Peralta Road Dispersed Camping

33.3605685, -111.3959974
Peralta Rd., Gold Canyon, AZ
No services

VERIZON via Visible 4 bars 4g
ATT via Straight Talk 3 bars 4g
OTA Channels decent depending on location
Radio stations doable from our location

March/April 2022

PROs:
Absolutely stunning views out every window, Any size rig can find a spot, Private spots if you're willing to scout around, Water & Propane available at Circle K up the road (3 dumpsters in back), Lots of good hiking, side by side tours, horseback riding tours etc if that's your thing.

CONs:
Noisy days & Weekends, Dusty (not many observe the 10mph limit), Open Range livestock, Rattlesnakes, Some trash, Some overstaying limits, Local laundries are expensive ( wash 3.50-15.00, dryer .50 10min).

SPECIAL NOTE:
Get your AZ State Land Trust Pass & display it clearly. They do come through.

We have loved our stay here & will be back. We opted for an easy in/out group area 3.1m in from the Peralta/ I60 entrance as we were back n forth to town a lot to visit friends, but found at least 5 others we could have opted for. There are pull out spots just as you enter the gravel road area if you just need an overnight. Otherwise scout it out. There are lots of offshoots that are more private if you're staying longer..

Road can be bumpy, go slow. Don't recommend coming in blind after dark if you're going past the pullouts. Pay attention to the washes if rain is expected. Some of the spots in the back can get cut off.

Our site wasn't very busy with campers, even tough it could hold several, but we did have a lot of OHV tours, dirt bikes, and horseback tours enter the trails through here. Horse trailers park in this location for the day on the weekends.

Had cows come through several days. Had no interest in us or the rig, but I could see them doing damage if you're parked near their favorite bushes. ...and some of these guys were HUGE. Saw a Coyote and heard them in the distance at night. Horseback tour found a Rattlesnake about 70' from us. Tour leader said they had found 17 so far that week. Said it was pretty unusual activity for this time of year. Glad I didn't know that earlier in the week as I tromped around taking pictures of Spring flowers!

Quiets down at night except on weekends. Traffic dies down about an hour after sundown when the sunset hikers to the Wave Cave head home. Really had no problem with the little bit of traffic there was.

Will definitely be back. That view is worth a little traffic & dust ... Sunrises & Sunsets are stunning here.

I boondock mostly, so coming to a campsite on the same road as a residential neighborhood with sidewalks was a nice treat, but you can totally go up the road further if you want to be away from that too. There are plenty of spots to camp. The permit display is strictly enforced, we got a warning because I forgot to post it up. You can't park within 1/4 mile of the stock water, we made this mistake because there were no signs stating otherwise and had to move. Someone came in immediately behind us and did the same thing. I was able to get the officials to put up a little no parking sign though!! Pretty proud of that little win if I do say so myself. You can get water and propane at the Circle K down the road and dump at the Camping World in Mesa. Peralta Rd has steady traffic non-stop, it's super busy but there are always available spots.

The area has stunning views and access to great trails for hiking and ohving.

The best sites are all taken so if you find something just take it. However many sites are not made for big rigs.

Its heavily trafficked because of the superstition trails and it’s near Phoenix and lots of weekenders.

Dogs need to watch out for the cactus as they are everywhere.

Cell coverage is mediocre.
Noise during the day.

I enjoyed my stay for nearly two weeks. There is a bit of traffic, but my site was elevated a few feet up off the road, and felt secure with a modicum of privacy. I was able to park with a southern exposure on my awning side, had a grand view of the mountains, marked several Lifer bird species, and could stream Netflix on T-Mobile and Verizon. While there, I explored the Jeep roads, drove to Tortilla Flats, visited Goldfield Ghost Town, cleaned up trash left by other campers, and spent time wiring up and installing solar panels to channel the sun's energy for the first time. Worked a treat, until the Longhorn Cattle strolled through my campsite this morning, wreaking havoc on my external wires. Proprietary connectors were chewed and ripped out of the side of my rig, the controller was chewed up and tossed aside, a hose for siphoning gas into my generator was destroyed, and there were several horn and cow muzzle marks alongside my camper and Jeep. Not to mention the huge, stinky patty they left in their wake. It's truly a beautiful area, and I might camp here again, but only if I can find a site that isn't favored by the local roamers.

With the last review of this place a year ago, we were a little apprehensive about checking this place out, but it did not disappoint! There are quite a few places up and down this road with plenty of spurs to pull off and check out. We saw class a's, busses, and more. We are in a 35 ft class c and sit really low to the ground, but we were able to make it to a spot without scraping the jacks (this time).

Our spot was exactly 3 miles down from where you exit the neighborhood and enter into state trust land. The road was very busy the entire time, but it did get quiet at night. Least busiest of days were Tue and Wed so if you're looking to get a good spot, as always, arrive early in the week.

This boondocking location is in great proximity to several trailheads down the road including the Wave Cave hike. It was packed full of people so don't do this on the weekend!

Overall we'd stay here again. Decent internet, and amazing views of the Superstition Mountains!

This is a beautiful place to boondock close to city limits. Many places to boondock along Peralta Road. Some of the spots are full of ruts as it is a popular ORV spot. I had cattle walk right through my campsite. Amazing views and Sunsets. Cellular service is fine for ATT and Verizon. I was able to stream tv and Netflix. Note: as you get further into the canyon it gets very spotty. I stayed 3 miles from the entrance to the state trust land. Very pleased with amount of areas to boondock. We stayed 3 miles from the State Land entrance. Spots close to road can be dusty as there is a fair amount of traffic on Peralta Rd. Scout out places down trails leading from main road. Spots for big rigs but a smaller unit gives you more options. Cell service gets spotty the further down in the canyon you go. Beautiful view and sunsets!

Scenic views on Arizona State Land in Gold Canyon. A permit is required for camping here costing $20 per year. You can purchase the permit here:
https://land.az.gov/natural-resources/recreational-permits

We got water about 25 minutes away at the Chevron (1143 N Ellsworth Rd, Mesa) where you can also dump for a fee of $15 or $10 with a gas purchase.

There are limited big rig friendly camping spots that are either along the road as you come on the road or after the cattle guard to the left which is where we camped on a small loop. Plenty of off-road camping if you have a smaller rig or 4 x 4 vehicle.

There was plenty of hiking down the road. We hiked the Wave Cave Trail that was a couple miles down the road. This spot is also close to the city for shopping with a grocery store right in Gold Canyon. Great boondocking views with the desert sunsets.