Cieneguita Camping Area

We stayed Easter weekend and most sites were full, but we were able to find one and it was lovely. Lots of space from your neighbors. We stayed here and spent some time swimming at Patagonia State Park (where the water is still icy cold, even if it’s in the high 90s now). Area is popular with ATVs but we were far enough away we barely heard them.

Got here on a Tuesday and all sites were full except a small space. There is more camping past the end/turnaround thru the gate, I later found out. Wide open space with rolling hills, mountains all around and cows. The reviews below capture it. Good spot to park and use for day trips to Tombstone, Bisbee, Sierra Vista, Patagonia, etc. Also kinda close to Tuscon. Couple restaurants 6 miles away. Verizon with WeBoost gave me 5 bars.

Brought our 43' fifth wheel to Cieneguita camping area on a Thursday but it was already full so we parked just down the road. No problem for big rigs in many locations. The rule is that you can park anywhere there is a spot on any road. The entire area is public land. You can also pass through fences. Just make sure you close it behind you if they are closed and leave them open if they are open. Fires are fine unless there is a special restriction. The mesquite trees are not natural to the area and they want to return it to grassland so take as much as you want for firewood. This area is 4500' elevation so it was cold at night but we still had 65 to 75 during the day in February which was perfect. It could also be a cooler spot to camp in the hotter months.

It was very busy on the weekend and crowded at all the camping sites but you can always find an open spot if you look around. Lots of ATV activity on the weekend but not much during the week. We heard coyotes and saw a pronghorn but not much wildlife other than the cows. There is a prairie dog recovery site nearby.

AT&T was great with download speeds around 50Mbps. Unable to get T-Mobile service at all.

This place is the perfect getaway or place to stop and get some work done!

Most of the road on the way in is paved and it changes to gravel just after the entrance to the group camping site. There's a small bit of wash boarding but nothing teeth rattling. There's no major dips or pot holes so don't be shy about bringing your big rigs here, you don't even have to disconnect the toad and scout the road beforehand.

There are several pullouts along the road that can easily accommodate a large rig or even several rigs. The road in the actual campground is a bit sandy in parts so I'm not sure what it would do in or after a heavy rain although there are no ruts.

This location has VERY good, and *stable*, Verizon service. It's only 2-bars of 4G LTE without a booster but even so I will get a steady 50-70Mbps download, 3Mbps upload, with ping around 45ms. I've had no connectivity issues streaming content or attending video conferences while here, something I couldn't say while traveling through Phoenix, Sedona, or Tucson! If you need a quiet place to get some work done while on the road then this place is it.

There isn't much nearby in the way of groceries or other services. The town of Sonoita is a short drive away but there's only one gas station that's a little pricey and a small mercantile with snack food. I would suggest coming prepared otherwise the town of Vail is about 35 minutes away which has a nice Safeway.

Lastly, after leaving the minefields of trash and glass in Tucson, this place is very clean so lets please do our part keep it that way!

I have stayed here twice now, once at Cieneguita, and once a little north of the ranch near the air field. Always very quiet and peaceful. Short distance from downtown Tucson! Gorgeous sunsets every time! It is mostly desert with a few trees. There are a few spots in this designated camping area, and lots of spots not in the camping area. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a quick and easy escape.

Lots of positive reviews brought us to this area. The area has tall grasses and mesquite trees, just like the posted pictures.

Empire Ranch Road is paved until the ranch. Yucca Farm Road that leads you to the camping area is a dirt road in pretty good shape with a few pot holes. Be mindful of the cattle guards, most had big dips in front of them.

The camping area was busy midweek, we got the last "spot" just past the 3rd marked site. We stayed for 2 days, there was no movement from any of the other RV's in the area. We had good WIFI and TV reception.

We checked out the other camping areas and did a self tour of the ranch house. Others appeared to be bird watching.

Many trees in this area had been taken out and piled up. We saw a sign that said "Future site of Cieneguita Camp Area".