Searching for a dispersed campsite near Wickenburg? Find everything from dispersed backcountry camping to boondocking with The Dyrt. Search nearby dispersed campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
According to info found online:
To enter the BLM area you drive down Ghost Town Road until it turns to dirt. Approx. 1/4 mile down the dirt road you’ll see a green sign to “Pioneer Cemetery”. Turn right onto this road and you are in the camping area (you’ll see small signs listing 14-day camping permitted). The camping area stretches from the beginning of this road to a dead end near the back (probably only around a mile or so further down) with several dirt roads off to the sides leading to smaller sites.
Approximate location. Many sites for primitive camping off W. Courthouse Rd. and W. Salome Rd.
Annual permit needed to recreate an AZ State Trust Lands.
Multiple sites to setup camp along Cemetery Road off of Ghost Town Road.
Traveler
We stayed at dispersed camping spot number 8. Very secluded with a hiking trail right off of it. Easy to get to with our van. Very private spot.
Guide
Not a lot of sites at this location maybe 15-20 if you crammed them in, but if you don’t have a big rig their is a few before getting here in State Trust land ( Vultures peak) for a small one time annual fee coming from Wickenburg. Only 4 star because your not going to get the seclusion of most dispersed camping and the cell service is spotty. Verizon was 2-3 bars LTE and T Mobile 1-2 which normally is not bad but most of the time it wasn’t usable. Plenty of trails that begin at the Vultures Peak trailhead and a lot of washes to hike. If you plan on making the hike up to Vultures Peak be prepared, the last quarter involves using your hands to crawl up to the peak. And for those wondering why it’s called Box Wash, it’s the name of the wash a hundred feet south of where the sites are located. My favorite site is the last one before the trail head which overlooks Box Wash. Their is plenty of room at the trail head to turn around most big rigs if the trailhead is not too busy which is day use only with a vaulted toilet.
Guide
Secluded dispersed camping in the woods just outside of the town Crown King. 4x4 is recommended, campsites are not accessible when snowfall has occurred. Beautiful wildlife including deer always nearby.
Ranger
Not too far from I-10, easy to get to from highway. Used Google Maps. Pilot truck stop right off the exit with a few taco stands/trucks. Many roads to get on the BLM land, some more rocky than others. We had a big rock lodged between our 2 back dually tires, but suspect that doesn’t happen often. Some days it was a little windy and with the winds from the west it brought black flies. We had 8-10 flies hang in the van with us after we opened the door a few times. Other than that, plenty of sites very spaced out and neat walking trail up the mountain.
GuideNice open dispersed camping area near the trailhead to Vulture Peak. Lots of random washes and remnants of mines to discover. Grocery store is only a few miles down the road near Wickenburg.
Traveler
Okay so I prefer free camp spots and places that are quiet and tucked away. This place is great. It’s not too far off the paved road but the road does get a bit bumpy once you’re off the paved road. I stayed in site #4 and it was perfect. I did have to pick up some trash left behind but very little. Came here to avoid the heat in Phx and it was still warm but nothing like the valley. And cooler at night which was wonderful. You do hear traffic from the road above but it’s not too bad. There’s a good amount of space from other camp sites so you don’t hear people very much and everyone was quiet once the sun was down. Overall I really enjoyed this spot. Oh and no bathrooms or water which I don’t mind bc it means less people around. And we did have cell service so that was a plus.
Scout
Mostly secluded which is my preference
Shared by boon-dockers
TravelerWe hiked from Copper Basin road along the Prescott Circle Trail and camped the night at one of the Thumb Butte dispersed camping sites. The campsites are large and well maintained. We were lucky enough to get the last open campsite for the day, but the sites are far enough apart from others so the area stays pretty quiet. There are fire pit rings at each site, but a fire ban was in place for the summer already.
GuideWell, it's free and its a beautiful part of the Prescott Basin, but our campsite #6, was really dirty. We should have jumped out and looked around before setting up camp. We were just so excited to start our trip. Needless to say, after arriving at 6:00pm we left the next morning.
There was a beautiful stream we could hear from our site, but you had pass over wads of used toilet paper, broken beer bottles and empty propane tanks to name a few.
Im hoping it's not always like this, and its quite possible that the people staying there before were just careless. Maybe it's to be a little more expected when dispersed camping, but we couldn't enjoy our time there.
Guide
This is a relatively small BLM dispersed camping area. There’s maybe 20 sites depending on the the type of vehicle you drive. There are definitely some high clearance vehicle only areas but we were able to find a nice spot in our Winnebago next to the base of the hills. There are no services here, it is strictly dry camping. There is s cemetery right next to the area, a little weird but they didn’t make much noise. There are plenty of hills to hike around on and there are some old mines in the area but be cautious, there are arsenic warning signs in some and it appears some mining is still going on. Great sunsets and star filled nights.
Legend
Great place to spend a few nights boondocking outside the city of Prescott. There are 7 campsites and you're allowed to stay 7 days. The road is narrow and bumpy but passable with any van.
Traveler
Great little spot for some dispersed camping. It is fun to hike and explore agua fria National Monument nearby.
Legend
Access road is fresh gravel so better than 2024. Large open flat area in middle close to a livestock water and corral, so cow noise and smell. Free dispersed but need the $15 AZ lands permit. Cell signal is very good. No toilets, no trash, no tables...just rock fire rings. Close to the hwy so some hwy noise. Some Campers look to be folks that work in town. The other dispersed camping area a bit to the north closer to town by the cell tower may be another good spot. Only 4.5 miles to the Safeway in town.
Only 2 stars as the area is no scenic and had beat down vegetation, cow crap smell and general vibe is ick.
Legend
For free camping there aren’t very high expectations but this would be really difficult to get back too if you are in a big rig or don’t have a lot of clearance. The road isn’t well maintained. There was garbage and stuff left everywhere. There was a fire ring and Prescott was really close.
Scout
Nice enough place for dispersed camping, but requires a very bumpy drive to get there. Really good cell phone service (Verizon - I got 3-4 bars of 4G, which got me 75+ mb/s download speed)
Scout
Stayed 3 nights. Easy access to/from town, recently graded road as of this writing, and (kind of) level sites. Quiet during the winter season at least and plenty of wildlife. Like most dispersed camping, kooks leave trash everywhere.
GuideFirst time dispersed camping with our 21’ pull-behind and had a great experience. Gravel road leading to the area is well kept and our truck had no issues getting to the area. Awesome views when we setup camp with plenty of space.
Traveler
This area is inundated with squatters There was only one spot available and there is a LOT of trash. It’s too bad because otherwise this is a very nice place! Excellent trees, and excellent scenery. Make sure that when you choose a dispersed camping location that you choose one that is far from nearest town/city.
ScoutGreat place to Boondock up to 2 weeks.
Guide
Miles of desert and washes to explore with tons of dispersed camping sites. Can get busy on holiday or event weekends but worth it otherwise. Some weekends have horse or Dirtbike events. Nearby washes lead to tons of trails near castle hot springs that can lead to various abounded mine sites (including Anderson Mill). Obviously not ideal camping in the summer but GREAT for the fall/winter/spring months.
Traveler
That's right, this is AZ, State Trust land, AKA: FREE camping and parking land—72,000 acres of open dispersed, rough, rugged, off-the-grid life. I've parked here in my converted Skoolie of 36 feet for two years. I DO purchase the $ 15-a-year permit and I DO display it. But in 2 years, I've not seen even one "official" vehicle and have never been asked to see my permit or how long I have parked. It is messy, I like to clean it up at times, please help and please remember, this is your land so do not trash it to the point that we will be kicked off. I've watched this happen all over northern AZ and it does not need to happen here. Pack it in and pack it out. Leave no trace. There are garbage cans 1 mile from this land. A new gas station/convenience store has been erected a mile from Maddock Road. Although Maddock Road is no longer an access point to the lands, there are plenty of other access points. The new gas station has diesel, water dispensing, propane dispensing, and all the conveniences anyone would need. It is a paradise in Winter, believe that. In summer, it is hotter than the dickens. I bounce from Flag to this location yearly, it works well for us nomads.
Legend
Managed by Lower Sonoran BLM Field Office. Free camping, but you have to love the sound of gunshots and love the view of trash everywhere.
There are multiple dirt roads you can take to find spots in Buckeye Hills that run adjacent to Powers Butte Wildlife Area where there is no camping allowed. We stayed here in different spots for 3 days while waiting for mail in Buckeye. The place is filthy! Shooting garbage and illegal dumping is common, in fact one night we woke up and just down the road was a new pile of some illegal dumping.
If you can get used to the constant gun fire, you’ll still have to put up with ATVs racing up and down the various roads. The dirt here is a fine deep powder in a lot of areas so there is lots of dust that gets kicked up when they race by, sometimes just back in forth right in front of where you are parked.
There is not really hiking or biking unless you want to dodge bullets or ATVs. There also appears to be a lot of long time“residents” in the area as well. There are no amenities here so pack in and pack out though it is obvious not many do. We picked up trash and about 7 lbs of casings around our spots we stayed in. Besides the noise and physical pollution there is also light pollution from Palo Verde and Buckeye.
1-2 bars Verizon& ATT, streaming with pauses for buffering
Ranger
I have gone out to Prescott national forest for some hammock camping many times and it has always been an amazing night! I have also gone tent camping out in Prescott and it is also great!
ScoutHuge area to disperse camp with an actual bathroom. If you dont mind occasional off road vehicles driving through during the day, its a good spot with plenty of room.
ScoutGreat view but there are a view cons to this spot and the ones around here for Tmobile/Sprint customers, coverage is near impossible to find. Also my particular spot, the only spot with even a limited signal has no shade at all, but most other spots are in better locations for getting out of the sun. The only other kind of negative is that the dispersed camping sites are along a road that sees a decent amount of traffic for the forest. You'll have cars passing your site every 20-30mins.
Legend
Stayed here for the past 2 years overwinter. 6 months, $15 pass, 36 foot skoolie with zero issues. Close to everything you need as a boon docker/nomad.
GuidePerfect spot for boondocking. The dirt road is decent, people are spread out, it's peaceful. Bit of a drive to get gasoline...fill up before you get here!
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Wickenburg, Arizona, where you can immerse yourself in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds. This area offers a variety of locations that cater to different camping styles and preferences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Wickenburg, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Wickenburg, AZ is Old Airstrip Camping & Staging Area with a 4.1-star rating from 18 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Wickenburg, AZ?
TheDyrt.com has all 51 dispersed camping locations near Wickenburg, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
