allow tents and non-self-contained rigs
Four LTVAs allow only self-contained camping units. The rule covers Pilot Knob, Midland, Tamarisk and Hot Springs under Section 17a of the 2004 BLM supplementary rules for Arizona and California LTVAs. Those rules were published February 2, 2004, and took effect March 3, 2004. La Posa, Imperial Dam and Mule Mountain allow non-self-contained units only within 500 feet of a vault toilet or restroom.
- A self-contained unit has a permanently affixed wastewater holding tank of at least 10 gallons (BLM, 2004 rules).
- BLM’s 2004 rules exclude “port-a-potty systems, or systems that utilize portable holding tanks, or permanent holding tanks of less than 10-gallon capacity.”
- Place all trash in designated receptacles, and never dump sewage, gray water or garbage on the ground (BLM, 2004 rules).
The seven LTVAs compared
The table uses only what BLM lists as of September 27, 2026. At all seven, Section 34 of the 2004 BLM rules limits off-season stays to 14 days in any 28-day period, then you must move beyond 25 miles. For stay limits on BLM land outside the LTVAs, see our guide to BLM dispersed camping rules. “Not listed by BLM” means the BLM page gives no figure, not that the feature is missing. Carry drinking water where BLM does not list water on site. For choosing a site within an LTVA, see picking a spot in a Class B.
| LTVA | Location and office | Size | Amenities BLM lists | Camping unit rule | Off-season fee (April 16 to September 14) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Posa | Arizona, south of Quartzsite, Yuma Field Office | About 11,400 acres | 10 ADA accessible vault toilets, 8 water faucets, dry dump station, dump station with water, trash, dance floor and ramada | Self-contained, except within 500 feet of a vault toilet or restroom | $10 day use, $15 overnight or $75 a year per vehicle, 14 days in a 28-day period |
| Imperial Dam | North of Yuma on the California side of the Colorado River, Yuma Field Office | About 3,500 acres | Two restroom facilities with outdoor showers, trash, grey water dump sites, black water dump site with water, dance floor and ramadas | Self-contained, except within 500 feet of a vault toilet or restroom | $10 day use, $15 overnight or $75 a year per vehicle, 14 days in a 28-day period |
| Midland | California, eight miles north of Blythe, Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office | Not listed by BLM | Dump station and trash. No vault toilets. BLM lists water sources off site in Blythe, California, and Ehrenberg, Arizona | Self-contained only | No cost |
| Hot Springs | I-8 exit 131, then east on Evan Hewes 3.8 miles, El Centro Field Office | Not listed by BLM | Not listed by BLM. BLM notes a historic and still active hot spring | Self-contained only | 14 days free |
| Tamarisk | I-8 exit 143, then Hwy 98 west about 2.7 miles, El Centro Field Office | Smallest of the three El Centro LTVAs | Not listed by BLM | Self-contained only | 14 days free |
| Pilot Knob | I-8 exit 164, then Sidewinder Road south, El Centro Field Office | Not listed by BLM | Not listed by BLM | Self-contained only | 14 days free |
| Mule Mountain | California, eastern Riverside County, lower Colorado Desert, Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office | Not listed by BLM | Restrooms, per a BLM camp host notice. BLM tells camp hosts to carry in all supplies, including drinking water | Self-contained, except within 500 feet of a vault toilet or restroom | No off-season fee listed by BLM |
Site notes
- To reach Imperial Dam, exit I-8 and take S-24 north about 22 miles to Senator Wash Road (BLM). BLM files the page under Arizona, and the Yuma office manages it.
- A November 27, 2024 BLM camp host notice places Coon Hollow campground within Mule Mountain LTVA. It puts the nearest services thirty miles away in Blythe.
- To reach Coon Hollow, take the Wiley’s Well Road exit from I-10, about 16 miles west of Blythe, drive south 12.1 miles, then turn right and drive west 0.5 mile (BLM Coon Hollow page). The first 2.9 miles are paved. The rest is graded dirt, which BLM says is likely to be seriously wash-boarded if it has not been graded within the previous two or three weeks.
Rules that can cost you your permit
An authorized BLM officer can revoke your LTVA permit if you violate any BLM rule or regulation, or if your conduct or that of your family, guests or pets is inconsistent with the goal of the LTVA program. Under Section 4 of the 2004 BLM supplementary rules, you must remove all your property and leave the LTVA system “within 12 hours of notice.” You also “may not enter any other LTVA in Arizona or California for the remainder of the LTVA season.” BLM does not reimburse the permit fee. These rules apply inside all Arizona and California LTVAs.
- Do not leave your unit unoccupied for more than 5 days unless an authorized BLM officer approves in advance (Sec. 5).
- Keep at least 15 feet between dwelling units.
- “Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.” Do not run a generator in a manner that makes unreasonable noise.
- Amplified music is allowed only at La Posa and Imperial Dam, only in BLM-designated locations and only when approved in advance.
- “Pets must be kept on a leash at all times.” Clean up after your pet, and note the rules warn about coyotes preying on pets.
- Violations may bring a fine under 18 U.S.C. 3571 or other penalties under 43 U.S.C. 1733.
Section 19 of the 2004 BLM rules says, “Do not collect wood within LTVAs.” It adds, “You may not possess native firewood (i.e., mesquite, ironwood, palo verde) within LTVAs.” The BLM Midland page says this includes downed wood.
LTVA camping in the off season
You can camp at LTVAs from April 16 to September 14, but a 14-day limit applies. Section 34 of the 2004 BLM rules allows 14 days in any 28-day period. After day 14, you must move outside a 25-mile radius of that LTVA. Off-season fees differ by site as of September 27, 2026.
- La Posa and Imperial Dam: $10 per vehicle for day use, $15 per vehicle overnight, or $75 a year per vehicle (BLM Imperial Dam page). Each vehicle fee covers up to 5 people, plus $1 for each extra person.
- Hot Springs, Tamarisk and Pilot Knob: 14 days of camping free (BLM Pilot Knob page).
- Midland: no cost. The Midland page also says you may stay only 14 days in any 28-day period (BLM Midland page).
Planning a longer summer trip means finding sites beyond the 25-mile radius. Our guide to finding dispersed sites covers that search. Free camping still has costs, which we cover in hidden costs of free RV parking.
Camping on Arizona State Trust land
Arizona State Trust land is not public land, and you need a permit to camp on it. This is an Arizona rule set by the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD), separate from BLM LTVA rules. Overnight camping is limited to 14 cumulative days per calendar year.
- Recreational permit fees: $15 individual or $20 family, covering 2 adults and children under 18 (ASLD fee schedule).
- Permits expire one year from the date of issue.
- Camp at least 1/4 mile from livestock or wildlife water (ASLD permit terms).
- Use a portable toilet or a covered slit trench for human waste.
- Drive only on existing roads and trails.
Field office contacts
Call the managing field office before you go, because fees, hours and site conditions change. Hours below are from BLM office pages as of September 27, 2026.
- Yuma Field Office (La Posa, Imperial Dam): 7341 E. 30th St., Yuma, AZ 85365, 928-317-3200, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday (BLM).
- El Centro Field Office (Hot Springs, Tamarisk, Pilot Knob): 1661 S. 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243, 760-337-4400, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday (BLM).
- Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office (Midland, Mule Mountain): 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262, 760-833-7100, Public Room 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, closed federal holidays (BLM).
Frequently asked questions
How much is an LTVA permit?
As of September 27, 2026, BLM lists $180 for September 15 to April 15, or $40 for any 14 consecutive days. The El Centro LTVAs also list an $80 4-week stay.
Can I use one permit at every LTVA?
Yes. Recreation.gov says the permit and decals are valid at all seven BLM LTVAs. A BLM brochure says you may move between LTVAs without paying again.
Do I need a self-contained RV at an LTVA?
At Pilot Knob, Midland, Tamarisk and Hot Springs, yes. At La Posa, Imperial Dam and Mule Mountain, you may camp without one only within 500 feet of a vault toilet or restroom.
What counts as self-contained at an LTVA?
A permanently affixed wastewater holding tank of at least 10 gallons. Port-a-potties, portable holding tanks and permanent tanks under 10 gallons do not count.
Can I camp at an LTVA in summer?
Yes, from April 16 to September 14. La Posa and Imperial Dam charge $15 a night or $75 a year per vehicle. The El Centro LTVAs and Midland are free. You may stay 14 days in any 28-day period, then must move beyond 25 miles.
Can I gather firewood at an LTVA?
No. The 2004 BLM rules ban collecting wood inside LTVAs and possessing native firewood (mesquite, ironwood or palo verde) there.
Is the $600 LTVA fee in effect?
No. It was a proposal in the Yuma Field Office’s September 2024 draft business plan. Current BLM pages list $180 as of September 27, 2026.
Where do I get my LTVA decal after buying online?
Exchange the printed receipt at the Tyson Wash or Imperial contact stations, open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, or at the Yuma Field Office, open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. You cannot redeem a receipt before September 15.
