GILA BEND, AZ

 I-8, EB use x115, WB use x119. Follow I-8 Bus through town. Good ATT. Listed W to E: 1) Love’s Travel Stop, N side of I-8 Bus. 2 spaces in front marked “RV”, ~35′ long. Also could O/N in lg lot across st, next to RR, has concrete pads for 2 RVs & room for 4-5 more. Lot behind store is reserved for truckers, per phone call to mgr. D ($10 pay inside), W?, trash barrel. Linda Reid #49663. Last updated by Diane & Andy Hitzel #95726 Jun 24.
2) McDonalds, N side, next to Love’s. RV pkg for ~6 RVs, rear of store. Trash barrel. Ray & Mildred Connett #13965 and Terry & Sandie Tyler #7972 Sep 92. Updated by Bob & Viva Lee Ed #7568 Dec 05. Last reval by Guy Gipson #84383 viewed Nov 19.
3) Chevron, S side. Lg pkg lot, next to RR. D & rinse W ($5). Propane across st at One Nine Fuel Stop. David McQuoid #90501 viewed Dec 14. Last updated by Gail Docter #106280 Nov 23.
4) Burger King, S side. Huge gravel pkg lot, next to RR. David McQuoid #90501 viewed Dec 14. Updated by Melba Thompson #103006 viewed Feb 17. Last reval by Jill Iteen #94918 stayed Apr 23.
5) Recommended: Little Italy & Space Age restaurants. Not O/N locations. Guy Gipson #84383 viewed Nov 19.
6) Humberto’s Mexican Restaurant, lg gravel lot hehind. O/N OK. Free. 610 E Pima St. Good food. John Schreiter #110510 stayed Mar 23.
7) Gila Bend Elks, huge pkg lot. BD. $10 for pkg, at SE corner of bldg. No posted limit. Follow instructions on sign to register inside, Elks membership not required. WB from I-8 x119, go N on Butterfield Trail, bear R on SR-85, take 1st L turn. Sign for AZ Dept of Transportation is on N side of corner. TL again on the paved road, then L into Elks pkg lot. EB from I-8 x115, go E on Pima St until after jct w/ Butterfield Trail, then look for L turn mentioned above. Room for dozens, any size rigs. Good ATT & Verizon. Ken/Maxine Johnson #12673 Oct 96. Last updated by Fran & Howard Smith #83749 stayed Apr 24.
8) “Dead End” rd (paved) directly across SR-85 from turnoff to Elks, pkg areas at end. No restrictive signs. Guy Gipson #84383 viewed Nov 19.
9) BD, lg level gravel lot. No facilities. No signs. Across hwy from Subway & Americas Best Motel. N32.929971 W112.674699. Truck noise. Ron Jones #106236 stayed Sep 17. Last reval by Guy Gipson #84383 viewed Nov 19.
10) BD, gravel lot, I-8 x119, NE quad. Guy Gipson #84383 viewed Nov 19.
11) BD, gravel pkg lot at I-8 x119, SE quad. Bob & Viva Lee Ed #7568 Dec 05. Updated by Melba Thompson #103006 viewed Feb 17. Last reval by Guy Gipson #84383 viewed Nov 19.
12) BD (State Trust Land). Permit required (see AZ Note 3). 14-day limit. Not enforced, no signs (map shows as state land, confirmed by Deputy Sheriff on a friendly security visit). At I-8 x119, go S & E on frontage rd 0.5 mi to end of pavement & up to 0.4 mi more (32.91626 -112.6639) on dirt rd to several spots on L. Some areas heavily littered. Some nice areas by trees. Rd continues S into BLM land after crossing wash (too rough for towing). Dale Southern #75777 Feb 07. Updated by Rick Schafer #81691 viewed Apr 16. Reval by Guy Gipson #84383 viewed Nov 19.

 Painted Rock CG (BLM). 54 level sites, cement tables, fire rings. Vault toilets. No W or D. $8/rig, S/A Pass 1/2. Reservation required & $8 fee. No dropbox, cannot pay host, but can see what is avail & then reserve online. Check w/ host for over 14 days if CG not full. 12.5 mi W of town, I-8 x102, go 10.7 mi N to Rocky Point Rd, go 0.6 mi W to CG. N33 1.343 W113 2.762. Lg rigs OK many sites. Incredible sunrises & sunsets. Nearby 4-wheeling in Woolsey-Signal Mt Wilderness. Great star viewing & moon rises. COE dam 4 mi from CG accessible by foot only. Old mine to explore, private property, get owners’s permission. Birding at dam, hiking in Hyder Valley & Agua Caliente. Oatman Farms ~5 mi, tours every Tues or can do some historic drives. Good ATT & Verizon. John & Jean Phippen #31403 Nov 94. Last updated by Diane & Andy Hitzel #95726 stayed Mar 24.

 Roadside pkg areas. Trash cans, pavilion. Signs say “O/N Parking Permitted – No Camping”. Park O/N, just don’t put up a tent! At MMs 10 (W side of hwy) & 19.5 (E side) on SR-85 S of Gila Bend, on the stretch going through the Goldwater Air Force Gunnery Range. David McQuoid #90501 viewed Dec 14. Last reval by Dean & Judy Sheeley #68258 Mar 17.

 BD (BLM). 14-day limit. Area off EB side of I-8, 5 mi E of x119, ~MM 124. Look for sm pullout area & a gate in the interstate fence, see the BLM rt 8014 sign. Open gate & close it behind you. Go 0.4 mi on well-graded rd to where a smaller rd takes off to the W. Free established primitive campsite with fire ring, a few feet down that rd. As of Jan 11, accessible only w/ hi-clearance vehicle, due to 1′ berm graded up. Going further down main rt 8014 requires hi-clearance vehicle due to wash crossings. No lg-rig-friendly spots seen along this rd & no lg rig turnaround. Lg sign on gate “illegals and smugglers using these roads” w/ phone number to call for info/help. Nice area w/ variety of desert plants. Warning: Use flashers when driving slowly down the interstate looking for where to pull off – most motorists are not used to an RV taking unconventional exits off the interstate in the desert. And yes it is OK to do this or there would not be a gate in the fence; ranch personnel use these “exits” regularly. Some maps show RA symbol here, but there is none. Steve Judson #12180 viewed May 21.

Lg pullouts/pkg areas, SR-238 E of town. MM 11, N side, trailhead pkg for hiking into the Sonoran Desert NM (BLM). Access to motorized vehicles into the NM here & for most of N end of the NM, has been closed ‘temporarily’ for years, for damage repair caused by ATVs.
MM 13.5, S side, pullout. RR noise.
17.9, S side, pullout. RR noise.
Bruce & Bunny Ratcliff #48001 viewed Mar 14. Updated by Chas Wilder #88717 viewed Apr 16.