Saddle Mountain near Tonopah, Arizona

by Will
(Arizona)

Saddle Mountain stands in the Sonoran Desert southwest of Tonopah. It's quite a beauty and is superb for photography, hiking, mountain biking, wildlife watching, and of course camping! The mountain is on BLM land where dispersed camping is allowed. I found 2 great campsites southeast of the mountain and there are more camping areas north of the mountain off Courthouse Road. For more information and photos see my Saddle Mountain Picture Tour here.

Location: Both campsites are southeast of Saddle Mountain. Campsite 1 is just southwest of the intersection with West Elliot Road and 435th Avenue. There's plenty of room here, even for large RVs. Campsite 2 is just northwest of where West Dobbins Road meets South 435th Avenue and off of a jeep road - this road is a bit rough so it's best for small RVs. I managed it with my 25 foot 5th wheel, but would hesitate with anything larger.

Campsite 1 GPS: N 33 20.719' W 112 59.008'

Campsite 2 GPS: N 33 22.169' W 112 59.590'

Elevation: 1000 feet

Saddle Mountain RV Camping Journal

3-23-2010

I arrived in this area on March 13th and today is my 10th day here. I was camped just off of West Elliot Road nearby (Campsite 1) and moved to my current spot last week (Campsite 2). It’s a great campsite, and it’s closer to Saddle Mountain. It’s only a 1 hour bike ride to the base of Saddle Mountain from here. I’m off a jeep road that sees very little traffic (none since I’ve been here) and the main road, West Dobbins Road has very little traffic as well, especially on weekends. The weather has been very nice with plenty of sunshine and little wind. There are washes to explore and Saddle Mountain itself is fun to hike or bike up to. There are jeep roads around the mountain that make exploring easy.

Saddle Mountain Picture Slideshow