Darby Well Road Dispersed Camping

We stayed two nights with beautiful views and cacti all around. Camping is allowed both in and outside the Wildlife Refuge boundaries and we found the perfect spot for us just before the refuge. There are lots of large flat areas and plenty of privacy. We did not see any wildlife but did mountain bike and there is hiking as well. Some other campers but not crowded at all.

There are a number of roads branching off from Darby Well that have campsites along them. We were along the well-named Scenic Loop Road. The road has a few washboarded spots but otherwise is passable for any vehicle. The scenic loop does loop around and come into into Ajo from the west. I would not recommend larger RVs do the full loop as there are some steep washes and turns to navigate. There are many small side roads leading into the scrub here. You may want to unhitch and explore for a secluded campsite away from the main road. There are some nice secluded spots off the main roads. However, don't try exploring with an trailer or MH. You may find yourself dead-ending at a wash or old mine shaft with nowhere to turn around. There are plenty of campsites right off the main roads if you don't want to explore. Your limiting factor on a campsite may revolve around your need to connectivity. It is very location dependent as a mountain blocks signals coming in from Ajo for some of the campsites. Some sites get great signal will for others there is nothing at all.

We were on a transit from Phoenix to northern Nevada and decided a little detour through Ajo would be nice. In spite of the warnings about sketchy activity at Darby Well, we gave it a go. We had to go farther down the road than we planned to find a site that we felt we could navigate in our rig. The roadside berms closer in were bigger than we wanted to attempt.

We found a good, level spot with neighbors reasonably spread out and walking distance to the well so we decided to stay a couple of nights instead of our original plan of just one since we had enough cell signal to get some work done, the area was quiet, and the neighbors respectful.

The wind the first night was hefty and kept us huddled inside. Picture two adults, large dog, and a motorcycle in a tiny toy hauler! But by morning it easy to enjoy working and exploring outside. And, obviously, being a desert with no large trees around and lots of sun, we were able to keep our action up and running with solar power.

While there, we did see a huge caravan of border patrol vehicles come and go but we had no issues or negative encounters at all. We did, however, have a Colorado Cane Toad hop through our site. Imagine our surprise when my partner said “That rock just jumped!” I was able to break out my biggie zoom lens and get some shots without disturbing it.

[Side note: On our way into town, we did the walking tour which is very engaging if you’re into history and understanding the places you travel through. There is RV parking in town behind the main square but you’ll have to watch your clearance if you want to pull out through the square. We were too tall so we had to maneuver around a bit to get back out.]

I camped here for 4 nights alone with my small dog.

Cell service was hit or miss at different locations, but the site I found had 4 bars LTE with Verizon. I logged into work every day without a problem.

Overall I had a ton of privacy but I could hear and occasionally see other people camping nearby, which I appreciated. Throughout the day cars, cyclists, and hikers would go by.

The stars were amazing and so were the organ pipe and saguaro cacti. I came for the national monument but this felt up close and personal with nature. I heard coyotes on the first night, but my dog saw three of them crossing the dirt road on another day...so I guess keep an eye out. Flies and bees were out and about during the day.

other highlights: The weather was perfect. I saw army planes fly overhead sometimes. I think I heard missile testing one morning.

People need to be better about burying their TP or packing it out, but I’m glad they left firewood behind!

This was my first free camping experience so at times I was overly nervous, but I would definitely go back again.

So much open space to find that perfect spot. The roads are a bit washboard when first coming in, but not bad at all. The further back you go, they do get a bit worse, but still not bad. Same for cell service, the further you drive, the less of a signal. We have AT&T with a booster and antenna. We did get 4 bars of 3G and with our technology, service was great, and we were able to work, watch movies, etc. So many places to wander. Quiet, serene, and peaceful.

Stayed here for 8 nights Apr1-9,2020. Wanted to hide out after 5 month in an RV resort for the winter, north of PHX.
This was perfect! There were a number of sites closer to Rt 86 on Darby Well Road, but all seemed well spaced. We continued down, onto Bates Well Rd, another 2.7 miles. Found a beautiful and open site, 100 yards off the road. Beautiful Sonoran desert scenery. Little traffic on the dirt road, mostly border patrol. The road is a bit rough, washboard in some places. Rolled our motorhome in under 10 mph to minimize shaking. Weather was perfect, albeit windy. No ATT service, but we found 2-3 bars of 3G about 1 mile south. Also it’s strong in Ajo.
The Scenic Road has a few spots, but you could not take a motorhome on it. Stick to Darby Well or Bates Well Roads.

My wife and I found this to be an ideal spot, with numerous campsites, good privacy if you’re willing to look around for open campsites, and amazing 360° scenery. The saguaros and mountains are fantastic. It is minutes to Ajo which has cute places to eat, fuel up, and real grocery hardware stores etc.

there is a spigot to fill water behind the building near the entrance to the “artists alley” right when you get to town.

Once you cross the cattle guard To enter the site there are a couple sites on the left. Then many many sites of various privacy and views further down on the left. You can hear faint noise from the lightly traveled highway even this far out.

Then when you get to the split in the toad marked “scenic loop” you can find countless other camping spots on the various roads that have much more privacy And solitude although the roads quality is worse. Was a little touch a go on those latter sites with our rental economy sedan but generally no problem unless crossing the washes. The sites closer to the highway are easy in a low clearance vehicle.

1-2 bars Verizon LTE