Needles KOA
The Needles KOA is across the California-Arizona state line, within a 30-minute drive of Oatman. Tent and RV campers can be accommodated. Tent sites have picnic tables and fire rings. There are freshwater taps for cooking and drinking water. Guests can cool off from the desert heat in the KOA's swimming pool, and then wash off in the showers on the premises. Hikers can head to the Mojave National Preserve and explore its many trails. Mountain bikers can ride the fire-roads of the region and find single-track in the Mojave Preserve. Rock climbing and bouldering routes are plentiful in the region.
Needles KOA
5400 National Old Trails Rd.
Needles, CA 92363
(760) 326-4207
koa.com/where/ca/05366
Hualapai Mountain State Park
Visitors to the Oatman area can opt to camp at Hualapai Mountain State Park in Kingman. There are sites for both tent and RV campers. All campsites at the park are first-come, first serve. Every site has a picnic table and fire ring. There are a limited number of sites with freshwater spigots. Water is available at communal taps as well. Pets are allowed if leashed. Hiking and mountain biking trails can be found in the park. The park is set in a Ponderosa pine and gambel oak forest. Granite rock formations in the park provide bouldering opportunities and single-pitch rock climbing routes.
Hualapai Mountain State Park
6250 Hualapai Mountain
Kingman, AZ 86401
(928) 681-5700
mcparks.com
Buckskin Mountain State Park
Buckskin Mountain State Park is within a 30-minute drive of Oatman and offers tent campers a quiet, rural setting to base-camp. Tent sites have fire rings, picnic tables and access to freshwater spigots. There are showers and bathrooms in the park. Pets are allowed if leashed. Water sports enthusiasts can take advantage of nearby Lake Havasu, where there is canoeing, kayaking, swimming and fishing. Hikers can walk the trails in the park. In the early spring, Death Valley National Park (two hours away by car) has fields of wildflowers that bloom for a short period.
Buckskin Mountain State Park
5476 Highway 95
Parker, AZ 85344
(928) 667-3231
go-arizona.com/Buckskin-Mountain-State-Park
Article Written By Eric Cedric
A former Alaskan of 20 years, Eric Cedric now resides in California. He's published in "Outside" and "Backpacker" and has written a book on life in small-town Alaska, "North by Southeast." Cedric was a professional mountain guide and backcountry expedition leader for 18 years. He worked in Russia, Iceland, Greece, Turkey and Belize. Cedric attended Syracuse University and is a private pilot.
