A million or more recreational vehicle drivers visit Quartzsite, Arizona every year, creating a temporary metropolis on open land provided by the Bureau of Land Management.
A couple weeks back I went out to visit one of the strangest places I've ever been. It's a pocket of the Southwest that's become notorious in the world of recreational vehicle drivers. A million or more of them visit every year, creating a temporary metropolis of RVs out in the desert. They park in RV lots, on streets, and -- in vast quantities -- out in the desert on open land provided by the Bureau of Land Management. It's not just numbers that makes this place unique. It's the community that forms.
I've written a profile of this place, Quartzsite, Arizona, for the latest issue of High Country News. You can read the piece and view a related photo gallery (with infographics).
As you'll read in the piece, the RVers of Quartzsite create a temporary city and community out in the middle of the desert. It becomes home to thousands and thousands of snowbirds and RV drivers looking for a warm place to spend the winter. For just $180, they can park their RVs out in the BLM land for up to 7 months. And many of them do.
I was originally compelled out there to do some research for a book project I've been working on about places that are like cities, but which aren't actually cities. The BLM desert camping grounds are exactly that. And the city-like aspects are easy to see and experience when you're there.
Below are some pictures I took while I was there. It's definitely a place worth checking out at some point. I'd suggest actually going in an RV. The tent I camped in looked a little out of place among the hundreds of thousands of RVs around me.
RVs in and around Quartzsite, AZ.
RVs spreading out into the BLM land outside Quartzsite, AZ.
RV camping areas off in the distance.
RVs "boondocked" on BLM land, known as the La Posa Long Term Visitor Area.
The BLM's La Posa Long Term Visitor Area.
A typical camp setup at La Posa LTVA.
Another campsite, with other recreational vehicles parked nearby.
Many campsites set up front yard-like displays around their campsites.
Solar panels are a common site at the LTVA, where RVers are far off the grid.
Some campsites even build their own patios and extend the realm of their motorhomes.
Old Glory flies high over many RVs at Quartzsite, which attracts a mainly aging, silver-haired and right-leaning crowd.
Some RVers camp farther out into the desert, but the LTVA has a very social community.
Campsites range from the decrepit to the million-dollar in Quartzsite.
Some campers make extra efforts to create a home-like quality on their campsites.
Leftover Christmas decorations adorn a desert shrub.
A rally of Blue Bird Wanderlodge owners gathers in the LTVA outside of Quartzsite.
Rally organizer Phil Corpus stands in front of his home on wheels.
Vintage Blue Bird Wanderlodges like this are treasures in the RV community.
Jim Nicholson stands by friend Ron Jones and his compact campsite.
One of the many swapmeet and trinket shops within the town of Quartzsite.
Hundreds of thousands drive into Quartzsite for swap meets and shows during the town's high season.
Rock and mineral sellers fill Quartzsite's swap meet areas during the wintertime.
Longtime Quartzsite visitors say that if something's for sale in the U.S., you can find it here.
The thriving swap meets of Quartzsite return year after year, as do the RVers who flood the town's surrounds.
To hear more about the unique RV community in and around Quartzsite, AZ, and the people that create that community, check out my piece in High Country News.
San Francisco Could Redefine RVs to Restrict Living in Vehicles
The SFMTA is considering expanding the definition of RVs to include mobile homes, box trucks, and other campers.
San Francisco Could Ban Overnight RV Parking
Advocates say the proposal would further destabilize the lives of people forced to live in their vehicles.
Clackamas County Votes to Allow ADUs, Residential RVs
County officials hope the zoning changes will help boost the housing supply in the region.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.
Judge Halts Enforcement of Anti-Homeless Laws in Grants Pass
The Oregon city will be barred from enforcing two ordinances that prosecute unhoused residents until it increases capacity and accessibility at designated camping sites.
Advancing Sustainability in Los Angeles County Schools
The Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Green Schools Symposium brings together educators, students, and experts to advance sustainability in schools through innovative design, climate resilience strategies, and collaborative learning.
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
