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October is traditionally the month when many nomads start their journey to the warm, welcoming climates of the southern states. For most of us that means Arizona, Nevada, and southern California where public land and free camping are abundant and uncrowded. Pahrump, Nevada, with an elevation of 2,697, is often a staging point before heading to the primary winter hub of Quartzsite, Arizona, home of the Quartzsite RV Show plus gem and mineral shows, and swap meets. During the winter Quartzsite’s population explodes from several thousand people to a million or more.
A big draw for nomads is the annual Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, hosted by Homes on Wheels Alliance and held every January at the Quartzsite City Park. The RTR provides a wonderful opportunity for community building, sharing resources, and learning about the nomadic lifestyle. Quartzsite is surrounded by BLM land so there are many opportunities to camp for free but nomads who wish to spend the entire seven-month winter season in the area can do so by purchasing a Long-Term Visitors Pass. In September 2024, the BLM Yuma Field Office Long-Term Visitor Areas drafted a plan to raise the fee from the current $180 to $600, a move that caused much consternation among nomads. But there’s good news! On September 4, 2025, the Bureau of Land Management Yuma Field Office posted on their Facebook page that the fees are still $180 for the Long-Term Visitors Pass and $40 for a two-week Short-Term Visitors Pass. A Short-Term Pass allows pass holders to camp for two weeks total in any Long-Term Visitor Area. While Long Term Areas do not have electric hookups, they typically do have amenities such as water, dumpsters, RV dump stations, and vault toilets.
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