Dispersed Camping At Redington Pass In Arizona

We stumbled across Redington Pass while looking for a free boondocking spot near Saguaro National Park.

This spot in Arizona is part of the Coronado National Forest and managed by the US Forest Service. Campsites are on a first come, first served basis, it’s open year round and there’s a 14 day stay limit.

This is boondocking baby so no water or hook-ups can be found here. There are also no toilets or trashcans, so whatever you pack in be sure you pack out.

Homemade fire pits can be found at most of the spots, but it gets windy here so be sure to check fire restrictions in the area. If you do light up a fire make sure every spark is out before going to bed or leaving camp.

Pets are allowed, but keep them leashed for there own safety here. Also, be sure to pick up after them.

Since this place is pretty frequently used it had more trash than we normally see while camping. We cleaned our area up really good before moving on.

There’s no shade here so plan accordingly. If you’re using solar for power you should be able to easily top off your batteries here no problem (weather permitting of course).

As for cell service we had both Verizon and AT&T that worked well for us here. As always, service improved once we hooked up our booster.

The GPS coordinates above will take you to a large parking area which is the only spot larger vehicles could set-up at on this road.

This is a busy area though and used by locals a lot. This parking area is also a staging area where ATV riders drop off their trailers before riding.

There might not always be space for your rig, especially on the weekends.

The dirt road past this point is very windy and has one heck of an incline.

There are some tight switchbacks too that you must be careful navigating since a lot of ATV’s fly up and down this road. There are bumps and some washboard so go slow.

I personally wouldn’t take anything over thirty feet past the parking lot. I think you would have difficulty finding a spot or turning around.

All of the spots are right off the road. They are more suitable for van and car camping or tent camping. Smaller rigs should also be able to find spots here. We had no problem with our pop-up.

The spots aren’t the most level though.

Since all the spots are right off the road watch your pets and kids very closely. All pets should be leashed here. ATV riders race up and down the road all day long and it’s crazy busy here during the weekends.

Our spot was off of a curve and I don’t know how many times I thought an ATV rider was gonna take me out, because they were driving way to fast.

Just be careful!

At the beginning of the road is the the Tanque Verde Falls trailhead which seems to be quite popular since the parking lot was always full. We ended up not having time to hike it, but I hear it’s a gorgeous hike.

Saguaro National Park East is only twenty minutes away and has a lot of hiking opportunities. We really enjoyed the Freeman Homestead Nature Trail and there’s even a couple pet friendly hikes in the park.

If you don’t have time to make it to the national park you will still get to see a ton of saguaro cactus in this camping area. You are surrounded by hundreds of the giant cacti here.

The sunsets are breathtaking and at night you can see the lights of Tuscan down below. The surrounding mountains make this a very lovely spot to camp.

Rangers and sheriff patrol this spot on a regular basis so we always felt safe. It’s a perfect camping area not far from the city or park with many other hiking opportunities in the area. It’s a place we would stay at again in the future.

If it wasn’t for those crazy ATV drivers traveling full speed up and down the road it would of been perfect!