West Ironwood Road Dispersed Camping

Like the Jeep owner, I parked my toy hauler heading toward the camping area (on Ironwood, across from the Cochise Stronghold Ranch since I knew I would be able to turn around there), unloaded the RZR, and drove in to scope it out.

Backing up a bit... the paved part of Ironwood Road is an absolute disaster. Dragoon road is an option, and is just as bad. They're twins. Once you get the dirt portion, it's a bit washboard, but that is actually a relief (I drive diagonal to diagonal if it keeps going). I'm a little confused about the previous poster who said they parked "3/12" from the camping area at the information sign. The information sign is right at one entrance to the dispersed area. Maybe 3/12 is a quarter of a mile, which sounds about right (don't pull a big rig in this far).

The spaces are marked, but the roads within the area meander quite a bit. It's one of those where you're not sure if you are going to end up in a spot someone is occupying then have to back out. It's kind of a spider's web, and you can't see what your choices are until they show up.

I checked connectivity throughout, and got between nothing to about 3mbs down with ATT. Verizon was more or less dead, with the occasional single bar and 1mbps using speedtest.com. The better bandwidth was hard to predict. I checked a spot where I thought for sure I'd get a fairly decent signal, and got nothing. I drove further back and got the 3mbps.

The spiderweb roads are mostly drivable with a car, but on occasion, the left might require high-clearance whereas the right is nearly flat and vice versa.

Eventually I spotted two areas next to each other that I might be able to park in, but the low-hanging branches concerned me. I wasn't able to get a close look because the spots were taken. I wanted to look at the height, but also to see what it would take to back in. In cases like these, you almost have to walk it to know for sure.

This place is beyond special. If you're van camping, tent camping, pulling a smaller trailer (24' or less), and have a booster if you need internet, you can find a spot here and settle in. The Cochise trail is remarkable. And the area, with area names like "Middlemarch," "Council Rocks," and "Sky Island," you'll feel like you stepped into a living video game. The history with Cochise and Geronimo, and the battles and friendships that were made among the Apaches and respectable representatives of the US government make this place more magical than any other I've been to (there is also a Buddhist retreat close to the state campground - I stayed there).

Even if you can't boondock here, read up on the history of the Cochise Stronghold, drive in, park near the trailhead, and experience it. Live it.

What to expect while boondocking in Arizona? Rough dirt roads that lead to rougher and rutted dirt roads. Slow going at best. We arrived with the Jeep in tow and decided that would be a better vehicle to explore campsites. Good decision on our part. We left the coach at the information signs, 3/12 miles down the aforementioned really rough dirt road, and explored the dispersed area and campground. The best dispersed area starts just 0.1 mile from the information signs. The first road to the right you come to is definitely 4 wheel drive as you head uphill. The best site is all the way at the end of the road, about a half mile in. The second dirt road is the best choice and has many nice flat sites in the trees before opening up onto a large flat exposed area. A recent burn has left the sites further in very exposed to the hot Arizona sun. Be aware that the start of the road is relatively easy to negotiate while further in it becomes very rutted and difficult for a large rig. The dispersed camping road loops back to the main road so one could access the burned area easily by traveling about 0.3 from the information signs. Today there were more campers in the burned area than in the trees at the start of the road, so we camped in the trees. If you travel up the main road you’ll cross several washes, one of which I would not take or 28 foot coach through for fear of dragging the tail end. Of course the Jeep had no trouble and a standard vehicle with good clearance would also have no problem. The campground is at the far end. It’s a very nice spot for tent campers, vans, and small trailers.

Our spot, just inside the oak trees was level and easily accessible. Some low hanging branches touched the AC unit as I negotiated our final camp spot. Our coach is 12 1/2 feet tall so I wasn’t surprised, just cautious. Most sites have fire rings and ample dead or downed branches to make an enjoyable campfire. The shade of the oaks helped to keep the coach comfortable during the day.

The Dragoon mountains are incredibly beautiful and rugged. It’s no wonder Cochise chose them for his hideout. While here we hiked on trails and off trails up rugged washes. Close by our campsite as I explored a deep canyon I first heard the echoes of climbers discussing their route and then spotted one on a sheer face. What a sight!

This area is very limited in comparison to the west side of the Dragoons. If you’re looking for something a little more remote you could travel towards Tombstone and take the good MiddleMarch dirt road east to reach the mountains and find lots of dispersed camping spots in both open grassland and in the oaks.

We tent camped here for one night while on a longer road trip. Beautiful spot to spend the evening, only 20-30 minutes from the highway.

It was a weekend and it’s a popular rock climbing spot. We were very lucky to have pulled in and found a quiet space to the left of the entrance.

To the right, W Hunt road (on google maps) curves around and the campsites were packed and close together. This was at the dispersed site, NOT the campground.

Absolutely lovely location and would stay there again. Tons of wildlife and amazing mountain views.

Nice place. Don’t bother with the Stronghold campground. They are packed in like sardines. This is just a mile or so from the Stronghold.
The area is flat. Pleanty of shady places or sunny places to suit your needs.
Being here in March, it is a bit windy. Cold in the mornings too. And in the afternoons, the disappears behind the mountain while there is several hours of light left.
There are many oak stands, perfect for hammocks.
Cell service. Mine is Verizon and I get between 2 bars LTE or 3G. It’s not consistent but it’s there. Barely. Not once have I seen forest service.
The price is right, it’s quiet and the views are gorgeous!

We had no problem getting to the dispersed campsites with our 35 foot bus by using the second entrance of road 4809 (W. Hunt Rd in Google Maps). We had great Verizon signal in the biggest spot in the middle (away from the cliffs), but our friends had practically no AT&T signal.

Walking distance from a small climbing area and lots of other beautiful spots through a 4 X 4 road. It is just over 2 miles from the campground and trailhead for Cochise Traverse Trail.

The nearest store is The Produce Wagon (15 min away), a bit pricey but lots of organic bulk and local produce, raw milk, etc. For a bigger grocery store, you need to drive 40 min to Wilcox or Benson.

There was very little online about the dispersed camping options in Cochise Stronghold, but we took a chance and checked it out. So glad we did, because it was one of the best boondocks we've ever found. The dirt road in is about 3 miles of mild washboard, and one wash that is fine to cross as long as it's dry. The camping options are plentiful for high clearance vehicles, but RVs should check out the large area near 31.939534,-109.960800. There are multiple spots nearby for a single rig, and the large area could accommodate 6 or 7 large RVs easily. The road gets really dicey past this point, and RVs should scout it out before driving in.

There are trashcans near the information board at the entrance, and also at the campground at the south end of Ironwood Road. Vault toilets are at the campground, too, but there's no water available in the canyon. Trailheads for several hikes and a nature and history trail start from the campground. The interior roads are also great for walking, and give great views of the valley below and the cliffs that surround the camping area.

The sites were super clean, and the place was completely quiet, even on the weekend. On clear nights, we could see a million stars.

Be aware that the campground might not be a good option for RVs. The sites are short and tight, with heavy tree cover and low hanging branches. Also, past the turn off for the dispersed RV camping, there are 3 washes that get progressively steeper and rockier--only suitable for confident drivers. We did see longer Class Cs and Fifth Wheels in the campground, but I would not want to take my rig through the washes.