Cactus Forest Campground

We loved staying at this free camping place! It is a bit out of the way, but it is worth the extra drive time. We camped right by the entrance, but there is an entire road system leading all the way back to the mountains! Beautiful area. Lots of roads and trails to hike or ride your bike.

Absolutely wonderful spot to camp. I was about a mile and half in, so nicely secluded. There was some construction close and you could hear the shooting range, but besides that…just beautiful! Definitely could see myself going back again! The area I found was nice and clean from trash also.

Dreamy magical place. It is advised if in a big rig or towing a trailer to unhitch or jump on a bike to find a spot 1st. We had got in a jam and had a little trouble turning around but not bad. Other folks it took longer. There are really large spots but then I saw small vans taking them when they should have been more thoughtful to take one more their size. Make sure you have water and supplies as it is not close to anything. We have a dog and she did fine. Just be mindful when picking out your spot and walked her down the middle of the "road".

This is such a magical place! The desert has it's sounds and colors that make everything so much better. The road leading in is fine for any type of vehicle, the spots/spurs are easily accessed, as well. There are 2 sides to this BLM, these photos are from the west side. Next time I'll camp on the east side due to the non-stop target shooting that goes from 7 am til 9 pm. If you can stand the constant powpoppowpop all. day. long. then go west. When/if the gunfire is briefly stopped (probably reloading) this place is so calm and peaceful that time stands still. Yes, there is cholla all over the place and it glistens in the sun. If you don't like that, take the kids and dogs to a campground. ** 1 star removed for the annoying gunfire **

The density of these giant Saguaro cacti is amazing, 100% worth the 15 minute drive from I-10. RVs are parked along the road but the sites themselves are on the dirt cattle drive. It's not maintained and I'd count three spots on the west side that are trailer friendly. Not dog friendly due to spikes everywhere on the ground + lots of wildlife at night. Also hunters or fireworks can be heard. All that said, it's 100% worth camping a couple days. Very peaceful.

Nearly pristine 🏜️ Sonoran desert near a cattle ranch and shooting range. The shooting is the only thing that detracts from being surrounded by the sight and sounds of nature. Great for stargazing. Pack it in and pack it out folks. I collected trash as I studied plants.