Snyder Hill BLM Camping Area

SNYDER 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.

Very easy access relatively close to shopping. Out of the way. However there is a light to moderate amount of garbage. It is near a highway and you do hear traffic. Extremely easy to access and there are many spots and the land is pretty full of campers some look like their full-timers or permanent the sign does say 14 day limit. I saw two tent campers as well. There are two or three entrances all on the same road and the camping area is cordoned off with a metal cable so the land cannot be used as a drive-thru or pass through area. The weather is moderate in the 70s during the day down to the lower 50s at night I got here the day before Halloween.

I can’t say for sure because there is a posted 14 day limit but it looked like many of the people where living there are a permanent basis. Site is small and there is no privacy.

As a solo female, I didn’t stay here. I drove over to Ironwood NM and camped there instead.

Don't go if it rained that day! Clay mud all over. We arrived late dusk and couldn't see well. We have 4 wheels truck and still got stuck in the mud. Next morning most of the water had seeped in the ground... 9am tried to move.... no luck. Another camper offered wood boards... we'll see. If it would have been dry, it would be a great easy spot to use.

Would recommend pulling in during the day when you have some sunlight. GREAT little hill to hike with a very defined rocky trail. Plenty of fire rings. Do your part and pick up some of the trash! It's such a well-trafficked area that the trash really piles up.

Great little gas station close with water and propane refill stations. Walmart not far either.

Pretty good access to Saguaro NP, less than a 30-minute drive to the visitor center and even closer to the Tuscon Mountain Range.

Lots of campers here, but everyone keeps to themselves out here, you can only stay 14 days straight. 2 gas stations near by less then a 1/2 a mile away. Camp fires allowed and all animals have to be leashed. Small cave on the mountain next to it and trails to go on, plus dirt riding also. Liked it a lot.

It's an easy place to find, close to the highway. Take a hike to the top of the hill for a great view of the valley. Crowded when we were here. Go around the hill there are more spots and less people..

Lots of people and trash. Nice view of Tucson mountains and lots of space but that’s about it.

This place is highly overcrowded and there is trash and garbage all over. If I had another option, I wouldn’t camp here for the night. Street noise, trash and overcrowding. Not a winner.

Pretty full lots of RVs, tents, people sleeping in their cars for the night, heard shoot range in the morning, fairly quiet at night the road right beside us wasn’t too loud… heard animal noises in the hills maybe dinosaurs rawer’s (just kidding) but sounded like it.

Although this is a place to legally park and camp, it’s pretty bad. It is absolutely jammed with folks all across the camping/living spectrum. It’s busy! There’s garbage and glass everywhere. Old tires, discarded clothes, plastic bags. Literally everywhere. Folks seem to let their dogs just run free and we were approached by several unfriendly barking jumping large dogs. There was also a slight feeling of being unsafe here - although just a feeling, nothing actually happened to back it up. We’ve been full time vanlifers for over a year and this is by far the most unpleasant place we’ve stayed. Does it work in a pinch, sure. Would I try to find somewhere else to camp if I were you - definitely.

After reading reviews I was skeptical. Some traffic noise but really not that bad. Looks like this area had been cleaned up from trash. I didn't have any trash in my area, few shady spots. Closest camper 150+ and barely visible through brush. Will be coming back.

Not a pleasant place in any respect. Dirty, muddy disorganized. But free and convenient when visiting Saguaro National park when that campground is full.

Lots of glass and trash. Lots of road noise and utv activity. No availability at local campgrounds. Worked for one night.

Max 14 day stay free camping. No services. Great cell service. Close to Tucson

People have left trash and tires everywhere it’s disgusting!

It's truely justa spot to park. We got there and it was kind of packed. We didn't want to park right next to other people so we drove down the road a bit to the east of the little mountain. We found a spot. That night police came blasting through shining spot lights, it appeared as though they were looking for someone in particular. The next day it was raining and we almost got stuck in the soggy sand, even with a 4x4 truck. Like I originally said, it's nice for a night or so but there are people permanently living here and everyone is quite close. Also, be careful if you have a dog, there is ALOT of broken glass everywhere!

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.

Typical BLM site, road noise, and shooting range sounds are familiar here. The road and areas are pretty flat; ok in rains also

The 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.

Easy to find spots to car-camp or pull in your RV. Wifi signal was sufficient to FaceTime friends. Ajo Hwy noise was not overwhelming. 20 minutes to Tucson. There is even a McDonalds and gas station nearby that caters to the vacationers heading down to Puerto Peñaso in Mexico.

This is a huge dispersed camping area. You definitely want to go early in day to scout out a spot because it is quite large. The campground has "all walks of life" staying here. You will see areas with upper scale 5th wheels/travel trailers all the way down to people living full time in cars/tents although the max allowable stay is supposedly 2 weeks per stay. The main road is paved, but then you have to pull off into gravel/dirt roads that are hard bottomed. Many areas have ruts so if u have a low axle, you will need to scout area first. If you have a small camper/tent and a 4 wheel drive you can drive up to the top of some areas to get spectacular sunsets over the city lights of Tucson. The solar system of stars is breath taking at night. I highly recommend this campground. There is a convenience store less than a mile down the main highway for any amenities you may need. There is no water/electric/dump station, but there are two different truck stops who have dump station and potable water. Generators are allowed in less populated areas but we asked our neighbors anyway and they had no problem with it. It is also a popular area for recreational vehicles and dust can be high at times with them running around as well as on days of high wind. There are bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, snakes and spiders. We did not encounter any but they all have been reported so I guess it will be the area u choose as well as the season when u arrive.

We will definitely be returning when in the area. I hope this helps with any questions u may have had.

The Snyder Hill BLM area is a bit of a trashy rough road access site. No water, no toilets, 14d limit. Good cell and close to Tucson Estates. Tons of broken glass litters the ground, some campers are sketch on tents. Hwy noise could be a factor. BLM rangers visit weekly and that is good. Only use this area if you cannot get into Gilbert Ray CG instead. There is no CG in Saguaro NP West. Another free BLM is Ironwood Forest NationZl Monument but the BLM proposed to start charging a daily $15 camping fee there in 2025?

There are multiple entrances along Old Ajo and S San Joaquin. The best we found has 2 large dips. Some have quite a few more or really deep ones. If coming in with a lower ground clearance vehicle, or a longer one that may bottom out you might want to scout them out first. Once inside the camping area there are lots of spots to choose from. The smaller and more nimble the vehicle gives more choices. There is a mix of local transients, that sleep in tents and small RVs as well as travelers. These sites offer a good amount of privacy from the hwy and roads but depending on the site within there may not be much privacy. Further east on Old Ajo just east of S Camino Verde is another site that travelers with larger rigs seen to prefer. However, there isn't much privacy at all from neighbors, hwy 86 or Old Ajo. Access is flatter though. No water, electricity, or dump. For $15 you can dump and fill at right on San Joaquin at Justin's RV park or there are free options in town (20 minute drive). Signs day 14 day stay. It doesn't appear to be currently enforced but a BLM official does drive through occasionally. We didn't see him stop to speak to any campers.

Watch out for rattle snakes! Saw one right next to my fire pit.

Good spot, easy access to Tucson area. The pinpoint and some reviews have it off snyner hill road, I'm not sure that area is legal to camp but I would not recommend it at all, a lot of trash dumped there and clearly used for target practice. The actual blm camping area is marked on Google maps as blm camp and in the triangle of San juaquin, old ajo hwy and ajo hwy. You will see cars/campers and signs with the camping rules noted, its clearly marked. Many low shrubs and trees so while sites are close they can feel separated. There is a gun range nearby that you can hear and pretty sure we also heard gun fire in that area off snyder hill road that I mentioned above.

Would stay here again, you may hear other campers (we had people playing music loudly but they stopped at 10pm) traffic noice isn't bad over night but there is a traffic light so you might was ear plugs and a sleep mask

This BLM property, right off the Ajo highway near Tucson, is extremely convenient for a short or extended stay. Anyone can stay up to 14 nights, free of charge.  Greeted people here from all walks of life -- from those living out of the back of truck to brand new 45 foot motorhomes.

Like many high-impact BLM areas, the entrance roads are not well-maintained so some are quite rough. We arrived in the dark, which we do not recommend as it was difficult to see where the entrances were and how rough the roads were ahead of us. The parking/camping spaces are not designated, but heavy use has carved out lots of opportunities. 

There are a few places to walk or ride throughout the property, which is actually quite small based on typical BLM property.  However, the nearby areas of Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mountain Park, offer plenty of opportunities for both. 

No facilities, no water or even a stream…so plan ahead!

Bureau 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!