Our weBoost gave us enough to get texts out. We had one bar of 4G cell service with Verizon.There are several dispersed camping sites directly off Silverbell Road that would be fine for bigger setups, but a lot of the off-shoot type roads appear to be washed out from last summer’s monsoon and are probably only appropriate for high clearance vehicles.If your setup is big and heavy, set your GPS to route you around this bridge. There’s a one lane bridge with a 3-ton weight limit here.The paved section of Silverbell Road before you hit the dirt in Ironwood is hot garbage.If you enjoy dry camping, we can’t recommend Ironwood Forest National Monument enough. There’s too much cool stuff in this area to see in one trip, and items on our list for next time include the Sasco ghost town and Titan II Missile interpretive site. After a mild freak out over “BEING LOST IN THE DESERT 4 EVA OMGZ” compliments of my anxious brain, we turned around and got ourselves out using Gaia GPS (and earned a few Arizona pinstripes–yay!). There’s nothing fun about blowing sand, scattered gear, and a flaptastic rooftop tent.Īfter packing up camp, we got lost when the road GPS wanted us to turn on was closed (Red Rock Lane), and ended up on a dead-end road near Silverbell Mine.Īlready tired and frustrated from a sleepless night, (and hangry to boot), getting lost ratcheted up my anxiety. We enjoyed two nights in our camp spot, but when the wind picked up on the second night, it was time for us to peace out the next morning. Navigating the rough, washed out roads was worth it though, as the camp spot we found felt a lot like camping inside Saguaro National Park. Last summer’s monsoon was a doozy, and it shows on some paths branching off Silverbell. This time, we ventured farther back into the monument and picked a spot with a view of the base of Ragged Top Mountain off Silverbell Road. That dispersed camping area, while rough and narrow in places, is suitable for most RVs. The first time we camped at Ironwood, we stayed off Pump Station Road. This area is 129,000 acres of BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land with lots of scenery, wildlife, points of interest, and history worth appreciating. It was the second place we took our trailer after we bought it last year, and we’ve been wanting to get back ever since. Ironwood Forest National Monument near Marana, Arizona checked all our boxes. So it’s no surprise that, after not being able to take the squaredrop trailer out for a couple of months, we were feeling the ache for saguaros and solitude. There are lots of great 4x4 trails in the area.īut I have never had any friends (or heard stories through friends) that had issues here with illegal immigrants.Empty spots give way to out-of-town neighbors and all the horse mess that comes with them. You MAY have some Border Patrol vehicles speeding by. Just, quite a story!Įven with Border Patrol driving by periodically, it's a very peaceful and quiet place to camp. Marshall and I had mutual friends who encountered an illegal walker. It's simply a part of Southern Arizona living.Įven if you DID see someone who had crossed, likely they'll just avoid you or they may ask for water if they are in dire straits (though Border Patrol tells you not to give them any). One day you can stream, the next day not so much.Īnd this one could be considered good or bad- Border Patrol will be driving by frequently.īeing so close to the border, it's par for the course around southern Arizona. If you don't need it and feel safe without it RIGHT at your site, you'll be fine. There are spots where you will have it ok, and others where it might struggle.
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