Painted Rock Petroglyph Campground

Painted Rock Petroglyph Site, approximately 90 miles southwest of Phoenix, Arizona, provides visitors the opportunity to view an archaeological site containing hundreds of figures and designs carved into rocks, known as petroglyphs. These were produced centuries ago by indigenous peoples. This site is considered important and even sacred to many of the Native American tribes in southern Arizona. Please keep this in mind when you visit and be respectful. Climbing on the rocks is prohibited and we ask that you keep dogs out of the area. There are also inscriptions made by people who passed through during historic times. Many important trails are near the site, some of which have been traveled for thousands of years. The 1775 expedition of Juan Bautista de Anza passed nearby, and in 1846 the Mormon Battalion passed through, following Philip St. George Cooke along some segments of this trail and building road as it went so future trips could accommodate wagons. The Butterfield Overland Stage Route, funded by Congress to improve east-west travel, began service in 1858 and traveled by this site, guaranteeing mail, freight or passengers could travel from Saint Louis to San Francisco in 25 days; use was halted when the railroad was constructed in 1879. Formerly a unit of the Arizona State Park system, jurisdiction returned to the Bureau of Land Management in 1989. The day-use site is right next door to the campground and offers two shaded picnic areas and a small interpretive trail around the petroglyph site with informational displays. The petroglyphs face east-southeast primarily and would have been noticed by any travelers approaching from that direction. Hiking, birdwatching and star gazing opportunities all present themselves at this site. The campground offers 59 individual campsites and two large group sites featuring picnic tables and steel fire rings. There is no water or electric hookups, but there are two vault toilets and trash collection. The neighboring day-use site has two shaded picnic areas with tables and charcoal grills. The path in is 11 miles of paved roads with an additional half mile of dirt road, and all roads in the campground and day-use site are hardened dirt and gravel suitable for larger RVs (Class A) and trailers (fifth wheels) when road conditions are dry. This area is prone to flash flooding during monsoon season, so be sure to check the weather before planning your visit. Set between impressive geologic features such as Oatman Mountain, a few miles to the northwest, and the Painted Rock Mountains on the eastern horizon, the campground offers scenic panoramic views and plenty of opportunities for solitude and vast night skies. The surrounding area features a diverse Sonoran Desert plant community including the iconic saguaro cactus, various cholla species, barrel cactus, creosote bush, and both ironwood and palo verde trees. The area is home to a large population of desert mule deer and many other desert species such as kit fox, Gambel's quail, chuckwalla and desert iguana.