Mittry Lake Wildlife Area

Mittry Lake was a surprise. My expectation was that of a bland man-made reservoir, but is so much more. The cattails surrounding the lake and migrating wildlife offer a lot of character and if you like to kayak or fish, this lake is a sweet spot to camp at. Though not in my top-10 places to camp, it is a nice change over the desert-camping offered in the Yuma area.

We stayed at the large area adjacent to the boat launch, which we knew would mean we will see more traffic coming and going, and we did get just that. There are some nice private sights to the South of the boat launch, but they were occupied when we arrived. This Southern stretch seems to get the most traffic with boaters, fishers, and day visitors coming to use the picnic tables. Camp further North and I suspect the traffic drops to a trickle, but be prepared for the washboard roads.

You may hear hunting in the morning, and the distant thumps of the proving grounds not far over the horizon. Luckily, neither are close enough to bother. But, add it all together with the traffic and boaters, we often went hours without hearing a bird chirp. Be sure to wake early for the sunrises and take the time to watch the sunsets, they are spectacular here.

Though I'd be happy to stay here again, I would be sure to choose a site further down the road to avoid some of the traffic and the noise that comes with it.

Mittry Lake was a bit of a surprise. We expected just a bland reservoir but the lake is really quite lovely. It is quite a trek out of Yuma and we chose to drive further around the lake to get to some solitude. The lake is quite busy with OHV's and duck hunters.

We scored a beautiful spot that was higher up than some of the more accessible lakeside spots. It was quite close to the road which made it pretty dusty the whole time we were there. We also experienced quite a lot of bug activity while we were there. We did sit out and have a fire a few nights which seemed to chase them away.

The dust and isolation will probably not be to everyone's taste, but we preferred the scenery here to some of the more desolate desert spots in the Yuma area.

Note also only Verizon works out here -zero AT&T coverage.

We stayed here two years in a row during February, but unlike the other reviewers we took a right turn off the main road and camped up on a hill about a half mile before the boat launch area. It's very popular but has great views of the lake and you don't get all the dust from traffic going by on the main road. There were some mosquitoes at dusk. We enjoyed the hiking trails right behind the camping area going up into the hills and desert but they are not marked and can get a bit confusing. Take lots of water and food in case you get lost. A few people did while we were there.
It's about a 14 mile drive to Yuma for shopping.

Had a wonderful site rite on the lake. Great ATV riding. Will return for sure.

Mittry Lake is about 2 miles of washboard gravel road away from paved roads. Taking it slow, we had no problem with our 38' 5th wheel. There are many spots on can choose from -- several right along the lake with fishing jettys and palm trees. Sites before the boat launch area provide best access to the water, but all traffic going to the boat launch will be going right past your site. (We took one of these for the view & the traffic wasn't particularly bad. GPS: 32.820282, -114.473208) There are sites further down the road, past the boat launch that would provide more privacy, but the views weren't so spectacular.

We enjoyed our visit very much, and were considering staying a couple more days ... but in talking with a new neighbor, we learned that on Saturday morning there was going to be a kids fishing derby and the place was going to be packed.

As was said by others, it is about 15 mi. to Yuma. There is a Circle K at the corner of Hwy. 95 & Laguna Dam Road that is only about 7 miles away.

The lake has a good feel, quite natural, marsh bird habitat but man made palm peninsulas for fishing. The fact that you are basically on a gravel road diminishes this site a little. Sunset and sunrise were both worth the visit. The road although washboard is not awful if you take it easy. The intermittent moments of peace make the odd passing vehicle worth tolerating.

Boondocked at Mittry Lake for eight nights in January. We took the advice of other reviewers and camped on the small rise instead of in one of the roadside lake spots. On the hill your neighbors are closer, but the traffic is non-existant. If you continue on the main road, past the dock, there are a handful of very private campsites (no neighbors, but you'll still get traffic).

Mittry Lake is a nice oasis in the desert. Great for birding and relaxing with a book by the water. It's about 20 minutes into Yuma.

While I was there sun was plentiful for solar, though it was consistently windy. Two long drops and a dumpster are the extent of the amenities.

Camping is allowed for 10 days in any calendar year. Everyone I saw kept their site neat and contained. Mostly quiet except for some generator noise. Dogs off leash was common.

Verizon coverage (not boosted) was passable for working, but not strong enough for anything but the basics. AT&T coverage nonexistent.

Really nice, except in the evening when, unlike most desert locations, this one has water so mosquitos attack. Be careful for that. During the day, no problem. Beautiful reservoir and several lagoons and canals around from water supply and movement into Yuma.

There were 5 or 6 other campers but we were all about .5 miles apart usually. Lots of spots, so keep driving when you go in to find a good place..... all are pretty good depending on your equipment and desires.

A little difficult to get to if you let your phone gps tell you how to get there. Some turns are straight and some straights are turns. Last 2 miles is gravel.

Highly recommend this spot... 10 day limit per annum.

Nice lake, limited "Lake Sites", I lucked out. More sites on other side of road up on a plateau. Palm trees reminded me of Tropical stuff. Very nice. Little reefs creating a bay of sorts, not sure I'd go swimming in it, but nice to look at.

i know this is out dated, but i just discovered this excellent website,(thanks, great job).
actually, i will stay at mittry lake again, though not sure if my wife will -- i won't stay at betty's kitchen again after what happened, as follows:
it was about 1 yr ago -- we have been staying in the same spot for years, whenever we're in algodones for glasses, dental, etc., its the first left(betty's kitchen) coming from the south, and the first little pull-off by the small dam(i used to like sleeping with the sound of the water, plus always some herons hanging out) -- anyway, about midnite, sound asleep, hear a car stop, door slam, then"no, no, don't shoot me!" and about 3 shots from a pistol, car speeds away -- i guess it was someone's idea of a prank, cause i looked in the yuma paper for a couple weeks, no reports of a murder there.
we're not into generators, or loud music, so we always have boondocked away from other rigs, but next time i stay at mittry lake, guess i'll need to take my chances with the generators, and not take as isolated a spot