Cattle Tank Road Dispersed Camping

Not really for RVs. I think it’s more for vans and tents. I counted around 7 sites that would fit a truck and trailer. After those sites it quickly turns into an almost V shaped Jeep trail. No place to turn around. We had to back our 33ft trailer and truck into a site that already had a van and after much careful maneuvering, 20 minutes and a close call with a cactus, we finally got out of there. It’s also hard to find at night and much farther off of the highway than expected. Ended up staying off the side of the road much closer to the highway.

Out in the desert with lots of various cacti all around. Nice view of Picacho Peak to Northwest.
This site is out of the way enough it isnt very busy.
After the first quarter mile the road narrows and isn't wide enough for a 5th wheel or a Class C.
The vegetation will scratch your vehicles beyond that and it gets harder to turn around.
There is a big lot when first coming in that would hold 5 5th wheels, Class A or C motorhomes.
It is usually empty.
Past that in the next couple hundred feet there is room for 2-3 more. After that just vans and truck bed campers.
If you go in far enough there is a road to the north that dead ends and becomes 4 wheel drive after first
couple hundred feet. There was a truck bed camper there, the only one.

Coming up HIghway 77 (Oracle Rd from Tucson) at Oracle Junction turn left on to Highway 79, go 10 miles and just past highway marker 101 turn left and go another nearly 10 miles on paved road then turn south on Cattle Tank Road about a 1/4 mile. Turn in to the right and you are in the first camping site.

We arrived on a Sunday, so it was almost full. Monday was a holiday which may have accounted for more campers. We parked within a old corral area not knowing if it was okay and it appeared to be. We discovered more camping sites if one turned left off Cattle Tank Rd instead of right into this camping area. I’m unsure how to rate noise if five stars is little or much noise. There is a shooting range but not close enough to disturb us.

Campsites are located just off of the narrow dirt road. Established campsites along the road are limited, but the setting is gorgeous. A few campsites are pretty large. Beautiful sunsets in a cactus garden setting. You'll be surrounded by large saguaros and lots of chollas (careful for those). Nights are very dark and quiet with the sounds of coyotes. It's also open range, so you may see cattle. You may also hear gunshots periodically since there are designated shooting areas further west against the hillside.

Cell signal was adequate with a booster. We were able to work and stream on 4G LTE with both Verizon and T-Mobile.

I would not recommend this spot for large RVs. There's a loop near the entrance that can accommodate a couple large rigs that can't venture down the road. Smaller RVs should not have a problem if you don't mind a little desert pin striping. Don't expect an easy turn around unless you get into a campsite. So best to scope it out first. The road narrows quickly and gets rutted in areas. There are also a couple campsites on the other side of the road.