The Arizona Oasis RV Resort is situated east of Blythe, California on the Arizona side of the Colorado River. We are posting this review so that you can decide for yourself whether the pros outweigh the cons at this RV park. We are publishing similar reviews for all the parks we visit. We also invite readers to submit their own reviews. Share your knowledge and help us to create a large collection of in-depth reviews to help others in the RV life! Please contact Maggie for more details. You can find many more RV park reviews here.
Here is a video we made while at the Arizona Oasis. It shows many aspects of the resort.
Sites at the Arizona Oasis RV Resort
There are 160 sites, of which 94 are premium sites with full hookups and 50-amp service, positioned close to, or on, the Colorado River.
The sites are spacious, but there is absolutely no privacy between them. That is typical of desert resorts, where the only trees are palm trees. However, they are certainly easy to access, particularly the pull throughs. The roads are wide and easy to drive through.
There are also 9 tent sites, 5 rental cabins, and 57 standard sites with full hookups and 30-amp service. All sites have cable too. There is a fenced dog park. And best of all, you can take your dog off-leash at the beach.
The sites are flat, with gravel spots for rigs, and a paved area with a picnic table. Some sites also have fire pits that must be used for wood-burning fires. There are 22 premium pull through sites, and 46 standard pull-through sites.
The park is nicely treed, and is situated about half a mile off Highway 10. The configuration is tight, with little privacy between the sites, but the roads are quite wide throughout the park.
Also, there is abundant bird life in this park. We woke up to bird song every morning, which was really lovely.
The park has a lot of full-timers in the mobile home area, which has 77 lots that people have bought. There is also a storage facility onsite. The park is also currently developing some of the RV sites into holiday cabins for rent and purchase.
Location and Local Attractions at the Arizona Oasis RV Resort
Arizona Oasis RV Resort is close to the highway, but we were not bothered by traffic noise day or night. There is a small convenience store and gas station located about a quarter mile away in Ehrenberg. We never tried these, as Ehrenberg is just not an attractive place. It is in fact a ghost town, as the sign announces.
Fortunately, the park is also within easy driving distance of Blythe, California, which has several shopping and restaurant options.
Arizona Oasis RV Resort is approximately 30 minutes away from Quartzsite. Just drive east on the I10 along a good highway. Quartzsite hosts a number of tradeshows annually, including the largest RV show in the USA. There are a few food shops and restaurants in Quartzsite. Some of them are surprisingly good. For good jerky and a lot of other tasty treats, try Daniel’s Really Good Fresh Jerky Jerky.
For a good meal or takeout, try Silly Al’s. It has a huge menu and a very interesting interior. It’s always hopping!
And Joe got his hair cut at Cactus Curlers Beauty Salon! Because that was the only place he could find for a much-needed haircut. There is one barber shop in Blythe, but they made Joe angry. So he wrote them a really bad review, and then found out he now had no choice but to go to a beauty salon 🙂
This RV resort is right on the Colorado River. Joe enjoyed a bit of fishing right inside the resort. Although, like everyone else we saw fishing, he never actually caught anything.
Of course, you can go power boating, kayaking, and jet skiing on the river.
Also, thanks to the river-side water slide, and a couple of shallow parts in an otherwise fast-moving river, there are many good recreational options for kids.
Pet Policy at Arizona Oasis RV Resort
The park allows any type of pets, with the usual leash rules. There is a nice fenced dog park. It is small, but has grass, which is a welcome change from the usual sand pits. There is also an off-leash area at the beach, along the Colorado River. This is a huge area where dogs can run on grass and on sand. Or even take a swim, as you can see in the video!
Many people book river-side sites and then sit outside their rigs, overlooking the river, as their dogs play with the other dogs running freely. We met many people who return to this resort every year, mainly because of the very unusual freedom their dogs can enjoy. We did not encounter any aggressive dogs in the park.
Bike Trails and Hiking at the Arizona Oasis RV Resort
We observed numerous sandy trails suitable for mountain bikes in the vicinity of Arizona Oasis RV Resort. There are also a lot of trails used by ATVs and dune buggies. This seems to be a passion with the campers in this area. In late March, we were advised that the scorpions and rattlesnakes were becoming more active, so we needed to be careful.
Public Transport near the Arizona Oasis RV Resort
There is no local transit.
Accessibility and Availability
The drive from San Diego was for the most part multi-laned and relatively straight, on roads that were paved rather than concrete. As you get closer to Blythe there are some two-lane highways. Of course, once you get onto the I10, there are plenty of lanes. The Park was easily accessed from the I10. It is accessed via the first off-ramp after you enter Arizona from California, which is exit 1.
General Atmosphere at the Arizona Oasis RV Resort
We stayed at this park during March. It was warm and sometimes hot during the day, cooling off nicely at night. The daytime temperatures ranged from 70 to 90 degrees. During our stay there were very few cloudy or rainy days.
However, there were some days of high winds that kept the temperatures on the cooler side. That did not stop us from enjoying the pool and hot tub every day. The temperatures drop at night, making it very comfortable to sleep without running your air conditioning.
The Park was about half full during our stay. Apparently, a number of people had already started their journeys back north. The campers were predominantly seniors, but there were a few families in the park too. We found everyone to be very friendly and polite.
Activities
The Park has a small contingent of camp workers who work in order to enjoy a low-cost or free site. These workers serve as park hosts, office staff, and activity leaders. While there were not as many activities as at Catalina RV Resort, we did enjoy a painting class (Paint & Sip), a guided kayak trip on the Colorado River, and water aerobics three times a week.
There were also exercise classes, bingo and poker evenings, karaoke, meditation classes, and a Saint Patrick’s Day dinner. There is also a café that serves breakfast daily for a reasonable charge. We never tried it because it does not offer gluten-free options.
Sing-Alongs
Also, there is a firepit with chairs right on the beach. Once a week there is a sing-along there. Unfortunately, as with other sing-alongs we have attended, the choice of songs was not to our taste. The singers are always musically gifted. And I guess as a result, they like obscure music that no one else knows. As a result, it is hard to sing along because no one knows the songs. I appreciate the efforts of these singers, but I would love it if even just a third of the songs could be songs that everyone knows and loves.
Mail Facilities
There is a clubhouse with a large meeting room, a laundry, and showers. There is also an office, with an activity area, and showers. The pool and hot tub are located adjacent to the main office. The office accepts mail and Internet shopping deliveries, which is very handy. You can also send mail out from the office.
Noise Level at the Arizona Oasis RV Resort
The park was very quiet the nights we were there, with no traffic noise. However, the ATVs, dune buggies, jet skis, and jet boats were sometimes noisy during the day. There was increased noise on the weekends with increased campers, and again during Spring Break.
Staff at the Arizona Oasis RV Resort
The Park is well organized, with an office staffed 9:00 – 5:00 daily. We were given a comprehensive brochure on check-in, which included a map of the park, TV channel guide, and a monthly calendar showing the schedule of daily activities. These activities are all free to guests.
Most of the time, the staff and camp workers were very polite and friendly. However, there was one notable exception. When we checked out after a five-week stay, the staff member seemed to be annoyed that we had not read our electricity meter, so she would have the inconvenience of having to send someone to read it. In fact, we don’t remember ever being told that electricity was an extra charge. It is possible we were told – five weeks is long enough for us to forget things!
In any event, we expected something like “Thanks for your business, have a safe trip home.” We got nothing but annoyance. Joe said something friendly, because he can’t help himself, and that was returned with a blank stare. That was really odd. Just that one experience was enough to convince us never to return.
Also, some of the events in the clubhouse were ruined for us by some of the work campers sitting right outside the door and smoking. The smoke blew into the clubhouse, forcing us to leave the events.
Unfortunately, we definitely did feel that we were not part of the “in crowd” because we did not drive an ATV. Another reason we don’t plan to return. But if you drive an ATV, this is the park for you! They have organized ATV rides several days a week. By contrast, our favorite thing, organized kayak expeditions, was only offered once the entire season.
Value for Money at Arizona Oasis RV Resort
We booked in for one month for the extremely reasonable price of $550 for a premium site with 50-amp service, cable, water and sewer. This was the month of March – we understand that this was a shoulder rate. Our site was very close to the Colorado River, which made for an easy way to walk the dogs. There are also a few premium sites that back on to the beach. The rates are lower for less serviced sites. The Park accepts Good Sam and Passport America, but only for the standard sites.
Wi-Fi
We only occasionally used the Wi-Fi because the signal was weak, but it was definitely better than some other camps.
Cable TV
There was cable TV with a very good selection of channels, which were listed on the last page of the brochure. The reception was excellent.
Cellular Reception
Cellular coverage was good for both Joe’s AT&T and my Verizon service. This was a big plus for this park.
Washrooms
The washrooms were very clean but a little dated, with good water pressure in the showers. The water was hot. Lots of space was provided for hanging towels, clothes, and toiletries. All in all, the showers were definitely a cut above the average RV park.
Facilities at the Arizona Oasis RV Resort
The property is large, with an office, two laundry rooms, a clubhouse, an activity room, a pool, a hot tub, beach area along the Colorado River, and a horseshoe pit. You can rent kayaks at the office. The pool was outstandingly good, and the best feature of this RV park.
The pool is big and clean, and just the right temperature. That is, it is warm enough to be comfortable, but cool enough to swim laps and get some exercise. Between aqua aerobics classes, swimming laps, and just relaxing on our noodles, we spend many happy hours in this pool. The hot tub was also quite lovely. There is also a tiny toddlers’ pool, but it is unheated, and no one ever uses it. Not even toddlers.
The laundry facilities were reasonable for the size of the park. I never had to wait for a machine during my stay. However, that may not be true if the park was at full capacity.
The store accepts mail and deliveries on behalf of the campers, and you can purchase propane at the nearby Flying J Station. Gas prices are very good in Arizona, usually 80 cents less per gallon that California gas stations.
There are also a few rental cabins on the site. This is a nice feature to allow your extended family to visit you, without being sardined into your RV!
Guest Parking at the Arizona Oasis RV Resort
There is a small guest parking area.
Bottom Line on the Arizona Oasis RV Resort
People at the park were very friendly and the facilities were well maintained. There were some issues with the sewage system generating odors periodically. But these were quickly resolved by the staff.
The only issue with this park is that it truly is in the middle of nowhere. Phoenix is 145 miles away; Yuma is a hundred miles; and Palm Springs is 120 miles. So, if you want to explore any cities, expect to drive for at least 1.5 hours. Fortunately, for shopping, Blythe is very close by. But it is a city in decline with many abandoned businesses. However, there are still a few restaurant and shopping options in town. Quartzsite is about 30 minutes east and has a limited selection for shopping. However, as mentioned, it has some very good shops. Also, there is a lot of free camping near Quartzsite that you might want to check out.
The setting along the banks of the Colorado River is what sets this park apart from the others. There is a nice grassy area above the beach, giving lots of room for dogs to run. The river is beautiful, and there were stunning sunsets over the river most evenings.
You can also fish in this river, although no one ever seems to catch anything. Joe insists there are no fish in the river, but he says that about every river and ocean he fishes in! There are lovely little features near the river, such as a kids’ pirate house, hammocks, and chairs to just sit and enjoy the river.
Those whimsical features definitely elevate this park from the park, and help explain why some people come back for the whole winter, every year.
Weigh up these pros and cons and decide if this is the RV Park for you!
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