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Part of the Douglas Ranger District
Willcox Playa is best known for its wintering population of sandhill cranes that migrate to the playa in large numbers, particularly in wet winters. It is not unusual to see several thousand cranes in winter at the power plant ponds viewing area on the southwest side of the playa, or at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s 600-acre Wildlife Area on the southeast side. The cranes feed and court, but after February migrate to their summer breeding grounds in the northern Great Plains. Birding is best from mid-October through March, when more than 15 species of birds of prey may also be found here. The annual Wings over Willcox Birding and Nature Festival takes place in nearby Willcox each January and features guided tours. Camping: Overnight public camping is allowed in designated areas only, for no more than 14 days within a 45-day period. There are no facilities at the Wildlife Area. Restrictions: Open fires are allowed in designated areas only, Parking area only. No firewood cutting or gathering.
This is a Wildlife Viewing Area. Dispersed camping is allowed as long as you are 200 feet or more from the water and at least 1/2 mile from the local campground. Wildlife must be viewed from afar and not interacted with. LNT.
Guide
40 mile scenic drive on a 4x4 road, dispersed camping along the way. Extremely popular view to park off the road in the saguaros. But I’d recommend cactus forest north of Tucson in blm land if you want that. Farther in you hit the mountains. We stayed off an off roading rock crawler trail. Def the path less taken. Super quiet and relaxing.
Guide
Boondockers paradise. Beautiful views and spacious campsites. USFS Coronado National Forest controlled. Ranger came by a day after we arrived and checked in with us. 14 day limit on staying here and it seems like it is enforced.
Had two Canyon Towhees come visit us every morning.
Some traffic as it is a popular rock climbing area especially on Friday and Saturday. Middlemarch Road is wide but very washboard-y. Took us about 45 minutes to go 10 miles. We found a nice spot on FR 687. We got water at the Stampede RV park in Tombstone. The other RV parks didn't allow us to fill. About 45 minutes to Sierra Vista for supplies. Will definitely stay here again.
Guide
This is the first time I've ever stayed on BLM land. I parked at the 3rd spot in midday and stayed all night. I only saw about 6 vehicles go by the entire time I was here, but I couldn't see or hear anyone else aside from that. The view was nice from my spot. Had about 2 bars on average with AT&T
Traveler
Found a beautiful dispersed camping spot beneath the Aspens and Ponderosas on the north side of FR803 about a mile west of the Riggs Flat Lake Campground. There’s a great overlook to the east looking out toward Pima and Safford.
Traveler
Review of RV Boondocking at Cochise Lake Willcox, AZ
Cochise Lake is a fantastic boondocking spot with plenty of space, making it perfect for big rigs. It is easy to access, peaceful, and offers a great place to settle in for a night or more.
The real highlight, though, is the incredible experience with the sandhill cranes. You’re just feet away from hundreds of not thousands of these majestic birds. Watching them take flight at daybreak is absolutely breathtaking. Many return around 1 p.m., and sunset brings another spectacular show.
If you love birdwatching, wide-open spaces, and the beauty of nature, this spot is definitely worth a visit!
Traveler
Dispersed camping. No amenities. The spots at the cieneguita camp are full Everytime we have camped at the preserve but there is plenty of open area to pick a spot. We camped just past the cieneguita sites tucked back in the mesquite thicket. The dirt at the spot we camped at was so fine it was like talcum powder so everything was covered in dirt in no time BUT it’s camping. You can hear periodic gunfire as this is BLM but people appear to be shooting in areas that are away from campers and towards hillsides. Super quiet otherwise and great skies without light pollution for looking at stars. Pretty cool spot.
Guide
Very nice dispersed camping. Only three other RVs here. Great views of wide open spaces
LegendWildflowers at their peak. a full on superbloom of California poppies amidst cacti greeted us at this BLM spot just southeast of Mt. Graham. Lots of places to pull over for a night or for a week or two along Tanque Road, and almost no road noise since the highway is far enough away. Tanque Road is dirt but was doable for our vintage trailer for the first mile or so, but we've heard it gets sandy and harder to navigate the further in you get.
Well-positioned in between the Coronado National Forest and the Hot Well Dunes area. No services, no water, no toilets, just beautiful open desert. Come prepared with drinking water and please Leave No Trace.
Closest town is Safford, AZ about 30 minutes away, and has all that you need.
Legend
Dispersed camping, no amenities, but FREE.
Easy drive in on partially washboarded flat gravel road (E Yucca Farm Rd). The dirt road into Road Canyon is manageable, just drive with caution. Area is wide open and quiet with multiple spots. Did not see many people during our stay here, just a few hikers and ATV’ers, and one trailer camping down the road. As you are driving in there are several decent spots to pull off and camp. There are stone fire rings that people have made and the area is free from left litter.
Further down the dirt road you come upon a “no trespassing” sign indicating that it is State Trust land and that a permit is required to go any further, and to call 602-542-2119. Arizona Trust Land Permit is $20/year for family of 4, $15/year individual.
Saw some antelope on our way out but no other wildlife. There are free range cattle but did not see any. Nice quiet place to let the dogs run free.
There are other camping areas further up the main road.
Good Verizon and AT&T reception
RangerThis area is also called Empire Ranch. The ranch is 44,000 acres boastes lots of wildlife elk, antelope, coyotes, kangaroo rats, and roadrunners. The ranch house can be toured along with several bunkhouse and barns. Several western movies have been shot on the ranch and lots of the scenery looks familiar from these said movies. John Wayne Frank, Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sam Elliott are some of the actors in these movies. Water can be acquired at the camp host and gift shop area at the ranch house. The ranch has an airport which all the large Class A Class Cs and goose neck campers usually camp because the campsites are on the air strip area and requires very little backing. A true gem of a dispersed camping area.
ScoutBeautiful rock backdrops and views with lots of trails. There is much dispersed camping and although the area can be quite busy, there's lots of space and privacy can be had. The area is nice and clean for all the use it gets - folks doing a good job of packing it in and packing it out :)
Legend
If the campground at the national monument is full, head up Piney Canyon Rd. and you will find a number of free spots for both tent camping and RV’s just off the main road inside the boundary of the national forest. Most sites are tree covered, but we found one with an open sunny space for our solar panel. Our site was right next to a very clean flowing stream, which provided not only a nice soundtrack but also a filterable water source. Most of the sites seemed to have established fire pits, with ours being the monster of all fire pits we’ve ever seen. These are dispersed sites, so no potable water, picnic tables, or toilets are available, so come prepared with what you need to be comfortable. Also note that the road into the forest is not maintained well and is full of washboards for about a mile or so, and many washes cross this road, so pay close attention to rain in the forecast as you could get stuck on the other side of one of these washes for an indefinite period of time.
The closest grocery store and gas station is in Willcox, which is about 40 minutes away. There are also a number of wineries in the area, as this is 1 of the 3 Arizona wine regions.
Note: There is no cell service anywhere along this road, your best bet for an LTE connection is at the top of the monument’s road (Sugarloaf Mountain or Echo Canyon parking lots) or the guest wifi network at the visitor’s center.
Guide
Not really much to see here just a horseshoe parking. Didn’t stay since the spot so small right off the road. We are in 40ft Rv it’s just a place to rest your head boondocking
Guide
Open space for boondocking. Historic ranch house open for visiting. Saw many birds and few other campers. Public bathroom at ranch headquarters and water . A mountain biking riding area - gravel roads and cattle in fields.
GuideI’ve camped at Redington Pass a few times throughout the years. It’s a fun trail if you like a challenge of off roading. I wouldn’t recommend larger trailers or RVs to travel too far up the trail, we’ve seen them get stuck trying to turn around. The road is rough but if you don’t mind driving slow over the holes and bumps then no big deal.
Easy to find, follow Tanque Verde Rd all the way East until it turns into Redington Road, this then leads to a dirt road with TONS of dispersed camping pull offs with established fire rings. The further east you travel on the pass the less people you have to camp next to. The camping sites closer to the entrance get packed on the weekends.
The further you go you’ll run out of service, no bathrooms, no water hook ups, nothing, just dispersed wild camping!
Legend
This is a wonderful place to boondock if you are driving the I-10 or visiting Fort Bowie Nation Historic Park. The dirt road is easily passable for most vehicles. Ver quiet. Decent cell signal with T-Mobile.
Scout
This was the perfect place to have my first dispersed camping experience. I tried following Google Maps to the gate however the dirt road it had me try was no longer accessible by car as it was very overgrown. I returned back on the road and continued for about 1/4 mile and found the accessible main dirt road. The gate was closed, please close it once you get your car inside. You must have a Public Lands Trust permit which I did not realize until I got to the gate. Getting one was super easy. $20 for a full year permit and $1 online convenience fee. Once I secured the permit, it was time to explore and find my home for the evening. The road is easy to navigate (yellow ribbons on the bushes just in case) and not maintained. Texture is mostly washed rocks with nothing too technical. High clearance vehicle is required and 4x4 suggested. I saw Pond 2 (0.5 miles from the gate) off to my right and decided to take a look instead of going to Pond 1 (1.5 miles from the gate) immediately. I found a spot that would work for me. Fires are allowed (always check BLM for up to date fire restrictions!!) I still cleared a 10 foot radius around my hand built fire ring as there was dried grasses around. No trash service, no water. Surprised to see 2 porta-potties at the gate but I can't say what state they were in as I did not use them. Come and enjoy the solitude and epic sunsets
Guide
Take Middle March road on left off of highway 80. Campsite is 10 miles on the left. The first .5 miles is paved, the other 9.5 miles is primitive (embedded rock, loose gravel, and about 75%washboard). You’ll cross a few cattle guards and dry river beds. Plenty of camping spots with fire rings.
GuideMy favorite camp spots. I’ve visited the monument multiple times and i love this area. Some spots are closer together to allow for bigger groups but most are semi secluded. Never disappoints and have camped here in every weather which the trees protect at least somewhat.
GuideAnother app calls this Forest rd 687, probably because where all the camping sites are. Coming from Tombstone you travel on N Middlemarch rd which is 10 miles of dirt washboard and just plain bumpy for 10 miles until FR 687 comes up as you Y to the left. FR 687 is not exactly smooth either and not that wide (maybe 1 1/2 vehicle), but your basically there. From the cattle guard you just went through I would say 2-3 miles of established sites even for the bigger rigs and if your smaller or tent camping, just past the next cattle guard and it goes on and on. It would be hard not to find a site with a beautiful view of the Dragoon Mtn ridge, even from within your rig. Of course that would be after you dust off all the windows. Your roughly at 5000’ so winter camping be prepared for snow on occasion. It also can be a little breezy. I’m up here at the end of December and their calling for snow next week. Plenty of hiking, mtn bike, horseback riding and rock climbing. The locals love it up here too, so there is some traffic. Other than that it is pretty quiet and peaceful. This is all dispersed camping so come well equipped, because if you forget anything the closest town with supplies is Sierra Vista or Benson.
GuidePopular boondocking site 8 miles south of I-10 ar Bowie. Easy to find, level dirt road with only a bit of washboard in places. Pit toiletat the day use area. Beautiful views of the giant bolders that are prevalent in this area. There were 12-15 RVs of all types spread out widely along a single dirt road. I had 3 solid bars of AT&T. Very quiet at night. There is no light pollution so stargazing would have been awesome if not for the waxing moon. Enjoyed hiking around the area. Be careful as some of the cactus will scratch you badly if you're not careful. Only con was there was no toilet paper in the pit toilet. Recommend!
Ranger
This is a huge group campsite with a few fire rings and plenty of space to spread out. It can be reserved during certain times of the year so be sure to check out the BLM site. Otherwise it’s free and in a great spot just off the highway and near Empire Ranch. You should definitely bring bikes to ride along some of the trails and go check out the Old Empire Ranch buildings two miles further down the road.
ScoutI first came upon this area three years ago and have come back every year since. It is isolated, camp sites are well spaced and the scenery is great. There is no highway noise and the night time stars are brilliant. It is free range for cattle so you may wake up several mornings to see them in 'your backyard'. There are Coues deer (a small whitetail), pronghorns (get up early to see them), a prairie dog town, coyotes can be heard many nights, and all kinds of birds.
Empire Ranch has a great but small museum, with trails around it for walking, nice restrooms, free water for filling your RV, and a rich history. If La Cieneguita campground is full (only eight sites) There are other areas with La Cienagas National Conservation Area for camping including a large former small airport on the other side of Empire Ranch.
Scout
Road is very steep in places. 4 wheel drive would be necessary if road is wet or raining, otherwise passenger car and truck passable. Camping spots are at the edges which makes for fantastic sunrises and sunsets
GuideNice BLM camping location. Happy Camp Road is well maintained. Although it is a dirt road I’ve towed my trailer on much worse. Hiking is plentiful. I didn’t drive too far away from entrance as it seemed a little dicey for my trailer. Near the entrance there is about 5 or 6 spots that would work for larger rigs. I took one star off for the flies. I guess they can’t be helped since this is free range BLM.
GuideReally nice area flat. BLM Numbered campsites, but you can also go to the end of that campground and there's a fence you can go through and there's camping out that way also. Watch out for potholes. Two weeks camping permitted. No services good Verizon
RangerEasy access off 191. Shot gun shells, bullet casings, cigarrette butts, broken bottles, mild trash, wide open desert terrain with panorimic Mountain views. BLM free. No services. If this is your thing, go for it. Spent one night.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Cochise, AZ is Happy Camp Trail with a 4.6-star rating from 22 reviews.
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