Long Term Visitor Areas – Cheapest Rent in America?

by Stormy Shafer | Nov 22, 2022 | Camping, on the road

I’ve known about boondocking—camping in places with no utilities or amenities—since before I got on the road. (This is not to be confused with parking lot surfing in Walmart or other lots, which is known as “dry camping.”) I was aware that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) stewards bazillions of acres of taxpayer-owned public land, opening up much of it for free dispersed camping to anyone who wants to use it, as long as they don’t overstay the 14-day limit or trash the place. I’d even seen signs for Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVAs) when I stayed on BLM lands in Quartzsite, Arizona—the Mecca of nomad life. But it wasn’t till a few years ago that I learned what those LTVAs were all about. And when I did, I realized I’d discovered what was likely the place with the cheapest rent in America, available seven months of every year!