Quartzsite, Arizona · OHV staging area on Quail Trail · Off-road loop
Arizona Peace Trail
A signed off-road loop of 675-plus miles across western Arizona’s deserts and mountains, with a staging area right in Quartzsite. All you need is an Arizona OHV decal.
Opens the Arizona Peace Trail’s official site. There’s no fee to ride, but every off-highway vehicle needs a $25 Arizona OHV decal.
Details checked October 2026
Type
Off-highway vehicle loop
Signed route on public lands
Admission
OHV decal
$25 a year per machine, plus a processing fee
Hours
Open year-round
October to March is the best riding season
Time needed
Half a day or more
The full loop can take up to six days
Parking
Staging area
26 pull-through spots on Quail Trail
Length
675+ mi
Per Arizona State Parks
What you’ll see
Ride out from the Quartzsite staging area
The Quartzsite OHV staging area puts you on the trail system minutes from the RV parks, so you can unload and ride.
Photo: BLM Arizona on Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Start here
Unload at the staging area
The town’s OHV staging area sits on Quail Trail just north of Town Hall, off Plymouth Road. Arizona State Parks lists 26 pull-through parking spots, a restroom, a picnic area and security lighting, so it’s built for tow vehicles and trailers.
RV tip: download the official GPS map or carry the printed atlas before you go. Cell service is spotty out on the loop.
More to see
- Dripping SpringsA ride east of town ends near stone cabin ruins and petroglyphs. A January 2026 trail report says the last stretch, about 280 yards, is closed to vehicles.
- Bouse, Swansea and morePoints of interest on the loop include the Bouse Assay Office and museum, the Fisherman Intaglio and Swansea Ghost Town.
- Alamo Lake State ParkArizona State Parks says Alamo Lake connects to the trail, a good overnight stop on a longer ride.
- Carsonite trail markersThe route is signed with BLM and Arizona Peace Trail markers, and it mostly follows existing mining roads and public-land dirt roads.
Why go
A 675-mile loop through western Arizona
The Arizona Peace Trail is a loop for off-highway vehicles that crosses Mohave, La Paz and Yuma counties, from Bullhead City in the north to Yuma in the south. Arizona State Parks calls it the largest OHV loop trail in the country, at 675-plus miles.
A nonprofit formed in 2014 by OHV clubs pieced the route together, mostly from existing mining roads and dirt roads on public land. It climbs from about 170 feet along the Colorado River to about 7,070 feet in the Hualapai Mountains.
Quartzsite is one of the easiest places to join it. The town’s staging area opened in 2021, paid for by Arizona State Parks & Trails. Ride from October through March, when the desert is cool.
Photo: Alamuki on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Why it made our list
- No fee to ride beyond the OHV decal
- Staging area minutes from town
- Signed route on public lands
- Ghost towns, mines and petroglyphs
- Rated 4.5 on Google by 60+ visitors
For RVers
Bringing your OHV to Quartzsite
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Get the decal before you ride
Arizona requires a $25 OHV decal, plus a processing fee, on dirt bikes, ATVs and side-by-sides of 2,500 lb or less. Arizona doesn’t accept other states’ decals. Visitors from out of state buy theirs online through an Arizona Game and Fish portal account.
Take the free safety course
Since January 1, 2025, one owner must pass a free online course, a 10-minute video and 20 questions, before buying or renewing a decal.
Trailer it to the trail
A nonresident decal covers unmaintained roads and trails only, so trailer your machine to the staging area rather than riding town streets. Riders under 18 must wear a DOT-rated helmet, and a spark arrestor is required.
Know where you can’t ride
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge allows only street-legal vehicles, so a decal-only UTV can’t go there. Wilderness areas such as the New Water Mountains, east of town, are closed to vehicles.
What visitors say about Arizona Peace Trail
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 20, 2026.
The largest OHV loop trail in the country
Arizona State Parks · azstateparks.com
What visitors often mention
Recurring topics in Google’s reviews
The trailCampingSceneryCactus
Google’s review topics point to the trail itself (6 reviews), camping (3), the scenery (3) and the cactus (2). Checked October 20, 2026.
How high the loop goes
Loop elevations from published trail guides. Quartzsite’s elevation is from our park pages.
Good to know
Decal$25 per year, plus a fee
Loop675+ mi per Arizona State Parks
Staging26 spots pull-through
BringArizona OHV decalOffline GPS mapWater and fuel
Decal rules from Arizona Game and Fish and ADOT, and staging details from Arizona State Parks, checked October 20, 2026.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Arizona Peace Trail
- Address555 Plymouth Rd. (staging area), Quartzsite, AZ 85346
- HoursOpen year-round
October to March is the best riding season - Phone(928) 317-3200 (BLM Yuma Field Office)
- CostNo trail fee. Arizona OHV decal $25 a year per machine, plus a processing fee
- Getting thereFrom Main Street, head east about a mile, turn left on Plymouth Road, then right on Quail Trail. The staging area is on the left.
- Parking26 pull-through spots for trucks and trailers, with a restroom and picnic area.
Decal rules changed in 2025, so check Arizona Game and Fish for current requirements before you ride.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Arizona Peace Trail
These are Quartzsite-area parks and camps we have written up. The east-side parks are a couple of minutes from the staging area.
Arizona Sun RV Park
Quiet east-side winter park with 32-by-60-ft drive-thru sites and a 4,500-sq-ft clubhouse.
Park Place RV Park
Tidy 88-site park on Riggles Avenue by I-10 Exit 19, with palms, picnic tables and shade ramadas.
Plomosa Road BLM Camping Area
Free BLM boondocking north of town with mountain views and a 14-day stay limit.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
No trail fee · OHV decal required
Trailer in and ride the loop
Get your Arizona decal, download the official map, and unload at the staging area minutes from your RV park.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos via Wikimedia Commons: BLM Arizona (riders, La Posa camp and Moss Wash; public domain), the Bureau of Land Management (Lake Havasu side-by-sides; public domain) and Alamuki (winter sunset; CC BY-SA 3.0). The images were resized. Video: Arizona Game and Fish Department on YouTube. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Arizona Peace Trail unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including Arizona State Parks, Arizona Game and Fish, ADOT and BLM pages and other publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details are set by the agencies that manage the trail and its lands and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Arizona Game and Fish at azgfd.com and the BLM Yuma Field Office at (928) 317-3200. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
We will always do our best to keep this page up to date. Thank you to everyone who contributes; we truly appreciate your help and support.