Upon arriving here at the Imperial Dam LTVA you will want to register. The registration area is located about a mile up Senator Wash Road at the crest of the hill on the left. You will see numerous dump stations and potable water filling areas. Right after them is a small trailer with some solar panels. This is the Contact Station, register here. If no one is there, go and find yourself a spot for the night and register the next morning at around 9:00 AM AZ time. You are allowed 2 vehicles and a trailer. 7 months will cost you $180, 2 weeks $40.

There are 4 dump stations, 8 potable water stations and 7 dumpsters at the Admin area. Additionally, there are 2 bathrooms on Mesa Drive, on the left, beyond the Contact Station trailer. As all of the campsites here are “boondocking” sites, you will want to take advantage of the hot, clean showers at Squaw Lake campground. Tokens cost $1.00 each and will get you a 7 minute shower. The best deal in all the BLMs and National Forests. With the exception of the showers, water, garbage and dump-stations are all included in your fee.

There are a number of campgrounds at Imperial Dam LTVA ranging from the more crowded lake view areas, to the more remote areas where there can be hundreds of yards between campsites. There are campsites located behind hills and some on top of the hills. You will oneed a hilltop location if you want cell reception. Please see our new interactive maps which divide the Imperial Dam LTVA into neighborhoods to better find your campsite location.

While you are free to use the lakes for recreation, camping lakeside is restricted to the Squaw Lake Campground, Senator Wash North Shore and Senator Wash South Shore all of which are limited to two weeks and requires its own camping fees. However, day use is all part of your LVTA permit, so you are free to park in the day use parking areas and enjoy the water. Additionally, there are boat launch areas at both Senator Wash and Squaw Lake.

If you’re one of the hundreds who enjoy wintering here at Imperial Dam LTVA, or are considering it, you will be grateful for the services provided by the Christian Center, and for free. Mail, phone messages, package delivery, fax services and some of the friendliest people on the planet. You can even get your propane tanks filled or make copies of your important papers. Last, but certainly not least, they have non-denominational services in their air-conditioned church.

Verizon Cell service is available from most hill-top camping areas. While not authorized by the BLM, there is a Pirate WiFi service available near Admin Area. The Christian Service Center has a Computer Center with WiFi and computers available. Satellite TV and Internet is of course available to those who can afford it. Over-the-air, high-def TV service, including channels ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CW and 3 movie channels are available as well as some Spanish and Religious channels. However, to really keep on top of the happenings at Imperial Dam LTVA, you will need a CB radio and long range antenna.

There are emergency facilities available at the Proving Grounds Army Base, 3 miles, Yuma, 22 miles, and El Centro, 40 miles away. So before you write off getting that CB, know that emergencies via CB and the Emergency Response Team have an average response time of 8 minutes, where 911 calls can take over an hour. The reason is that the Imperial Dam LTVA Community monitors CB channel 12. 911 calls are responded to from Yuma or El Centro, 22 and 40 miles away respectively.

The entire Imperial Dam LTVA is located in the desert, complete with all of its marvels. The Senator Wash Reservoir, Squaw Lake and Colorado River bring life to the otherwise barren landscape. Burros frequent the area and the vastness of the surrounding desert offer both hikers and off-road enthusiasts a fantastic place to explore.