Camping guide · All regions
Camping on public land in Arizona
38.5% of Arizona is federal land. Most of it is split almost evenly between the Bureau of Land Management, with 12.1 million acres, and the Forest Service, with 11.2 million (Congressional Research Service). That is a lot of room for dispersed camping, under several different sets of rules.
New to dispersed camping? The region-by-region guide covers the basics. This page is about what's specific to Arizona.
BLM land
On BLM land in Arizona, the national rule applies unless a field office says otherwise: dispersed camping is "generally limited to 14 days within any 28-day period," after which you move to a new location, "often at least 25 to 30 miles away." Stay on designated roads and trails, and don't leave property unattended for more than 10 days (BLM).
Wintering near Quartzsite: the La Posa LTVA
If you want to stay longer than 14 days in one place, BLM's Long-Term Visitor Areas are built for it. La Posa, near Quartzsite, sells two permits for the season from September 15 to April 15, as listed by BLM in November 2026 (BLM, La Posa LTVA):
- a long-term permit, $180, for the whole season or any part of it;
- a short-visit permit, $40, for any 14 consecutive days, renewable.
Outside the season, from April 16 to September 14, La Posa charges $10 per vehicle for day use or $15 for an overnight, and the stay limit is 14 days in a 28-day period. BLM lists vault toilets, water faucets, a dump station and trash service there. Imperial Dam LTVA, on the California side of the Colorado River north of Yuma, sells the same two permits at the same prices (BLM, Imperial Dam LTVA).
National forests
Arizona's national forests include the Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott, Tonto, Coronado and Apache-Sitgreaves. Each sets its own rules. Two published examples:
Coronado National Forest
- 14-day stay limit per 60-day period.
- No camping within 1 mile of a developed campground or administrative site unless posted otherwise.
- No camping within 200 feet of a water source, including water tanks.
- Roadside campers keep vehicles within 300 feet of the road's centerline.
Source: Coronado NF, Dispersed Camping.
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
- No more than 14 days in a dispersed area in a 30-day period.
- Keep your campsite within 300 feet of a roadway, and don't drive on meadows to reach it.
- Camp at least 100 feet from any stream or other water source.
Source: Apache-Sitgreaves NFs, Dispersed Camping Guidelines.
On any forest, the Motor Vehicle Use Map decides which roads you can drive to reach a site. The Coronado calls it "a free map displaying the roads, trails, and areas open to motor vehicle use," republished every year, and says getting the current one is the driver's responsibility (Coronado NF, Motor Vehicle Use Maps).
State Trust land is not BLM land
Arizona also has State Trust land, and on the ground it can look like any other open desert. They aren't federal public land. Camping on them requires a recreational permit from the Arizona State Land Department, and the permit's terms limit camping to 14 days a year and require campsites to be at least a quarter mile from livestock or wildlife water sources (Arizona State Land Department).
Fire
Fire restrictions change through the year (BLM). Check the alerts for the forest or BLM field office you're in before you light anything, including a stove.
Reading Arizona in Grover
- Turn on the Public Land layers to see BLM, National Forest, National Parks, Wildlife Refuges and Reclamation land, and tap a patch to see who manages it.
- Turn on the MVUM layer for forest roads: surface, which vehicles are allowed, and the seasons each road is open.
- Watch the fire perimeters, smoke and hotspot layers, updated four or five times a day.
- Save an offline map before you head into no-signal country. Land layers and places come with you; fire and smoke don't, because an old copy could mislead you.
See whose land you're on
Open the public land map, or get the app for the road.
More state guides: California · Colorado · All regions
Sources
- Congressional Research Service, Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), September 14, 2026; acreage as of September 30, 2024.
- Bureau of Land Management, Camping on public lands; La Posa LTVA; Imperial Dam LTVA.
- USDA Forest Service, Coronado NF dispersed camping and Motor Vehicle Use Maps.
- USDA Forest Service, Apache-Sitgreaves NFs dispersed camping guidelines.
- Arizona State Land Department, Recreational permit terms and conditions.
Fees and orders change. If a source here and a sign on the ground disagree, the sign and the local office win.