Apache Trail Dispersed Camping Apache Trail Apache Junction, Arizona 85119 USA (480) 610-3300 Hours not available Problem with this listing? Riding our quad in Bulldog Cany La Posa LTVA and Midland LTVA are located near Quartzsite while Imperial Dam LTVA is located near Yuma. You can almost always find great non-view campsites away from the rim as well as along spur roads on your drive in. These tall, leaf bearing trees provide a stark contrastespecially in late fallwith the ubiquitous Saguaros and Ocotillos seen on this drive. The red rock canyon views from the overlook are amazing. Ive driven the trail four times, but Ive never had an opportunity to do some serious boondocking and fishing along it until last weekend. Craggy Wash is part of the Bureau of Land Management. The ground is packed dirt, very unlevel and with many washes BUT the views are breathtaking and lush desert trails are easily accessible. It is convenient to the Maverick ATV Trail. We highly recommend arriving during daylight so you can see the washes. Further in (roughly 7 miles), the road turns to gravel, but is generally kept in good condition. Campground full or want to see whats around? Surrounded by beautiful desert wilderness, there are tons of excellent dispersed campsites near Phoenix that make a great place to pitch your tent or park a trailer. All rights reserved. Consistently busy area with campers and horse trailers. Stunning views. We're available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Arizona time. arizona map for salt river canyon tonto national forest. The main benefit of Craggy Wash is its convenience. We love that area too but hated the fact that we had no internet. The popularity of dispersed camping has taken a toll on many of Arizonas most beautiful natural areas. Arizona black river az dispersed campingwvu mechanical engineering research. Well, later that evening, I realized that my poor dog was totally STONED (and not in a good, mellow kind of way!!). Better yet? Because of the popularity of the Mogollon Rim, many of the areas dispersed campsites are actually designated. more. February 27, 2023 alexandra bonefas scott No Comments . You can reach the area without first entering the national park via Forest Service roads east of Tusayan, but the drive in is very long. Related Post: The Best Dispersed Campsites in Colorado. The six forest districts include Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Coronado, Kaibab, Prescott, and Tonto National Forest. But you have the homeless camping there with their kids swinging from the trees, very trashy area and deep holes and with this last storm there was water everywhere. The dispersed campsites here are spacious and mostly level. There were already huge pot holes and ruts in the road which were now filled with water and turned into mush!! Much of the surrounding area is BLM land. Edge of the World gets busy, especially in the summer. Its here that the campsites first appear. Most 2WD vehicles should be able to make it to the overlook (if you drive slowly). Just note that its only accessible from late spring to late fall due to its high elevation. We ended up biking through the dispersed camping area which was super sketchy. Dispersed camping in Arizona is an experience you can't afford to miss. Turn left and continue to site. Wanderland Travelers would stay here again. The top things to do on an I-40 road trip, The top things to do on an I-10 road trip, The ultimate guide to Petrified Forest National Park, The ultimate guide to Grand Canyon National Park, A road trip along New York state's Women's Heritage Trail, 9 stops on a Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail road trip, A cross-country road trip to U.S. presidential libraries, A road trip to filming locations featured in 'The Goonies', The top things to do on an Extraterrestrial Highway road trip, Pay Tribute and Reflect at These US Monuments and Memorials. Several are large enough for even the biggest RVs. Roosevelt Lake is among the most spectacular natural wonders in the Grand Canyon State - but the drive to get there is almost, if not equally, as beautiful. Trash everywhere, actually smelled like urine, and some people definitely staying past the 14 day limit. Please select a reason for flagging this item: 2023 Campendium Inc. All rights reserved. We've never boondocked with such close neighbors as the busyness and limited space here requires; I think that plus the bad weather contributed to a community dynamic that we really enjoyed. FWIW? Exploring behind the main road also had several areas that had a large amount of trash left behind and people possibly living in their vehicles or tents. When going #2, dig a 6-8" deep cathole and cover it when done. But you have the homeless camping there with their kids swinging from the trees, very trashy area and deep holes and with this last storm there was water everywhere. The road into this huge maze is extremely rutted with massive pits and you will have to take a perfect line in once you pass the fenced building on your left. And during Christmas of all times!! All the spots near the rim full? Enjoy! The noise was there but it wasnt too bad for us and didnt go later than 10:30 pm or so and didnt seem to be before 8:00 am. Many of the dispersed camping areas can be found on Google Maps and are named after the forest road theyre located on. Heres how to find other dispersed campsites in Arizona: Another option for free camping in Arizona is blacktop boondocking in a store parking lot such as Walmart or Cracker Barrel. The views from the end of the road are what make Edge of the World home to arguably the best free camping in Arizona. Look towards the forest roads near Tortilla Flat just northeast of Apache Junction. The paved road then follows meandering Harshaw Creek through a sycamore-shaded canyon until crossing over into Coronado National Forest. There were a few different "homeless" groups here while we were. Last but not least on our list of the best dispersed camping in Arizona is Harshaw Road. Campfires are prohibited from March 1 - May 25 without authorization from . Mike, Thanks for the write up. For example, FR 195 Campground is a good starting point for first-time visitors (although youll likely want to explore further in). The wildlife refuge is sprawling and remote. The mountain views are beautiful and the stars are bright at night. 15 mi Home. Some trash and generator noise but lots of room between sites. Expect minor washboarding, but nothing too serious. On the flip side, the views and landscape are amazing, and the location convenient. The best campsites look out over the Colorado River (near the start of the Grand Canyon). Bumpy road on the way in. We just pulled in for a quick overnight stay and so grateful that was all. We were in the area over this past weekend and primitave camped east of Tortilla Flats. Its also a popular destination for jeep tours and OHV riders. Heavy rains (3 inches in 24 hours) caused significant pooling in the lower areas of the campground which is, as reported, really just an extra-large horse-trail trailhead. Arizona's six National Forests are listed below along with a link to the dispersed camping guidelines for each: Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest dispersed camping . Campground Camping describes places to tent camp on the Apache and Sitgreaves National Forests. Camping areas are spread out, but only the ones right off the road are accessible to large rigs. Riding our quad in Bulldog Canyon (Tonto pass required $6 for 6 months per operator) was great, however we were almost run over a few times by side by sides; the hills and bowl area were fun. Overview of Tower Road Designated Dispersed Campsite 64. dispersed camping southwest. Campground Camping Areas Alpine Ranger District Alpine Divide Campground Blue Crossing Campground East Fork Recreation Area Aspen Campground - East Fork Black River Buffalo Crossing Campground Deer Creek Campground Diamond Rock Campground Camp and explore the Sonoran desert trails Camping & RV Sites Campsite reservations are available online or by calling our camping experts at the Arizona State Parks Reservation Desk 1-877-MY PARKS. In the winter through early spring, snow makes the road impassable. This campsite is far enough from Sedona and Flagstaff to minimize light pollution for very dark night skies and very bright stars. These access roads are RV friendly, although big rigs should look for campsites closer to Highway 95 as the roads do become rougher the further in you travel towards the mountains. Lots of hiking trails are located nearby (Wave Cave Trail is a short, sweet, and popular option). Luckily, the state has literally hundreds of others, most located on public lands. Safer, but Be prepared to be awoken. close to the traffic circle; we inquired inside and were able to fill water bladders no problem. You can most likely find a spot even if it looks very busy when you pull in. If youre looking for free camping in nearby states, our guide to finding free campsites will help you find the best free camping near you anywhere in the United States. Park is open year-round Trails 6 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Day Use Gates are closed and locked from 8 p.m.- 6 a.m. daily. Not homeless (though they may well have looked it; they played HARD here.) Be the first to add a review to the Apache Trail Dispersed Camping. However, we found a spot, and surprisingly, it was level. Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. There were some others camping like we were, but there were also multiple sites where people were clearly living out of their trailers. Fish Creek Canyon is perhaps the best and most scenic part of the drive. Saddle Mountain Overlook might just boast the best views of any free campsite in Arizona maybe even the entire United States. He currently rolls in a 4WD Ram 3500 outfitted with a SherpTek truck bed with a Bundutec Roadrunner mounted on top. A communications expert and licensed ham radio operator, he retired from the U.S. Navy in 2004 as a CWO3 after 24 years, holds a BS degree, and now runs Truck Camper Adventure full-time. . California condors also live here. We once camped near Taos, New Mexico, beside an old homestead which was very picturesque. 85119 88 for 41 miles (the last 20 miles of State Hwy. If you use your a/c great, windows open, youll be eating dust with the traffic! Some can accommodate . Here are 11 of my favorite places for free dispersed camping in Arizona to help you find the perfect campsite for your next trip. We have a 34ft class A with a tow dolly and had no issues. more. Several small, developed national forest campgrounds are also available for a small fee. There is ample dispersed camping in Coronado National Forest, including throughout the rest of the Chiricahua Mountains area. more. Apache Sitgreaves National . USFS (United States Forest Service) allows dispersed camping in all six of its Arizona national forests. Camping is only allowed at designated campsites in Bald Eagle State Forest. The area itself is beautiful. The views here are spectacular. The overlook (a small turnaround area) gets plenty of visitors during the daytime, but not many stick around to camp, at least in my experience. Its a quiet, peaceful area with great scenery and lots of wildlife (be careful with food storage as bears frequent the area). It rained so the area was very muddy. Located a little over an hour south of Tucson and just 15 minutes from Patagonia, Harshaw Road (sometimes called Harshaw Creek Road) is the ideal location for those exploring southern Arizona near the Mexican border. 2Wd vehicles should be able to fill water bladders no Problem, windows open, youll be dust. # x27 ; re available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Arizona time State forest you. Windows open, youll be eating dust with the traffic circle ; inquired. Ohv riders we found a spot even if apache trail dispersed camping looks very busy you! Once camped near Taos, New Mexico, beside an old homestead was., snow makes the road are accessible to large rigs Arizona time near. Inc. all rights reserved we highly recommend arriving during daylight so you most., and some people definitely staying past the 14 day limit for miles... And most scenic part of the Mogollon rim, many of the.... Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Coronado, Kaibab, Prescott, and popular option ) even. 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