Our review of River Sands RV Resort near Blythe and Quartzsite
Ehrenberg, Arizona is a town on the shores of the Colorado River which is where you’ll find the River Sands RV Resort, a place we stayed recently. If you’ve heard of Blythe, California or Quartzsite, Arizona those two places are very close to this and there are a number of RV parks in the area owing to the recreational opportunity of the Colorado River and the affordability of the region.
Now if you’ve heard of Blythe you might ask yourself why we would go there on purpose and it’s a legitimate question. But, actually, a lot of people really enjoy the area. More about that in a moment.
River Sands RV Resort invited us to come stay so we could share what we thought of the place. The property features 255 RV sites of all types, all of which have full hook-ups. In addition there are vacation rentals in the form of park model trailers.
Something I hadn’t seen before is that the property also offers ownership opportunities in the form of pre-selected park model trailers that someone might purchase and then leave on the property.
Sites and camping at River Sands RV Resort
The sites at River Sands RV Resort are mostly spacious and flat and covered with crushed rock. The property itself is about three years old so everything seems to be newer and in good working condition.
Staff at the resort seem to be constantly working to keep things in new condition.
They were also really pleasant folks and the lady who runs the front desk earned employee of the year throughout all the company’s properties. She was pretty pleasant.
The Colorado River
One of the biggest draws in the area is the Colorado River which flows right by the River Sands RV Resort. As such they have a long beach on the river which features a sandy surface but also a number of stand-up tables with thatched canopies over them.
We were there in January and the weather was less conducive to water sports, the beach and river absolutely appeal to people as temperatures climb and the water itself gets warmer too.
Even so, dogs absolutely seemed to have no issue with water and air temperatures and several of them were happily enjoying the water.
Interestingly the Colorado River is the border between Arizona and California so you could swim across the river and be in another state. But the funny thing about this is that California and Arizona are on different time zones so my watch and phone kept changing based on where they thought they were. My watch and phone notify me of time changes and that provided some entertainment while I was visiting.
So I guess I was two-timing my own self. I know I have to watch myself.
Activities and amenities
There is a lake on the property that offers catch-and-release fishing with several campers having caught rather sizable catfish. Apparently these creatures can be tempted with hot dogs as the bait of choice.
There are also pickleball courts. There is also a large pool and in-ground hot tub right outside the main club house.
That pool sits right by the fitness center which I perceive to be well equipped, but I’m more familiar with RV chassis than fitness systems. Perhaps I should acquaint myself with these.
The club house had all sorts of activities including pool, foosball, checkers, Jenga, corn hole and more. They were also doing a morning water aerobics class in the pool when we were visiting which seemed well attended.
There are also a lot of washing machines and dryers which are operated through the WASH+Connect system. The machines all looked like they had just come off the showroom floor which is a pretty consistent theme with the whole park.
Pet friendly
The company has done a really good job embracing all the pets that are now RVers as well. There is a bark park on the property but there are also a lot of grassy squares at the end of the rows of RVs that feature pet poop bags and a place to deposit the filled ones.
The pet station at the end of the row where we were camping had one of the grass squares, pet bag stations but also had a fire hydrant. I would imagine this is where only the fanciest pooches deposit their waste.
Rental cabins - park models
In addition to the RV sites there are also a number of park models here for rent. This makes a lot of sense as someone could rent one of these for family members that aren’t RVers while also staying in their own RV.
Of course one could also just rent one of these as a vacation getaway. The rates seemed to be comparable to local hotel rates with the bonus of a full kitchen. There are models with lofts that can accommodate a whole family. To me the full appliances in the park models would seem to make more sense than renting a hotel and having to eat all your meals elsewhere.
Why is it that the Continental breakfast at so many hotels is nothing like the Continental breakfast over on “The Continent.” I’ve been to Europe - the breakfast there is amazing. The one in most hotels isn’t so it just makes sense to have your own kitchen.
There are a good number of people who come to the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation and RV Show and rent hotel rooms and this would seem like such a better option for so many reasons including the fact that there are all the amenities of the resort but this place is also not sketchy which can’t be said of a lot of the hotels in the area.
Tiny Home ownership
River Sands RV Resort offers several specific spots where someone would purchase a pre-selected tiny home (they offer several models) and then have them permanently on the property. Why would you do this?
Well, you have a place you know is there on a property that offers the amenities we’ve mentioned in this article. The tiny home or park model is yours so you can come and go as you please and decorate the interior as you please.
Monthly rent at the time I wrote this was $525 plus the cost of the tiny home which ranges from $89,900 to $94,900. This doesn’t include electric and propane.
About the area
The area appeals to people who want to spend time on the river. There are also all sorts of off-road activities as well as the types of recreation the desert offers. While some people not familiar with desert living might eschew this, there are a lot of people who enjoy spending time in the desert. Part of the appeal is just the natural state of the area but off-roading and desert living is a thing. Trust me.
What I would change
Overall there isn’t much I would do differently in this place. It does have a more austere aesthetic (I had to pay extra to type those words) but that’s the desert setting.
Overall opinion
We enjoyed our two-night stay. I will say the park carries the desert vibe which might seem more barren than what some campers want in a place that’s a resort, but that’s really the area in general. If lush greenery is your thing you’re probably not visiting this area anyway.
The people at the resort were very pleasant and the facilities were quite nice. If you crave desert vibes but also want a place that’s in very good condition with plenty of amenities, this would be a good choice.
