Crystal Hill Dispersed Camping

I camped alongside the road that goes to Crystal Hill, about 1/2 mile before the official campground. Camping is allowed along the road as long as you stay within 100 feet of the road. Crystal Hill has a rough official campground that is small and set in a depression against Crystal Hill. The sites are tiny and rocky. Vegetation is sparse. 20 foot or smaller trailers should fit fine. Anything bigger could be tough. I had better cell coverage, 2 bars, but they had less wind.
The wind blew steadily all day and into the night. In March the temperatures were cool in the morning but warmed into the 70's by 2 PM. I placed my 10 foot converted cargo trailer so it blocked the steady southwest breezes.
There was some road traffic. Mostly oil pipeline workers, Jeepsters and ATV riders. Most slowed down when they saw my trailer so I did not get swept up in a dust cloud.
I wore street shoes at first but that quickly proved uncomfortable. The ground was littered with cactus needles and thorn balls. All went through the sides and soles of my comfortable loafers. I pulled them out with a pliers and laced on a pair of Vibram soled hiking boots. They fared much better.
Despite being a nature reserve KOFA is developed. High voltage power lines followed the road a few hundred feet to the south. A buried gas pipeline crisscrossed the reserve near me also. Atv and graded roads followed the developments. I saw a gas line pumping station about 5 miles further down the road. There are also water pumping stations in the refuge that are used for wildlife.
The road to Crystal Hill is graded, but infrequently. It was full of washboards and I had to travel slowly; about 15 mph. A whole network of roads traverse KOFA and I started to follow some the second day I was there. They made for beautiful drives in the Jeep. I used 4 wheel drive frequently.
At night I could see the traffic on the main road and the light glow from nearby towns. Civilization was never far away. It was a pleasant experience though and I would camp here again. Over the air TV stations in Phoenix came in well.
I felt safe here and did not find any signs of illegal aliens and drug smugglers in my hikes through the desert.

Very quiet with brilliant night skies. For 3 nights I had the place to myself along with the coyotes. To get to my site I had to cross 2 washes and my trailer hitch did drag. There are sites that you do not need to cross the washes.
In the KOFA you may disperse camp as long as you are 1 mile from any water source and stay within a few feet of the road.
The road in is rough in spots and Crystal Hill is 6.2 miles from Hwy 95.
All vehicles used within the KOFA must be licensed for highway use.
You are limited to 14 days per calendar year.

The signs posted that say no camping beyond this point are only for the section up to Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. You will see another sign facing the opposite direction on the other side. Past that is open land for camping so don't let the sign hinder you from continuing on to camp. It is 3 miles from the main road to the park entrance and another 3 miles to get to Crystal Hill. Those last 3 miles are open for camping for up to 14 days. The road is moderately rough. I was able to get my F350 dually through just fine but lots of washboard.
Crystal Hill has plenty of camp spots but it's not very good for large rigs. I wouldn't take my fifth wheel in there especially since you can drive down the main road another 6 miles and find much easier camping spots.

You have to want this one. When you leave the highway you'll see a BLM sign that says "No Camping Beyond This Point" that only applies until you reach the border of the KOFA Wildlife Refuge about 3 miles from the highway. The road was very washboarded - easily traveled, but very slow with the trailer. There were four other units in the area when I was there during Q's RV show in January 2013. It's a great place to get away from the crowds but be based close enough to visit the big show.

It would appear that this area was a developed campground at one time with a few concrete footings remaining. There was some, but minimal, traffic on the road - mostly side-by-side quads that would be eastbound in the morning and return in late afternoon. Apparently hunting for crystals on the hill nearby is a draw - I just liked the quiet.

Verizon connectivity was non-existant on the phone but I could get 3 bars of 3G with the antenna and amplifier.