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Location is near Park Link Drive - S. Cattle Tanks Road BLM
You may camp outside of developed areas across most of the Coronado National Forest at no charge. We recommend that you stop in to one of our five ranger stations to pick up a free travel management map so that you are aware where vehicles are and are not permitted.
Potable water, restrooms, and other amenities are not available at dispersed sites. If you choose to camp outside developed areas, be sure to bring adequate water or be prepared to purify any water source before drinking. No permits are required to camp in wilderness areas.
The Coronado National Forest has a 14-day stay limit on all camping. Areas designated as “Day Use Only” are limited to posted hours, no overnight use.
Camping on public lands away from developed recreation facilities is referred to as dispersed camping. Most of the remainder of public lands are open to dispersed camping, as long as it does not conflict with other authorized uses or in areas posted "closed to camping," or in some way adversely affects wildlife species or natural resources. Dispersed camping is allowed on public land for a period not to exceed 14 days within a 28 consecutive day period. The 28 day period begins when a camper initially occupies a specific location on public lands. The 14 day limit may be reached either through a number of separate visits or through 14 days of continuous overnight occupation during the 28 day period. After the 14th day of occupation, the camper must move outside of a 25 mile radius of the previous location until the 29th day since the initial occupation. The purpose of this special rule is to prevent damage to sensitive resources caused by continual use of any particular areas. In addition, campers must not leave any personal property unattended for more than 10 days (12 months in Alaska). Campsite Selection Dispersed camp sites are located along most secondary roads and may not be marked. Popular locations can be recognized by the telltale flat disturbed area that has been used as a camp site before. Not all flat spots are sites. If possible, please use existing sites to avoid creating new disturbances. To further protect your public lands, campers must not dispose of any refuse, hazardous materials, sewage, or in any manner pollute the surrounding area.
$20 / night
This Ironwood Forest National Monument (map: https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/docs/2020-12/AZ_IronwoodForestNM-508.pdf) is made up of 129,000 acres and contains a significant system of cultural and historical sites covering a 5,000-year period. Possessing one of the richest stands of ironwood in the Sonoran Desert, the monument also encompasses several desert mountain ranges including the Silver Bell, Waterman, and Sawtooth, with desert valleys in between. Elevation ranges from 1,800 to 4,261 feet. Three areas within the monument, the Los Robles Archeological District, the Mission of Santa Ana del Chiquiburitac and the Cocoraque Butte Archeological District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The monument is a travel corridor for illegal immigrants traveling from Mexico. All suspected illegal activities should be reported to BLM or local law enforcement authorities. Stay safe by avoiding contact with persons exhibiting suspicious behavior or engaged in dangerous activities. Drive with caution and look for fast-moving vehicles and pedestrians on back roads. Some roads are rugged: high clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended in those areas.
Scout
This BLM land has plenty of spots to park and camp. There is quite a bit of road noise though. Not bad for free camping though.
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.
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.
TravelerThe BLM land had several entrances. We went in towards the end of the road, but found the parking was more level at the third or forth turn off. We came in after dark so it was hard to say the best direct route. The second turn in is very steep. We saw the dip when we went to leave and opted for the first turnoff closer to the light. The rocky hill was a nice walk with the dogs in the morning. Lots of rabbits got them excited. Not overly clean, but I would stop here again. The amenities are easy to access. This is one of the few areas I’ve seen where you can access BLM parking and get gas and groceries at the same exit. It’s about 8 miles off the highway. The area isn’t vast but large enough for privacy. It’s perfect for a quick overnight stop.
Ranger
My only advice here is that it’s not fun for dogs. (And maybe not fun for kids either?) It’s incredibly prickly everywhere. Imagine that, prickly in the cactus forest? You’ll want to avoid wearing sandals too. (I found myself with a piece of a cactus stuck to my foot and then when trying to remove it I got my hand stuck to the cactus that was stuck to my foot. Tools were required. Pain, lots of pain.) Seriously, NO SANDALS. But! PROS: the saguaro cactus are huge and impressive. We really enjoyed driving through this area at sunset and seeing all the iconic cactus. But then our overnight of camping on this random BLM land was just hours of dodging prickles. It’s quite an interesting place, but fair warning, is prickly. Act accordingly.
Legend
This seems to be the popular dispersed camping area along North Pump Station Road within the BLM Ironwood Forest National Monument. Numerous dispersed sites along a two track dirt road on both sides of the main gravel road. Free dispersed, 14D limit. No water, trash, toilets or designated spots. Cell signal is very good and OTA tv is also very good. Last mile or so from end of pavement is a wide graded dirt road accessing the dispersed sites from either direction, however the Silverbell road access seems to have a narrow bridge with a 6k weight limit?, So access to this site is from the south on gravel west El Tiro Rd for larger rigs?
(Note that State land is adjacent and also offers dispersed camping sites but an AZ state lands permit would be required on State lands.)
One negative issue is the constant target shooting from adjacent State lands.
LegendWe were surprised on the number of people who ventured out to this BLM spot off Park Link Road in the Cactus Forest over a rainy weekend in Tucson.
The first dozen dispersed spots were full with camper vans, small trailers and trucks. We continued to drive down the gravel dirt road to a more secluded spot. We didn’t see anyone in our one-night stay beside a mountain biker in the morning.
Even though It was raining in the area for about 24 hours before we travelled to the campsite, we didn’t have any issues navigating the 1.5 miles down to the site we chose. The truck has some mud in it and the 4x4 wasn’t needed (but made it easier). I would recommend a high clearance vehicle to reach the further back spots. Also, the road was narrow, our F250 brushed a few bushes on the way.
Most dispersed sites had a fire ring (check locally fire conditions first). I’d suggest bringing in fire wood unless you just want to burn the few fallen twig and limbs. It’s a cactus forest- so the terrain is mostly saguaros, chollas, Palo verde trees and shrubs.
Our site had a beautiful view of the sunset and a view of Picacho Peak in the distance. We visited in February and the weather was nice (on the chilly side) for our roof top tent. I wouldn’t come here in the summer unless we had a rig with air conditioning. Impressive view of the stars at night. Some traffic noise from I-10.
No water, toilets, or trash. So be prepared to take out what you bring in. We had 2 bars of LTE slcell service with T-Mobile.
It’s BLM land close to Tucson, so locals use the area for gun target practice. We heard gun shots until the sunset and starting again the morning. It was basically non-stop. If you want a place to shoot, this would be a good spot to camp.
🌵 Saguaro Facts: Saguaros can live to be 150-200 years old and grow as tall at 40 feet. A 10 year old saguaro Is about 1.5 inches tall (please watch where you drive, park and step). At 80 years old, it’s around 6 feet tall and starts to bloom. The best time to see saguaro blooms is mid-May through mid-June. At age 95-100, it’s around 15 feet tall and starts to grow it’s first arm. 🌵
Legend
This area is a short distance from the other Snyder Hill blm area and although closer to the hwy noise, this area is flat and more open for TTs and RVs. Great cell signal, not too trashy and seems BLM rangers patrol weekly. Dispersed camping, no water, no designated sites, no toilets, however a trash dumpster is now at the other Snyder Hill area.
Legend
AZ State trust lands adjacent to BLM Ironwood Forest National Monument. I noticed the state lands seem to have more trash than the adjacent BLM, hence the two stars. Note that AZ State Trust Lands require a permit to camp on, this permit is online and costs around $20 good for a year. Dispersed camping. No water, toilets or trash dumpsters. Cell signal is very good however.
LegendSNYDER HILL BLM DISPERSED.
Recently posted basic camping info about this place close to Tucson west side at Ajo Hwy 86. . Some commenters got upset that I had mentioned this spot on a FB dispersed camping page, as if it was a secret or a pristine location! Hah!
REALITY update: This place is a 100% CRAP HOLE and should be shutdown by the BLM. Full of marginal rundown vehicles and homeless tent campers. Trash and glass everywhere. Hwy 86 noise 24/7, recreational shooters constant adj somewhere.
Note that the State of AZ closed and fenced off their adj section two years ago, and another BLM parcel to east past the fire station was closed to camping last year. Time for this crap hole place to be shutdown, imo.
Some pics of the trash noticed.
Legend
This BLM dispersed camping area is along a two-track dirt road that follows a buried pipeline. The start of the pipeline rdo from Avra road is .6 tens mile from the cattleguard on Avra Road and Pump Station road jct. There is no BLM sign or other signage on Avra road for the pipeline road turnoff and the entrance is somewhat obscured by the dense palo verde trees. There was some pink flagging marking the entrance to pipeline road 01.2022. Pipeline road is a lumpy bumpy two track that looks dicey but larger class As and 5th wheels RVs seem to get into this area ok.
The dispersed camping is only for about the first 1/2 mile as the two-track road crosses a deep wash (TTs will drag bumper!) past the 1/2 mile or so and then goes onto State Lands. Access to the paved road and access back into Marana or Tucson Estates area shopping makes this site more useful than other dispersed sites in the BLM Ironwood Forest monument. No toilets, water, tables or trash, however cell signal is very good. Sites are easy to get to and good flat areas are available. Only issue to note as a warning is the exit from the dirt camping road back onto the paved Avra Road is obscured by dense shrubs/trees and make it a bit dicey..the paved road does have truck traffic from the active Silver Bell copper mine at the end of the road. Three stars due to truck noise from the mine that seems to start at dawn..and the recent pipeline construction. In addition the target shooters are constant all around, even though it is illegal to target shoot on the Ironwood Monument and the State Trust lands...the local sheriff and BLM cops do not seem to be able to stop the shooters.
ScoutThis was like being able to backcountry camp in Saguaro NP. We got in after dark & overshot the turn in, but looped back around. Our site was great - quiet & peaceful. We enjoyed waking up to the literal forest of cactus.
ScoutIt has what's seems like endless road of dispersed camp sites with endless cacti of any/ every kind... It is no cost and forthe ones who have animals it has a fence yard in the first and second spots for public use...BY FAR ME AND MINES favorite place thus far... Four thumbs up
ScoutMax 14 day stay free camping. No services. Great cell service. Close to Tucson
LegendEntire area is fenced off and appears to be closed to dispersed camping. The larger area to the west is still available.
GuideIf you want saguaros this is the perfect place for you. Awesome dispersed camping. Watch out for jumping chollas and keep your furry friends close. But breathtaking view all around you!
TravelerBeautiful stay. Great views. It is dispersed camping for miles! We were able to find a spot really quick. The coyotes came out at night and people were shooting all day/night by the mountain range but it didn’t bother us! Definitely coming back! :)
Legend
Really nice dispersed camp sites along a dirt road. The directions are accurate and bring you to two dirt roads off of Cattle Tank Road. I went East and there were about a dozen sites, mostly sites for tents and small RV’s. After about a mile the road gets a little rougher and narrow. I didn’t notice any existing sites after a mile or so down the dirt road. The sites were well spread out and very clean. I brought wood for a fire and was able to find some wood around the area to burn as well. Very dark sky with lots of stars. I explored the other dirt road West from Cattle Tank Road and the sites were larger and more suitable for larger RV’s.
Traveler
Great spots along this road for dispersed camping. Saw some wild life like deer and turkey. Only downside is that the road is narrow so if your pulling anything wide just be cautious. Other than that I highly recommend camping here when your at Mt. Lemmon.
LegendThis dispersed camping area is actually on the Cattle Tanks road south of Park Links road. The side two- track sandy roads are very narrow and bordered by dense chain fruit cholla plants. This area is not a good choice for dogs and their owners. Also shooting is in the background like everyday. Access for TTs down narrow side roads would be risky.
GuideWonderful dispersed camping with beautiful desert cactus, including the Saguaros. Nice and peaceful with desert wildlife, birds and coyotes singing. If you want to be away from the crowds go further down the road. Watch out for jumping cholla cactus and you’ll be just fine. There is a shooting area down the road, a highway in the distance, and some helicopters/planes noise wise. Well worth the hour drive out of town.
GuideWe’ve just begun our dispersed camping adventures but out of the places we’ve been, this has been the coolest! There was a good number of people out there in all sorts of rigs, but there was still plenty of space! We couldn’t see or hear anyone else. There were a lot of pull offs, which gives plenty of options to find a favorite spot. We turned left right before the dried up river bed & went down a bit from there.
GuideBureau of Land Management site. 14 day limit. Easy access and we were able to park our 42 ft motor home easily. The area is quiet with trails and lots of area to walk your four legged camper! We saw horseback riders and ATVs enjoying the area. We were able to stay in contact (ATT ) and the city is within an easy drive for supplies. This is a boondock area. Be aware that while camping here you are sharing the area with wildlife (including rattlers). Boondocking etiquette applies (pick up trash and leave the area cleaner than when you arrived). We have camped here several times and will certainly return!
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!
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
TravelerWide open BLM dispersed camping area near Saguaro National Monument outside Marana, AZ.
The road to the site is paved until you leave Avra Valley Rd on Pipeline, which is a very good dirt road. Our site was as far from the pavement as you can get and we had no problems getting in with our 41’ fifth wheel. There are a few short areas on the road that are a bit bumpy, but nothing that can’t be handled easily by simply driving very slowly over the bumps. Most of the road is smooth, and wasn’t even washboarded while we were there (March, 2021).
There are many sites in the area and most are very suitable for even the largest rigs. I’d guess that fewer than a third of the sites were occupied while we were there, and our nearest neighbor was maybe a quarter mile away.
ATT and Verizon had decent cell signal and internet speeds were sufficient for streaming. My Verizon hotspot typically gave me 20-30 Mbps and my ATT phone was in the same range or faster.
We saw no trash and the area is well maintained. We stayed a full two weeks, left for a week, and returned for another 5 nights. During that time we saw one ranger who was very friendly. He mentioned that they came through to pick up garbage from time to time.
Lots of Saguaro around all the sites. Nice dark skies, and quiet. We had to drive 20 minutes or so for shopping and gas, but that’s a price I’m very willing to pay to camp in a place like this.
Legend
This access point to Ironwood Forest BLM National Monument is at the west end of Manville road, the last 1/2 mile is graded dirt. The camping area is just a large parking area with some BLM info signs, the area is bordered by barrier rocks. Vegetation is ugly beat down desert by livestock grazing. Not much privacy here if more than 2 camps. Cell signal is good. The old two track road west is likely only a 4x4 Jeep type road. Free dispersed. 14d limit, no water, trash or toilets.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near San Manuel, Arizona, where you can immerse yourself in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds. This area offers a variety of stunning landscapes and unique experiences for outdoor enthusiasts.
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