If you like rock scrambling there is plenty of that at the White Tank Mountain Regional Park. Staying here you will find that hiking is your major focus as typical desert style camping is made special by the excitement of the trails around you.

The family campground is not one of the largest campgrounds you will find in this region but it fair sized. Spaces are large and spread out making it a great fit for tent campers or RV campers.

When I visited I stayed in campsite 29, on the top of the far side of the loop on the one way drive in. I was a few hundred yards from the restroom facility on a back in space which outlooked toward the desert entirely. The outer ring of the loop, you can literally hike right out of your campsite and be in the middle of everything. I will say however that had I have known a bit more about the area before visiting I probably would have selected sites 19 or 20 which are literally on the hiking loop for Ironwood.

My campsite was pretty typical with a rocky flat area to set up my tent, a grill and picnic table. My site had no shade which was ok when I visited in early spring but would have been way to hot to have stayed here during late spring or summer. This was considered to be a developed site which was $32 a night but I managed to somehow get it for a semi-developed price of $22, still not sure how that happened. LUCKY ME!!

While out here it was truly all about the hiking!! There were over 10 trails which circled and wound around ranging in intensity and distance for any skill level. I tackled the moderate ironwood trail which runs into the Ford Trail, one of the longest trails at the park. I didn't do the entire Ford Trail and instead cut over to another trail at an intersection which looped back into camp. From there I ended up driving to another trailhead, Mule Deer, and moving on from there because it hiked by the nature center.

The nature center here was very cool and I always recommend stopping in if there is one available, if nothing else to get a better idea of what kind of wildlife to watch out for in the area you are visiting.

TIPS:

• Bring lots of water. Though there are fresh water stations around, the water seemed to have an odd taste to me, I would recommend bringing water especially if you are sensitive to tastes.

• Check out the Ford Canyon or Goat Camp trails if you are really into a challenge. These have a lot of rock scrambling and some of the highest heights in the park. If you want an easy hike with a great view check out the Waterfall Canyon Trail.