After two nights at Hackle Road BLM near Soloman, AZ we pulled out for Tucson. I looked for free camping near Tucson. I researched some BLM land just southwest of Tucson called Snyder Hill. It’s basically a large triangle of land between some busy roads where you can dry camp for up to 14 days.
Camping Near Tucson
The reason I’m here is my truck needs an oil change which somehow snuck up on me. It monitors the oil condition and tells me when to have it changed. Usually, I get an earlier warning but this time I have just five percent oil life remaining. Time to get that taken care of and have my tires rotated.
Snyder Hill BLM Access
We pulled into Snyder Hill around three o’clock this afternoon. Driving through is not for the faint of heart. The roads are very rutted and there are big dips and huge high spots in the road. It would be really easy to get stuck if you weren’t paying attention and going slowly.
We crept around the area looking for a spot that would work for us. It was very hot and sunny. A little too hot for my liking. I need to find a spot with some elevation and cooler temperatures after we leave here.
We parked with a small tree between us and the setting sun. Every little bit helps, right? I’ll be getting up early so I can get back here before it gets too hot in the trailer. I can’t take Murphy along and it’s supposed to be in the 90s tomorrow.
This is absolutely not my kind of place. It’s crowded and there are all kinds of campers here from big rigs to camper vans to tents. It looks as though some are living here short-term. Perhaps making a rotation between locations when the time limit comes up.
I much prefer to be out in the middle of nowhere without another person in sight. That’s my kind of camping. Lots of peace and quiet, space for Murphy to run when we’re out for our walks. However, life required us to be grownups occasionally, so I’m adulting.
What you don’t see in these photos is the incredible amount of garbage and broken glass. I get so frustrated by the lack of consideration and conscience by people who use public land. How hard is it to pick up after yourself? People clean up your trash. Leave your campsite looking better than when you arrived. I’ll get off my soapbox now.
When you camp here, I’d suggest taking safety precautions. I’m not uncomfortable but definitely feeling cautious. I’m not leaving anything outside because I suspect it would walk away during the night. I have my hitch lock on the trailer and everything is locked up tight. We won’t go out walking after dark either.
We Spent One Night and Moved to a Park
I spent one night at Snyder Hill then decided to make a move to an RV park this morning. I have an appointment for Murphy to visit the groomer in the morning and I’ll get my oil changed, pick up groceries, fill my gas tank, and wash my truck, and visit a Verizon store. Once we get back, I’ll finish up the laundry and cleaning. I’ve charged all of my rechargeable gear, made ice, and dumped my holding tanks. We’ll be fresh and ready to go on Friday.
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Hi Terri,
Thank you for following along. Sit tight, I’m doing a post about finding BLM sites.
Juley
How do you find BLM’s in which you can camp? Thank you for your travel logs.
Unfortunately, the broken glass (and other detritus) scenario is all too common in the open areas south and west of Tucson. I just returned from boondocking on a longtime friend’s pasture in that general area. In reality, it isn’t “his” pasture because it’s state trust land on which he has a lease. However, there were areas of broken glass and trash. Yearly when we camp around there, we take shovels and clean up as much as possible. Cleaning up means lots of glass and cans. People love to shoot at bottles and leave so there are also lots of spent brass. My father used to lament the number of people doing this. I’ve turned into my father. ?
Emjay,
It’s not a bad thing to be like your father. I’m just like mine in so many ways. ;-}
Snyder Hill just had a homeless encampment feel that made me uncomfortable. We only stayed one night and were outtie the next morning.
Juley