Got tired and needed a place to sleep for the night; this area is popular with semi drivers and safe and quiet, with 24-hour bathrooms nearby.
This happened to be the closest place to stop when I needed to rest one night on a coastal trip; as a 60-something wildlife specialist, I'm not into motocross/ATVs, and would otherwise not have stopped here. It was very convenient, however, cheap, and surprisingly interesting, so this will probably be one of go-to rest stops between LA and the Bay Area in the future.
The day use and camping areas at this park are in a long row, next to the road that brings you through this valley. They are beautifully kept, very clean and functional. Each camping area has a u-shaped RV pull-in, ramada-style shade covering a picnic table, a waist-high barbecue grill, and a fire pit. There are plenty of bathrooms in centralized small buildings all along the camping areas and beautiful, hot, private showers with sizable dressing areas.
A motocross shop sells firewood and various (non-alcoholic) beverages and munchies, as well as every kind of motorcycle gear you can imagine.
A really pleasant surprise, especially in Northern California, was its cost: a mere $10 per night/vehicle. Two vehicles can share a campsite.
When I visited in spring 2021, about half the camping spaces were inhabited. I'm not sure if there's a busier or lighter time of year.
The drawback to this park for us non-motocross types is to be surrounded by children and teenagers on motocross bikes and ATVs. From about 9:00 in the morning till about 9:00 at night, they like to zoom up and down the center campground road, and it gets pretty noisy. The first day I stopped here I was so tired I didn't much care, but stopping on my trip back I was much more rested, and the noise was much more annoying. Still, people were very friendly and pleasant and it was a pretty mellow campground, all things considered.
YOU CANNOT CAMP HERE. However, this gorgeous state park has dozens of beautiful trails winding through cattle country and down along streams and ponds in the Dinosaur Point area.
NO WATER. Note that there is no safe potable water at the park, so if you're hiking, bring plenty to drink.
NOT DOG-FRIENDLY: Dogs are allowed on leash in the parking lot only. You cannot hike with your dog here.
VERY HORSE-FRIENDLY: The park is especially friendly to horses, because the lady that donated the land was an equestrienne. There is a corral at the main parking lot area and the park is fenced for livestock. They make a point of stating that although the water in the creeks and ponds is unsafe for humans, it is safe for livestock and horses. (The one exception to the no camping rule, actually, is when those on horseback are allowed to camp during special events.)
CAVEAT: As a woman traveling alone, I didn't feel comfortable stopping to ask questions here, much less stay, but your experience and comfort level may differ.
Gila Bend is a charming little bump in the road between Phoenix and San Diego. It has a very Mexican feel to it, with souvenir shops and a good old-fashioned carneceria, and is also home to the Space Age Restaurant, which some consider a must-visit.
This particular RV park, however, would probably not be your first choice of places to stay, even though the other cheap choices here would be the parking lots at Pilot (east end) or Love's (west end). Someone has tried to liven up the fence line with new bougainvillea plants, but in general the place looks rundown/slumlike, and is mostly fixed-in-place mobile homes, not RV spaces. There are one or two places where mobile homes have just been left to decay where they sit, and there was a large trailerload of debris outside the office that looked like it had been there for quite a while. Given that the beautiful and pristine Painted Rock BLM park is only 30 minutes down the road and about a fifth to a third the cost, I'd give this one a miss.
You could not ask for more beautiful or isolated place to camp in the Southeastern Arizona mountains. Amazing views, and wildlife that includes antelopes, bear, lions, and javelina. Campground itself is very clean and seems pretty pristine.
One of the reasons for that, doubtless, is the road up there, which is not for the faint of heart. It is unpaved dirt & rock, and one-lane with the occasional turnout. There are times when you are traveling within two or three feet of sheer drops off the mountain face for hundreds of feet. If your heart, your transmission, and your tires can stand it, it is an amazing and gorgeous drive. Those last four miles of road will take you approximately 45 minutes, as long as you don't meet too many cars coming down or up.
I had intended to stay there overnight, but knowing that I couldn't get down the hill quickly, with a friend telling me that the (human) coyotes can be problematic in that area, and finding that I had no cell service about the last mile of road, I decided that, as a woman traveling alone, discretion was the better part of valor. I'm going to see if I can get my friend to come up with me later this month, in which case I will amend this review. But I thoroughly enjoyed the drive up, a brief stay at the campground relaxing, and the drive down.
I've had a thoroughly great time car camping here. The hosts are wonderful, friendly folks who run a very clean and comfortable place. The cost is pretty minimal (about $13.50/night includes taxes and electricity) & the facilities are all immaculately clean, with nice hot showers and clean, functional laundry rooms. There are parts of the park dedicated to full-time permanent residents, as well as many part-time snowbirds there, and in general it feels very homey, stable, and safe. (As a woman traveling alone, I really appreciated that!) It's very dog- and family- friendly, and I have had numerous very enjoyable conversations with other dog fans here. (People are very good about keeping their pets on leash, too, which is nice.)