The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for 1 in every 10 acres of land in the U.S.
Mittry Lake Wildlife Area is a great destination for outdoor recreation, especially since its ecosystems have been rehabilitated to improve its existing open lakes, cattail marshes, and streamside woodlands for visitors and wildlife. The wildlife area itself comprises around 600 acres of water area and 2,400 acres of marsh area, and three separate mountain ranges can be seen from the land. Although the land is very wet, the wildlife area receives only three inches of rainfall a year, most of which falls in the winter, making the ecosystems all the more unique.
The Mittry Lake Wildlife Area is owned and maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a government organization that ensures the land is kept clean for its wildlife population. Mittry Lake is located within this area, is 750 acres total, and is also stocked with fish by the BLM. Historically, La Laguna, a mining town that existed from 1860 to 1862, once sat underneath where the lake now is. Today, Mittry Lake Wildlife area visitors can visit the site of the town, but no remains of it can be seen from the lake's surface.
The West Wetlands Trail is an easy hiking and biking trail that includes a small park and playground at its entrance.
Length: 2 miles
Intensity: Easy
Meers Point Trail is a trail along a lake with boat launch ramps and a picnic area. While walking the paved trail, you will see lots of wildlife in the wetlands.
Length: 7.8 miles
Intensity: Moderate
For a moderately difficult hiking challenge, check out the Telegraph Pass Trail. This trail follows some steep inclines over rocky hills but offers great views from Telegraph Pass at the very end.
Length: 5.3 miles
Intensity: Moderate
Perhaps the top activities at Mittry Lake Wildlife Area are fishing and boating. Anglers can try their hand at fish species like largemouth bass, crappie, bullhead catfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, tilapia, Redear sunfish, green sunfish, bluegill, and carp with a valid fishing license issued by the state of Arizona. Mittry Lake and its surrounding marshes have been dredged and restocked over the years, making them new and improved fishing hotspots.
As for boaters, Mittry Lake has a public boat launch area equipped with a three-land launch ramp and has handicap accessibility and on-site restrooms. Those with motorized and non-motorized boats may use the boat launch anytime, and all boaters may wish to take the channels that extend off of the main lake to explore the surrounding waterways, most of which are covered by cattails.
Hunting is permitted in the Mittry Lake Wildlife Area, and species available for hunting include bighorn sheep, mule deer, mountain lions, doves, quails, and waterfowl. Sheep are most commonly hunted in December. Deer are most commonly hunted from November to January, and mountain lions are usually hunted from August to May. The hunting months for quail are October to February while mid-November to early January is for doves, and July to December are for javelina.
There are plenty of wildlife varieties to see around Mittry Lake, from riparian birds to large mammals. Bird-watchers can see species like the yellow-billed cuckoo, summer tanager, Southwestern willow flycatcher, Yuma clapper rails, California black rails, Virginia rails, American coot, common moorhen, Western least bittern, and pied-billed grebe. These species can be seen year-round but most commonly in the spring nesting season. Water birds like the sora, American white pelican, double-crested cormorant, northern harrier, black-crowned night-heron, great blue heron, snowy egret, and osprey are also native to the lake area. As for mammals, mule deer, javelina, bobcats, desert bighorn sheep, and wild burros frequent the dry land areas.
Staying at a BLM-owned campground is a great option if you don't mind primitive camping, but for RV camping with full hookups, try staying at another campground nearby. One option you have is Foothill Village RV Resort, which has 160 RV-friendly sites, a pool and hot tub, and free Wi-Fi. You can also consider staying at Desert Breeze Travel Camp, which is an RV campground for military veterans that has pull-through sites with full hookups for electricity and water.
When you do an Internet search for "BLM camping near me," consider staying at the Mittry Lake Wildlife Area. This area does not include organized campsites but does permit dispersed BLM RV camping, which is camping on open, durable land areas. This Bureau of Land Management free camping option is available to take advantage of for up to 14 days at a time so long as visitors respect the wildlife and clean up their campsites.
When you decide to stay at dispersed Bureau of Land Management campgrounds, be sure to pack all the drinking and washing water you will need for your stay since there will be no water hookups for you to use. You may want to have a lot of bug repellent on hand if you are staying near Mittry Lake as well since the land is wet and marshy. Before you head out on your trip, check out our blog for all you need to know about BLM camping.
Anyone visiting the Mittry Lake Wildlife Area must follow the BLM's Leave No Trace principles. The principles include things like picking up trash and food, keeping your distance from the wildlife, and watching any campfires any time they are smoking. By following these simple guidelines, you can help keep this wildlife area clean and safe for all wildlife and human visitors.
To reach the Mittry Lake Wildlife Area from Yuma, Arizona, take Highway 95 east for 7 miles. From there, turn north onto Avenue 7E, and follow the road for 9.5 miles. From there, the pavement will end, and the entrance to the wildlife area will be 0.5 miles ahead.
Ready to visit Mittry Lake Wildlife Area? An RV rental is a great way to experience your destination. Not only will you be close to all the action, but at the end of a long day exploring, you’ll have your RV to return to for the night where you’ll enjoy a full kitchen, bathroom, and nice soft bed. Not sure about renting an RV? Here’s a step-by-step guide to renting an RV with RVshare.
