Pictures courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arizona -Ironwood Forest National Monument.
Campground Overview:
Taking its name from one of the longest living trees in the Sonoran Desert, the 129,000-acre Ironwood Forest National Monument safeguards an incredible landscape recognized for its rugged scenery and serving as a biological anchor point for conserving some of our rarest flora and fauna. Among the dramatic mountain backdrops are the area’s last remaining population of Desert Bighorn Sheep. Mesquite, palo verde, creosote, and dense stands of Saguaro cacti blanket the valley floor beneath mountain ranges named Silver Bell, Waterman, Sawtooth, and the iconic Ragged Top Mountain.
For over 5,000 years, humans have inhabited the Monument and discovering these sites is possible for those willing to look closely. Three Archaeological Districts – Los Robles, the Mission of Santa Ana de Chiquiburitac, and Cocoraque Butte – are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Primitive camping is available on the monument. Camping is allowed for up to 14 consecutive days on Monument land. Camp at least ¼ mile from water sources, and avoid corrals and blocking roads or trails. Extinguish all campfires before leaving them unattended. Do not take live or dead-standing wood. Check for seasonal fire restrictions which are common on the Monument.
Campground at a Glance
Level: |
Dispersed |
Season: |
Year-Round |
Nearby City: |
Tucson |
Fishing: |
None |
Campground Website: |
Ironwood Forest National Monument |
Campground Map: |
Click Here |
Reservations: |
First-come, first-served basis |
Location: |
Nearby Attractions and Activities:
Ironwood Forest National Monument made up of 129,000-acres and contains a significant system of cultural and historical sites covering a 5,000 year period. Possessing one of the richest stands of ironwood in the Sonoran Desert, the monument also encompasses several desert mountain ranges including the Silver Bell, Waterman, and Sawtooth, with desert valleys in between. Elevation ranges from 1,800 to 4,261 feet. Three areas within the monument, the Los Robles Archeological District, the Mission of Santa Ana del Chiquiburitac and the Cocoraque Butte Archeological District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The monument is a travel corridor for illegal immigrants traveling from Mexico.
Ragged Top Mountain is the biological and geological crown jewel of the national monument. Several endangered and threatened species live here, including the Nichols turk’s head cactus and the lesser long-nosed bat. The national monument also contains habitat for the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl. The desert bighorn sheep dwelling in the region are the last viable population indigenous to the Tucson basin.
The Monument contains evidence from campsites to villages occupied by ancient hunter-gatherers, the Hohokam, and the Tohono O’odham. There also are remnants of a small mission constructed in the late 1700s by Tohono O’odham laborers for Spanish Franciscan friars, and remnants of mining camps and cemeteries dating to the 1800s. There are three historic properties that have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. They are the Los Robles Archaeological District, Cocoraque Butte Archaeological District, and the Santa Ana de Cuiquiburitac Mission site. Surveys within the IFNM have recorded 343 archaeological and historical sites, but the survey data suggests that there may be as many as 3,000 sites. Evidence of the Hohokam people dominates the archaeological record, with sites that include trash mounds, roasting pits, petroglyphs and numerous types of artifacts. The abundance of historical sites and artifacts is another reason for the preservation of IFNM, and it also provides further opportunities for education.
Saguaro National Park has locations on both the east and west sides of Tucson. There is hiking, biking and nature study among the most recognizable cactus in the world. Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation’s largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the modern city of Tucson. Here you have a chance to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is widely recognized throughout the world as a model institution for innovative presentation and interpretation of native plants and animals featured together in ecological exhibits. The Museum is regularly listed as one of the top ten zoological parks in the world due to its unique approach in interpreting the complete natural history of a single region (in our case this is the Sonoran Desert and adjacent ecosystems). This represents a significant achievement, as the Museum’s collections and size are smaller than many of its counterparts. Not a “museum” in the usual sense, it is an unparalleled composite of plant, animal, and geologic collections with the goal of making the Sonoran Desert accessible, understandable, and valued.