Castle Dome Dispersed Camping

A 4x4, high clearance road meandered off into the distance, ocotillos and saguaros waving their invitation for us to spend an evening watching the sun flirt between their spiney arms in a way we simply couldn’t resist. After dragging the back end of our Ford E350, extended, in a couple of deep washed we found a perfect spot just off the trail and proceeded to allow the hummingbirds and, I believe, cactus wrens help us decompress the afternoon going evening away. Several Jeeps and side by sides interrupted an otherwise perfectly peaceful spot in the desert, rock domes and the sun’s set and rise sandwiching our sleep.

And then there were the bombs. The road in warns that this is some type of military testing zone, and so every twenty minutes or so the boys in green were blowing something up, presumably what you do when you own explosives.

About 10 miles of gravel road in (hence only 4 stars) with a nice open area to throw up a tent or park. The area is filled with giant saguaro cacti. We didn’t hear any noise despite being so close to the border. The ground is gravel with a few fist sized rocks but flat.

Note on getting here: Google Maps may tell you to go down a road with a sign saying authorized vehicles only. Don’t take that road - go a little further and you’ll see a park entrance. You can follow the GPS from there.

Amazing area. Camped at the second to last campsite before the KOFA sign and had good phone reception. Moderate traffic on this road... but great nearby hiking to the horse tanks. Good cell phone reception. The road in is a little bumpy but not bad. 25 miles to Quartzsite and 45 to Yuma.

We spent the day at the ghost town at the end of the road. It’s a fascinating little place and affordable ($15 adult) if you self guide, the guided tour into the mines is $80 per person so we skipped that.

With such a long, rough, wash boarded road we were happy to pull over and camp off road. The area is flat but extremely pretty. It was peaceful and lovely. We got set up and breathed that deep sigh you do when everything is perfect. Then a bomb or some sort of explosion went off. Distant, but quite a contrast to your nature experience. You couldn’t see anything, and it was not close enough that you felt it, but it certainly changed the experience. Looking up we saw a giant blimp directly overhead. An internet search told us it was a military blimp that used radar to scan the borders for electronic devices bringing drugs into the US. The area is near a military proving ground thus the strange random noises.

We still had a lovely evening but I would camp elsewhere next time.

The road in is pretty washboard but our 25 ft mh with tow did fine. You must camp within 100 ft of designated road but there are lots to choose from. Watching the surveillance blimp s interesting. Lots of cactus and plenty of backroads for 4x 4 to mines. Watch out for old military mines! We found one and reported. Yes this is near military but only once for maybe an hour we could hear tanks booming. We Love our military and glad they are practicing

This is a paved road up to the military base. All along it no parking as well as 5 miles after! Paved road ends, and no turning around! Washboard and berms you cannot cross to turn around so don’t go by satellite images! There are zero turn out spots!! This is for side by sides or jeeps etc!

Limited to 100 feet of the washboarded gravel road. Most of the road has berms along the sides. It appears that the bureaucrats that administer our public lands don't wish to welcome campers.

Limited to 100 feet of the washboarded gravel road. Most of the road has berms along the sides. It appears that the bureaucrats that administer our public lands don't wish to welcome campers.