Words by William Ennis
With the current, cooler days of winter, memories of sentinel cacti outside the window of my RV come to mind. Somewhere a cactus wren sings out the welcoming song to the new day as a flock of quail scamper across my view.
Arizona has low humidity in the winter and the scarcity of rain makes it possible to access the desert by RV. However, you exchange the humidity and warmth of Florida or Southern Texas for cooler weather, sometimes just plain cold. We don’t wake up to frost on the roof of the RV, but it’s not humid, and that means a lot. In December it’s likely to be in the 60s with higher temperatures in the 70s late February. Then it warms up fast and sometimes the weather is uncomfortably hot.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The desert offers a certain sculpted beauty unlike anywhere.
Gunsight Wash
This is our favourite boondocking spot, which is about a 1 km (.6 mi) mile south of the intersection called Why. When you cross the bridge, be prepared to turn right into a construction yard of sand. Carry on through past the open gate into the boondocking sites. Sometimes there’s a host where you register. Otherwise, simply find a place to set up camp. Straight west is a rabbit warren area of twisted trails and sites. It can be crowded since this is where many RVers stop for a night on their way to Mexico.
I prefer the trail to the south, which wanders through creosote bushes for more than 1 km (.6 mi). The sites here are scattered and more private. Most of the times we have stayed here have been quiet with no other RVers all that close. We prefer a site along the river channel (and yes, I saw water in it once). I even saw ice along the shore one chilly morning.
This is a very wide river, which at this location is split and flows around an island. The river bottom is great for hiking since it’s usually firm and there are lots of tracks from birds and other wildlife. During our visit, it was a real eye opener to see the amount of damage caused by summer flooding. Large trees were jammed into shallow coves with their roots in the air.
There are also times in the winter when a real storm comes through and I’ve seen the sand around the RV covered with water. Yet, the road and the campsite remain firm.
Brewbooks
The train depot in Ajo. The buildings are classical Spanish architecture.
This is a very scenic boondocking site, unlike some of those near Quartzsite. It’s in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. The creosote bushes cloak the sandy areas and are spaced several feet apart in their distinctive pattern, which is caused by dry soil. Nearby plants send extensive root systems out from the centre and as two root systems approach each other, they make the soil drier and then the roots stop approaching each other. It makes for great outings as there are lots of open spaces between the plants. In fact, we frequently play golf with a seven iron and strive for distance (without losing the ball). It adds interest to a long walk.
Mixed in among the creosote bushes are several short, stubby ferocious looking Fishhook Barrel cacti that sometimes bear orange-to-yellow flowers. Sprinkled liberally across the desert plain are a few saguaro cacti, standing high and proud, their many arms looking as if they are pointing at several things around them at the same time. Less frequent in this lower lying plain are ocotillo plants. These look like tall blackberry canes with wicked thorns. If it’s a moist year, they are recognizable by their small green leaves that append the main stem from the bottom to the top, and the stem will often be topped by attractive red flowers.
Around the perimeter of this huge tract of land are mountains, which vary in interest depending on the angle of the sun. Long lingering shadows can be especially compelling and if you observe them through powerful binoculars you can discover old trails and even dark mine entrances.
There are a few people, and fortunately only a few, who roar around on ATVs that don’t enhance the enjoyment of this quiet area. I’ve also noticed that people don’t use noisy generators as they once did. Visitors are starting to learn to appreciate what nature has to offer.
Ken Lund
The rugged landscape always takes on new form with warm casts of sunlight early or late in the day.
Ajo and the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
South of Gunsight Wash, 6 km (4 mi) away, is Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument but it's still a long drive to the campground. The mountain drive loop passes through a jumble of remarkable mountain and desert scenery. There are lots of groves of cholla cacti including the jumping cholla cactus. This is considered a mean cactus and is covered with sharp spines and barbs. If you hold one of the spines up to the light you can see an even sharper piece at the end and they can really attach to you. The cactus doesn’t jump but it appears to. I once had a barb grab my trailing camera strap. I flicked it to shake it off and it ended up on my finger. I pushed it with a stick (never use two hands or you will have the cactus stuck in both of them) and it left a trail of little drops of blood as it roamed down my finger - very interesting.
For supplies, you can drive north 18 km (11 mi) to Ajo, which has a great grocery store – Olsen’s IGA – on the far side of town. There are also a couple of hardware stores and take note of the very slow speed limit in town. It’s enforced.
William Ennis
Fishhook Barrel cacti that sometimes bear orange-to-yellow flowers.
When you enter from the south, you pass by the Historic Plaza and old train depot. The buildings are classical Spanish architecture and surround a square with lots of green grass. It’s a real oasis in the Sonoran Desert. There is also a library with internet access at the square.
Ajo was once home to a huge copper mine and you can see the rock and tailing heaps for several kilometres as you come in from the south. When you drive in between the two piles you can see huge amounts of material that were pulled up from the monstrous open pit. You can view the pit from a viewing site in town and also check out the nearby mining museum.
There is a very scenic 16 km (10 mi) drive encircling Ajo and the area around the copper mine has a large variety of cacti. You can even spot some wildlife. The southwest corner of the drive has several scattered boondocking sites.
William Ennis
Less frequent in this lower lying plain are ocotillo plants.
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge
Near Ajo is the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge that occupies more than 800,000 acres and is managed to protect wildlife, particularly desert bighorn sheep and Sonoran pronghorn. You can pick up an access permit in Ajo. A rough road leads in from Ajo and it requires high clearance. If they have just graded it, watch for large round stones in the middle of the track. Once you are clear of town, you’ll have a great feeling of isolation with stark and beautiful scenery. Yet, always be prepared with lots of water and other essentials in the event you break down.
A handy park to dump and fill at is the *Coyote Howls East RV Park in Why, just on the north side of the highway on the way to Tucson. During our visit, it cost $11 USD to dump and fill. However, it’s just $10 USD to stay the night, which is a better deal. They have a good laundry facilities, restrooms, and showers.
Boondocking can be very enjoyable if you are lucky enough to be in an easily accessible area and not surrounded by noisy campers. We’ve liked this area tremendously. (*Ed note – be sure to call ahead in the event of closures due to Covid-19).
For more information visit www.coyotehowlsrvparks.com or www.fws.gov/refuge/Cabeza_Prieta/visit/visitor_activities.html
William Ennis
The groves of cholla cacti, including the jumping cholla cactus. Be careful of its piercing sharp spines and barbs.