Author: The Buchanans Rolling Down The Road

What can be said, about a crusty old curmudgeon, with no fixed address … not much I guess.

LTVA Rules

As more and more people ask about BLM (Bureau of Land Management), I thought it may be wise and helpful to post the rules for use.

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. The following are the supplementary rules for the designated
Long-Term Visitor Areas (LTVAs) and are in addition to rules of
conduct set forth in 43 CFR Subpart 8365. The supplementary rules
apply yearlong to all public land users who enter the LTVAs.

  1. The Permit Requirements and Fees. You must have a permit to use a
    designated LTVA between September 15 and April 15. The permit
    authorizes you to camp within any designated LTVA using those
    camping or dwelling unit(s) indicated on the permit between the
    periods from September 15 to April 15. There are two types of permits:
    Long-Term and Short-Visit. The long-term permit is valid for the entire
    season or any part of the season. The short-visit permit is valid for 14
    consecutive days, and may be renewed an unlimited number of times
    for the cost of the permit. LTVA users must pay the cost of the fee
    indicated on the LTVA permit, in U.S. funds only, before or upon
    arrival. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will not refund permit
    fees.
  2. Displaying the Permit. To make it valid, at the time of purchase, you
    must affix your short-visit permit decal or long-term permit decal, using
    the adhesive backing, to the bottom right-hand corner of the
    windshield of all transportation vehicles, and in a clearly visible
    location on all camping units. You may use no more than two
    secondary vehicles within the LTVA.
  3. Permit Transfers. You may not reassign or transfer your permit.
  4. Permit Revocation. An authorized BLM officer may revoke, without
    reimbursement, your LTVA permit if you violate any BLM rule or
    regulation, or if your conduct or that of your family, guest, or pets is
    inconsistent with the goal of BLM’s LTVA Program. Failure to return
    any LTVA permit to an authorized BLM officer upon demand is a
    violation of these supplementary rules. If BLM revokes your permit,
    you must remove all of your property and leave the LTVA system within
    12 hours of notice, and you may not enter any other LTVA in Arizona
    or California for the remainder of the LTVA season.
  5. Unoccupied Camping Units. Do not leave your LTVA camping unit or
    campsite unoccupied for a period of greater than five days unless an
    authorized BLM officer approves it in advance.
  6. Parking. For your safety and privacy, you must maintain a minimum
    of 15 feet of space between dwelling units.
  7. Removal of Wheels and Campers. Campers, trailers, and other dwelling
    units must remain mobile. Wheels must remain on all wheeled vehicles.
    You may set trailers and pickup campers on jacks manufactured for that
    purpose.
  8. Quiet Hours. Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. under applicable
    state time zone standards, or as otherwise posted.
  9. Noise. Do not operate audio devices or motorized equipment,
    including generators, in a manner that makes unreasonable noise as
    determined by the authorized BLM officer. Outdoor amplified music is
    allowed only within La Posa and Imperial Dam LTVAs in locations
    designated by BLM, and when approved in advance by an authorized
    BLM officer.
  10. Access. Do not block roads or trails commonly in public use with
    your parked vehicles, stones, wooden barricades, or by any other means.
  11. Structures and Landscaping. a. Fixed fences, dog runs, storage
    units, windbreaks, and other such structures are prohibited.
    Temporary structures of these types must conform to posted
    policies. b. Do not alter the natural landscape by painting rocks, as
    well as defacing or damaging any natural or archaeological feature.
  12. Livestock. Boarding or keeping livestock (horses, cattle, sheep,
    goats, etc.) within LTVA boundaries is prohibited.
  13. Pets. Pets must be kept on a leash at all times. Keep an eye on
    your pets. Unattended and unwatched pets may fall prey to
    coyotes or other desert predators. You are responsible for cleanup and sanitary disposal of your pet’s waste.
  14. Cultural Resources. Do not disturb any archaeological or
    historical values including, but not limited to, petroglyphs, ruins,
    historic buildings, and artifacts that may occur on public lands.
  15. Trash. You must place all trash in designated receptacles.
    Public trash facilities are shown in the LTVA brochure. Do not
    deposit trash or holding-tank sewage in vault toilets. An LTVA
    permit is required for trash disposal within all LTVA
    campgrounds. You may not change motor oil, vehicular fluids, or
    dispose of or possess these used
    substances within an LTVA.
  16. Dumping. Do not dump sewage, gray water, or garbage on the
    ground. This includes motor oil and any other waste products.
    Federal, state, and county sanitation laws and county ordinances
    specifically prohibit these practices. Sanitary dump station
    locations are shown in the LTVA brochure. You must have an
    LTVA permit for dumping within all LTVA campgrounds.
  17. Self-Contained Vehicles. a. In Pilot Knob, Midland, Tamarisk,
    and Hot Spring LTVAs, you may camp only in self-contained
    camping units. The La Posa, Imperial Dam, and Mule Mountain
    LTVAs are restricted to self-contained camping units, except
    within 500 feet of a vault toilet or rest room.
    b. Self-contained camping units must have a permanent affixed
    waste water holding tank of 10-gallon minimum capacity. BLM does
    not consider port-a-potty systems, systems that utilize portable
    holding tanks, or permanent holding tanks of less than 10-gallon
    capacity, to be self-contained.
  18. Campfires. You may have campfires in LTVAs subject to all
    local, state, and Federal regulations. You must comply with
    posted rules.
  19. Wood Collection. Do not collect wood within LTVAs. You
    may not possess native firewood (i.e., mesquite, ironwood, palo
    verde) within LTVAs. Please contact the nearest BLM office for
    current regulations concerning wood collection.
  20. Speed Limit. The speed limit in LTVAs is 15 miles per hour or
    as otherwise posted.
  21. Off-Highway Vehicle Use. Motorized vehicles must remain on
    existing roads, trails, and washes.
  22. Vehicle Use. Do not operate any vehicle in violation of state or
    local laws and regulations relating to use, standards, registration,
    operation, and inspection.
  23. Firearms. Do not discharge or otherwise use firearms or
    weapons inside or within 1/2 mile of LTVAs.
  24. Vending Permits. You must have a vending permit to carry
    on any commercial activity. Please contact the nearest BLM
    office for information on vending or concession permits.
  25. Aircraft Use. Do not land or take off any aircraft,
    including ultralights and hot air balloons, in LTVAs, unless an
    authorized BLM officer approves it in advance.
  26. Perimeter Camping. Do not camp within one mile outside
    the boundaries of Hot Spring, Tamarisk, and Pilot Knob
    LTVAs and within two miles outside the boundary of Midland
    LTVA.
  27. Hot Spring Spa and Day Use Area. Food, beverages, glass
    containers, soap, pets, and/or motorized vehicles are
    prohibited within the fenced-in area at the Hot Spring Spa.
    Day-use hours are 5 a.m. to midnight.
  28. Mule Mountain LTVA. You may camp only at designated
    sites within the Wiley’s Well and Coon Hollow campgrounds.
    You may have only one (1) camping or dwelling unit per site.
  29. Imperial Dam and La Posa LTVAs. Do not camp overnight
    in desert washes in Imperial Dam and La Posa LTVAs.
  30. La Posa LTVA. You may enter La Posa LTVA only at legal
    access roads along U.S. Highway 95. Do not create or use any
    other access points. Do not remove or modify barricades, such
    as fences, ditches, and berms.
  31. Posted Rules. You must observe and obey all posted rules.
    Individual LTVAs may have additional specific rules in
    addition to these supplementary rules. If posted rules differ
    from these supplemental rules, the posted rules take
    precedence.
  32. Other Laws. If you hold an LTVA permit, you must observe
    and obey all Federal, state, and local laws and regulations
    applicable to the LTVA.
  33. Campsite Maintenance. You must keep the LTVA and,
    specifically, your campsite in a neat, orderly, and sanitary
    condition.
  34. Length of Stay. Between April 16 and September 14, you
    may stay in an LTVA only 14 days in any 28-day period. After
    your 14th day of occupation at an LTVA, you must move
    outside of a 25-mile radius of that LTVA.
  35. Penalties. Under 43 CFR 2932.56(b), if you knowingly and
    willfully violate or fail to comply with any of the
    supplementary rules provided in this notice, BLM may revoke
    your LTVA permit. You may also be subject to issuance of a
    citation and/or arrest with a fine under 18 U.S.C. 3571 and/or
    imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. 3581, and the Federal Land
    Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1733(a))

The information is courtesy of the BLM website, and of course is subject to change as necessary. BLM land is the similar to our Crown land here in Canada

La Posa LTVA – Boondocking

Name: La Posa LTVA BLM

Address:

Phone: (928) 317-3200 Yuma field office

Rate: $40 – $180 2 weeks / 7 months

GPS: 33.65165 -114.2169

The LTVA long term permit ($180) allows use of Bureau of Land Management designated LTVAs continuously from September 15th to April 15th (a total of 7 months), or for any length of time between those two dates. The LTVA short-visit permit ($40) allows use of Bureau of Land Management designated LTVAs for any 14 consecutive day period from September 15th to April 15th, which begins on the day the permit receipt is exchanged for the official permit and decal. The short-visit permit may be renewed an unlimited number of times for the cost of the permit. LTVA permits are valid at all LTVA camping areas.

This is dispersed camping at its truest form, once you purchase your permit than you are free to park pretty much anywhere you want to. But you must always keep in mind mother nature and the lay of the land. And you must remember all BLM areas are not created equal some are dirt, come sand, some stone and others pretty much rock. And how far you venture off the main roads will depend on you rig.

Our 40′ diesel pusher coach keeps us closer to the main roads, and while we venture off the gravel roads we are very careful not to get into areas than will require being towed out and we also avoid damaging the underside of our coach.

I have posted the LTVA rules under a separate blog as many will have little or no interest in the rules while those looking to use BLM areas will have many questions. Again LTVA and BLM have simalar rules but also vary greatly a you will learn as you review these blogs

The LTVA @ La Posa has four separate areas La Posa West, La Posa North, La Posa South, and Tyson Wash. Each area offers some unique terrain as well as different amenities. La Posa South is the largest area and offers all the utilities as trips to south are required to dump and refill tanks. Near the middle to the end of January this process could take up to three or four hours to complete. There are two dump stations for rigs and one for blueboys, and I have known people to use the last of their water supply to shower or do laundry (we have done laundry) while in line at the dump station then after dumping storage tanks a hundred yards down the road are four fresh water spigots, two on each side of the road. Usually filling our fresh water tanks takes twice as long as it does to dump the “grey” and “black”.

While La Posa West is one of the smaller areas as you can see it is also the closest to Quartzsite and the “show grounds”, As much as the huge tent RV show is talked about the real draw for thousands of people to the quartzsite area are the rock and gem show which starts long before the RV show and is going well after the RV show has folded the tent up.

This whole area is an ATVer’s dream with hundreds of tracks into the desert and up onto the mountains around the LTVA. For those of us that do not participate they can be very noisy and dusty as they roll through the different areas. One must remember these areas are not campgrounds, there are rules but they are not strongly enforced unless there are complaints, and a complaint will normally not result in any kind of quick resolution. This is primitive camping and the best idea is to get along with those close by or just move on to a different area.

  • La Posa North
  • La Posa West
  • Big Tent RV Show

As you can see there are RVs pretty much as far as one can see, you can notice the big tent is up in all of these photos, so were all taken near the end of January. But also notice that there is no true organization to the parking of RVs, different groups split off into different areas, but many people return each year to the same spot to meet up with the same people year after year. And as we see these different communities form they will start working as a group and maybe do water and sewage runs as a group. So the group will share a blueboy or a water bladder with a pump and work as a team to avoid breaking camp, Many use composting toilets and as much as its not allowed on BLM land they will weep their gray water, so then the water bladder becomes a weekly job to top off everyone’s rig.

BLM which is federal does not allow grey water weeping but most of the state lands do. I personally do not see an issue with it, putting a little moisture back into the desert really has no great effect, and any one that is trying to survive on small fresh water supplies are usually being very conservative anyway and are usually very sensitive to what they allow into their grey water tanks as well, so harsh chemicals should not be a concern. I know growing up as a kid in rural southern Ontario grey water being wept onto the lawn was the normal thing, not a lot worse than pumping chlorinated water on your lawn to keep it green in the summer months.

We have camped at La Posa West in January of 2018 for 28 days and again in January of 2020 for another 28 days although not consecutive, and had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic and the border closure we had planned on longer stays in LTVA’s but most likely moving in and around to the different areas. Being in the LTVA near the end of January has to be on almost everyone who camps bucket list, Every thing is represented from multi-million dollar Provost coach to 15′ tow behind, from huge solar systems to little 1000 watt Honda generators, from loners like ourselves to huge gettogethers of close to a hundred rigs, its all there for two or three weeks in January each winter.