Gold Canyon Dispersed Camping

We planned on just doing one or two nights here on our way into Phoenix for some repair work but it was such a great spot, we ended up staying almost two weeks. A few reviews were discouraging big rigs - I disagree. We have a 40’ fifth wheel and got in no problems. The majority of campers here were in fact larger fifth wheels, in fact. The only time I’d say the road into the camp areas could get dicey is during or after heavy rain. But in 95% of situations, large rigs would have no problems. The further in off the main road, the quieter it will be. Our spot was about 1/4 mile in and the highway was noticeable but not bad. If you like riding (mainly UTV but biking is good too) this is an amazing spot. We did some great rides straight out of our site. Apache Junction and Gold Canyon itself are not far of you need water or basic things from a convenience store. Cows wandering around daily, not a nuisance. Highly recommend this spot to anyone!

We took a drive to check this place out before we brought our 39’ class A, thank goodness. As soon as you turn off hwy 60 right after the cattle guard there is a gigantic pothole and I do mean gigantic. There is a small flat area where people park trailers for atvs, and then a very rough dirt road leading down to where you could boondock. Do not recommend this spot for a big rig.

There is a $21 fee for a yearly Arizona State Land and Trust Pass but it was definitely worth it for this spot. We stayed for the maximum of 14 days using this as base camp for our adventures into the Superstition Mountains, and the towns of Apache Junction and Mesa.

Plenty of places to spread out, but comforting to have others close enough to keep an eye on stuff while you are out playing.

Amazing sunrises and sunsets! The further in you go the less highway noise you will get, but since it is conveniently right of Hwy 79 (Tuscson to Phoenix area) it's part of the deal but it did not disturb us much.

Unless you want to take the long way in and spend a lot more time driving the dirt roads, don't enter at the OHV staging area entrance. There is another entrance closer to the Hwy 79 and Hwy 60 Junction (1.3 miles south of it) that does not show up as an option on Google or Apple Maps because it is gated. However, you can open it and close it behind you and then you will have plenty of camping options all around you within minutes of driving. This entrance cuts off about 45 minutes based on the mapping timelines.

Solid cell service. Water, Propane, Gas at the Circle K about 8 miles away on Hwy 60. Plenty of shopping for resupplies in Apache Junction.

We found Arizona State Trust Land Camping off Gold Canyon Road. We were greeted by big rig friendly boondocking areas at the Arizona State Trust Land dispersed camping area located off Gold Canyon Road. An Arizona State Trust Land permit is required to camp here. There is an OHV staging area at the entrance to Gold Canyon Road. Verizon cellular service clocked in at 50.9 Mbps download speed and 7.05 Mbps upload speed. AT&T cellular service clocked in at 222.0 Mbps download speed and 29.9 Mbps upload speed. T-Mobile cellular service clocked in at 174.0 Mbps download speed and 28.6 Mbps upload speed. Grid coordinates for this affordable camping location are as follows: 33.239490, -111.336801

We pulled in on a Monday just after dark. There were only a few campers, plenty of room & quiet. The cell reception was good. T-mobile & Verizon. But the highway noise was not great, big rigs going by all night, with even more loud traffic starting at 5am. Did not get great rest here. We did see some Mountain View’s in the morning, but nothing spectacular enough to make up for poor rest.

I pulled in here on a Thursday, it was bliss. Starting Friday it was completely the opposite. So many off-road vehicles making so much noise it's deafening. And the pot smokers are so intense I couldn't keep the windows opened on that side of my RV.

The entrance to the dispersed camping is fine, a little dip after the cattle grate, after that it's a dusty dirt road, pretty smooth but watch for rough spots in the road. I stayed not far from the entrance on the left side where there's a natural clearing and I could easily get my class A and tow car off the road. Low, scattered vegetation in the area. No Cholla cactus here and I saw or heard no wildlife during my 4 days. My exact location was 33.239826, -111.337802. I would avoid this location if it is going to rain. There are also many spots, off the main road, that have that very soft quick-sand-like sand that is great for the off-road vehicles, so look carefully when selecting your spot.

I was very pleased by how clean the area was, no trash at all. This is Arizona Trust land, and you need a permit ($16 on-line and print it out) but no one asked me to show the permit.

There's really nothing in the way of commerce (gas, food) for more than 10 miles away so bring what you need.

Great Mon-Thursday I'm sure, just avoid the weekends.