Darby Well Road Dispersed Camping
BLM
Write a Review Darby Well Rd. Ajo, AZ 85321 520-258-7200 Official WebsiteGPS: 32.3393, -112.8494
Overview of Darby Well Road Dispersed Camping
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. Learn more: Boondocking 101
Last Price Paid: $0
Reported by Alternate Roads on 2/27/2023
Longest RV Reported: 40 feet (Class A)
Reported by The Flying Unicorn Two (FU2). on 2/10/2017
Pad Type gravel
Elevation 1,771 ft / 539 m
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Darby Well Road Dispersed Camping
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 520-258-7200
Kelly asked on 11/13/2021
Will a 40+' 5th wheel do ok? Where is best spot for such? Arriving early Feb. probably. Thanks!
James asked on 8/18/2021
What is camping along Darby Well Road like during the winter? Thanks!
Reviews of Darby Well Road Dispersed Camping 34 people have reviewed this location.
“Quite Happy with our stay”
Reviewed 1/23/2018
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 2 |
My husband and I really enjoyed our stay. We had no issues at all. We came in on Darby Wells Road, and at the sign about smuggling etc we continued straight. We went about half a mile and found a great large spot for us and our 19ft. travel trailer on the right. (There are plenty of spots before the one we found, there are many at... more
My husband and I really enjoyed our stay. We had no issues at all. We came in on Darby Wells Road, and at the sign about smuggling etc we continued straight. We went about half a mile and found a great large spot for us and our 19ft. travel trailer on the right.
(There are plenty of spots before the one we found, there are many at the same sign if you turn directly left of the sign AND if you turn right at the sign. We scoped out a lof of the area.) Continuing straight is a bit rough road, left is a bit rough, right is much smoother.
We enjoyed hiking the area and did see a few boarder patrol agents, they were nice.
Be sure to check out Ajo proper, they are doing a lot with this little town and it was nice to see such a community effort.
lrltshw would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Reviewed 6/2/2017
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 7 |
aearles would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Open Boondocking Near a Giant Pit Mine”
Reviewed 4/4/2017
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 5 |
RV Length: | 32' |
We stayed here for a week after visiting Organ Pipe Cactus NM, which is an exceptional place to see. We ended up taking the last road to your left before you get to the much talked about 'sign' which is at an intersection of other roads. We drove down our road or a bit and then tucked away down into a nice spot. I chose this spot kn... more
We stayed here for a week after visiting Organ Pipe Cactus NM, which is an exceptional place to see. We ended up taking the last road to your left before you get to the much talked about 'sign' which is at an intersection of other roads. We drove down our road or a bit and then tucked away down into a nice spot. I chose this spot knowing that we were near a big 'group site' that could accommodate multiple rigs assuming that with plentiful other options no one would camp on top of us.... I was wrong. On our second day, two RV's set up no more than 30 feet from us. It was disappointing but that was their 'favorite spot' apparently and they ended up being nice so I didn't make a fuss.
Border Patrol does drive this area a lot and they drive FAST! Unsurprisingly, we saw two broken down border patrol vehicles need to be towed out of here. Their work is necessary however as when hiking some of the nearby mountains we found a bunch of black water bottles in the bushes (a sign of illegal immigration). All this aside we never felt the least bit unsafe while camping here.
Verizon 4G gets better as you get closer to the 'sign' intersection, and then drops off again as you pass it and go deeper. For us right in the middle of the camping areas we had strong signal. There is a ton of hiking and exploring opportunities around here, and you can even go check out the Darby Well (which still diligently pumps water as the wind blows despite the trough being overgrown and unused). The giant pit mine kind of ruins the view out half of your windows but it is inactive so there is no noise coming from it.
The road in is pretty good with the ancillary roads being of mixed quality. We pulled over on the main road to scout the side roads on foot before pulling down them just to be safe. The garbage seems mixed between typical broken glass of modern folk and old trash piles from when the area was an active mine (think piles of hundreds of old tin cans half buried in the dirt).
NomadicNeighbors would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Too much drama!”
Reviewed 3/22/2017
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
Site Number: | NA |
There are some nice spots especially starting about 1 mile back. About 2am our first night there was a Border Patrol bust about 400 yards from camp (helicopters and all). Second day there was a beer drinking/target shooting group nearby. Traffic all day and some all night too (patrols). Kind of a neat area, but prefer to not hike with ... more
There are some nice spots especially starting about 1 mile back. About 2am our first night there was a Border Patrol bust about 400 yards from camp (helicopters and all). Second day there was a beer drinking/target shooting group nearby. Traffic all day and some all night too (patrols). Kind of a neat area, but prefer to not hike with a sidearm so we cut our stay short.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Ajo Boondocking At It's Best”
Reviewed 3/21/2017
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 5 |
Site Number: | Any where you want |
RV Length: | 35' (Class A) |
Drove in approximately 6 miles on Darby Well Road and camped at a perfect spot large enough for two large rigs and their tow vehicles. Road was in very good condition, one or two good size ruts, but no problem. And our sites were pretty level. We had unlimited hiking opportunities, awesome views and spectacular sunrises and sunsets...a... more
Drove in approximately 6 miles on Darby Well Road and camped at a perfect spot large enough for two large rigs and their tow vehicles. Road was in very good condition, one or two good size ruts, but no problem. And our sites were pretty level. We had unlimited hiking opportunities, awesome views and spectacular sunrises and sunsets...and we were pretty much alone. A few other campers scattered about on the loop or on side roads, but very isolated when we were there.
Overall the camping sites were pretty clean...if you are back away from Darby Well Road. Otherwise you will see alot of broken glass, especially around fire pits.
Campsites are close enough to Ajo for water, groceries and fuel. We could have stayed a full week here.
Michael & Imkelina would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful Desert Camping ”
Reviewed 2/10/2017
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 7 |
Site Number: | Anywhere we want 😂 |
RV Length: | 40' (Class A) |
Beautiful area and we found a easy level site for the Moho! The dirt road in was a bit bumpy for the rig as we drove down approx 3 miles,Att was 4 bars with no problems. The scenery was beautiful but broken glass was a concern with the dogs. There was posted signage across from us about illegal crossing and activities possible beware. ... more
Beautiful area and we found a easy level site for the Moho! The dirt road in was a bit bumpy for the rig as we drove down approx 3 miles,Att was 4 bars with no problems. The scenery was beautiful but broken glass was a concern with the dogs. There was posted signage across from us about illegal crossing and activities possible beware. Since we were off the road across from the old Darby Wells Ranch we did have boarder patrol trucks racing by. If you have smaller rigs you could find more secluded areas. Overall great place to camp and hangout with friends we would go back again.
The Flying Unicorn Two (FU2). would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Ajo is Ah-mazing Boondocking”
Reviewed 4/25/2016
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 4 |
RV Length: | 23' |
While there are fewer open areas for boondocking along Darby Well road itself than there were a few years ago (thanks to the mining company erecting a fence along the west side of the road to keep trespassers from getting too close to the open pit remains), there are still plenty of great sites in this area. As a bonus, Verizon connec... more
While there are fewer open areas for boondocking along Darby Well road itself than there were a few years ago (thanks to the mining company erecting a fence along the west side of the road to keep trespassers from getting too close to the open pit remains), there are still plenty of great sites in this area. As a bonus, Verizon connectivity is much improved-- during my recent stay, I was getting solid LTE connectivity in places that 4 years ago had nothing.
If you have a shorter and/or higher clearance RV, I highly recommend approaching the BLM area from the paved Alley Road that runs north/south into the town of Ajo (there's one hairpin turn and one set of dips that will likely prevent longer wheelbase rigs from using this route).
For bigger rigs, Darby Well Road, and the east/west Rocolla Road is a longer route and prone to washboarding, but they are wider, graded dirt roads.
I camped at a site approximately at 32°20'44.2"N 112°53'31.7"W. There were a dozen great sites in this area with expansive views of the sonoran desert. Loads of 4WD/ATV trails that can be driven or hiked.
Ajo has some in-town RV parks that offer dump/water services, and there's a grocery store and a few restaurants too.
While there are still a few signs posted alerting RVers to beware of "smugglers" (illegal aliens from south of the border), this did not appear to be much of a problem anymore due to changing economics and highly-increased Border Patrol staffing. I felt perfectly safe camping here as a solo female.
WinnieViews would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Just us and the border patrol ”
Reviewed 3/14/2016
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
RV Length: | 31' (Class A) |
We chose this as a stopover after Organ Pipe National Monument. It is a great quiet area with lots of camp sites all over. We stayed past the immigration warning sign, taking the road on the left and not to far from the Darby Well. Explore all the different side roads as there are lots of places to stay. The scenery was great an... more
We chose this as a stopover after Organ Pipe National Monument. It is a great quiet area with lots of camp sites all over. We stayed past the immigration warning sign, taking the road on the left and not to far from the Darby Well. Explore all the different side roads as there are lots of places to stay.
The scenery was great and I loved the relics of the old farm and windmills. That said there is glass, rusty metal and other items strewn about the entire area. Our site was great and we had a fire ring and great views.
We did hear and speak to border patrol in the area. They are running around in vans, trucks, quads and motorcycles. Overall we felt safe, but I didn't wander too far alone or take pictures at night. Just a tiny bit of a creepy factor from the knowledge that friends had been approached out here.
Ajo was a fun day trip and a trip to the mine was very educational. The docent there is ready to tell you everything and then some. 33 miles of train tracks inside the mine - geeze!
T-Mobile was nonexistent out here. Otherwise we did great with Verizon and streamed away.
2WanderAway - Shannon would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Peaceful, yet close to town”
Reviewed 3/9/2016
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 7 |
We loved this spot!! It's close enough to the town of Ajo, yet far enough to feel like you're all alone. A few notes: Once you get to the "smuggling sign", the road turns pretty nasty. Try not to go too far. Any OHV road to your right has a handful of campsites on it, so don't pass any by. If you go too far down the road (where ... more
We loved this spot!! It's close enough to the town of Ajo, yet far enough to feel like you're all alone.
A few notes: Once you get to the "smuggling sign", the road turns pretty nasty. Try not to go too far. Any OHV road to your right has a handful of campsites on it, so don't pass any by. If you go too far down the road (where we were, about 1mi past the sign), the Verizon signal turns pretty bad. So the closest East you are to the highway, the better.
I'm going to rate cell service based on what's available from the sign and East (3 bars of Verizon LTE) -- not what we got too far out (3 bars of crappy 3G)
Jon would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Come for the Sunsets Stay for the Town”
Reviewed 3/1/2016
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 8 |
Site Number: | 4 miles from hwy |
RV Length: | 32' |
We met up with some friends who were camped here while we were on our way to Organ Pipe National Monument. The area they picked was one mile from where Darby Well turns right (so about 4 miles from the highway). This is also where the dirt road appears to become unmaintained. And while it was a VERY bumpy last mile, it ended up being p... more
We met up with some friends who were camped here while we were on our way to Organ Pipe National Monument. The area they picked was one mile from where Darby Well turns right (so about 4 miles from the highway). This is also where the dirt road appears to become unmaintained. And while it was a VERY bumpy last mile, it ended up being pretty well worth it.
Our "site" was close to Locomotive Rock...probably w/in a quarter mile...and had little traffic (mostly Border Patrol and a couple of mountain bikers). The only bad thing, internet and cell service was very spotty this far out. BUT, the views were terrific as were the sunsets, stars and peace and quiet. We were able to get level easily and there was a loop that was large enough for us to turn around in even with the tow hooked up!
Originally, we had only planned to stay a couple of nights but after a trip into Ajo we changed our minds pretty quickly. Seems there's actually a lot to see in the area. One being the scenic loop that is Darby Well. If you follow the main road (going right at the only main fork) you will eventually end up in town near the mine pit. There are TONS of mountain bike, dirt bike and 4WD trails off of this loop and many, many options for camp sites...most with much better cell signal than what we were getting (but we were too in love with our view to move).
Do yourself a favor (if you plan on being in the area for any length of time) and visit Ajo. The visitor center has maps of the bike trails and scenic route, a walking route of the historical sights in town, art galleries, a farmer's market, two beautiful churches (photo ops), an old mission turned museum, a historic school turned artist's residents, gorgeous murals every where and some very nice locals who love to chat. There's even yoga! And the library has excellent wifi, programs and even shows movies that were filmed in the Ajo area!
We were unable to confirm the potability of the water taps we found behind the Post Office and Funeral Home (which is a tiny alley NOT designed to drive you rig through) so we paid for water at one of the gas station outdoor water purifiers (something like $1 for 5 gallons). Garbage cans that weren't locked were hard to find and we chose to dump once we got to Organ Pipe National Monument rather than back track to one of the campgrounds in town.
So, even though the road was bumpy and our cell signal was weak it still gets 5 stars from us due to scenery, location and solitude...and also for the fact that you can choose to stay closer to the highway and get very good reception if you want. Beautiful area for sure.
Tales From the Mutiny would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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- Dispersed Camping
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