Campground Review: Indian Bread Rocks Recreation Area Bowie, AZ

If you are driving along west on I-10 and take the Bowie, AZ exit and then proceed south on Apache Pass Point Rd for about seven miles you would come upon Happy Camp Canyon Rd.  Turn onto it and after about four miles of road that is marked by signs like this:

The road wasn't as bad as this sign makes you think.

You cross four cattle guards and come to the Indian Bread Rocks Recreation Area which is administered by the BLM.

Elevations from 4000 to 7500 feet.

As you enter the recreation area there is a small picnic area on your left underneath a giant (and the area's sole) live oak tree.

This is the only "real" tree in the whole rec area.

Because Indian Bread Rocks (I have no idea what the name refers to) is BLM land you are allowed to camp for free for up to 14 days out of each 30 day period, which is why I drove there.

The Tank's campsite at the very end of the access road.

I drove down a two-track dirt/rock access road for about two miles, stopping to reconnoiter some potential sites (they are marked by stone fire rings)  until it ended and I lucked into what I consider the best boondock site in the whole area.  The site was secluded and there were no other campers within sight of my camp and zero traffic along the access road.  Here's the campground data sheet:

Hookups:                                             None

Fire ring:                                              Yes

Water Access:                                     No

Fresh Water:                                        No

Trash Service:                                      No (pack in, pack out)

Toilets:                                                Yes – by the picnic area

Showers:                                             No

Dump station:                                      No

WiFi:                                                   No

Level sites:                                          No

Laundry:                                              No

Store:                                                  No

Pool:                                                   No

Shade:                                                No

Verizon reception:                               4G – 3 bars

Internet reception:                               3 bars

Cost:                                                  Free up to 14 days

Indian Bread Rocks Rec Area is the access point to the Dos Cabezas Mountains Wilderness area which covers 11,700 acres in Cochise County, AZ.  Beyond the beautiful desert environment the main attraction of the rec area is.....rocks!

One of the climbable rock formations in the rec area.

This looked like one the bad guys rolled in front of the stagecoach to rob it.

You have to look where you're stepping because, like a lot of BLM land, the rec area hosts free range cattle who happen to leave little "surprises" (and some NOT so little) behind wherever the graze.

Grazing cattle, they stayed well clear of my camp.

  I never saw any water tanks and there was zero standing or running water in the area so I was never able to figure out how the cattle drank but I did run across salt licks.

Note the tongue impressions from the cattle licking the salt.

I was only able to stay at Indian Bread Rocks for a week because I had to file my taxes which entailed needing to print out some documentation (the Tank doesn't carry a printer) and I actually considered driving into Wilcox, AZ (Bowie is extremely tiny, make sure you stock up at Wilcox or another decent sized city because there is nothing in Bowie.) and coming back but plans changed so I had to mark it down as a "will definitely return" location.  On my way out of the area I ran across this little guy by one of the cattle guards:

He was either lost or wild, I think he was wild.

Indian Bread Rocks Recreation Area might have a strange name but it is an outstanding boondock location that is especially great in Spring, (I would guess it might be too hot in the summer) or Fall.  I fully recommend it, just remember to bring everything you're going to require!

Thanks for reading! 

Back to Dreamcatcher RV Park

I crossed over into New Mexico hitting the Anytime Fitness club in Las Cruces and then continued on to Deming, NM to the Escapees' Dreamcatcher RV Park I previously reviewed here:  Dreamcatcher Review .

As always the staff at the Escapee park were super friendly and I extended my stay for a few days while zeroing in on a great looking boondock destination on some nearby BLM land.  I'll review that location in my next post.

Thanks for reading!

Campground Review: Davis Mountains State Park Fort Davis, TX

Five miles west from Fort Davis along Texas 118 is the turn off to Davis Mountains State Park, where I headed after touring the Fort Davis National Historical Site.  Constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933 the park was opened in 1938 and occupies 2700 acres at elevations of 5000 - 6000 feet.  Campground facilities weren't added to the park until 1967.

5200 feet.  Who would have guessed in flat old Texas?

94 campsites are nestled into a small valley between to sets of large foothills at Davis Mountains state Park.  I got assigned to one that was shaded by a huge live oak tree.

Campsite number 47.

Here's the park data sheet:

Hookups:                                             30, 50 amp, water

Fire ring:                                              Yes

Water Access:                                     No

Fresh Water:                                        Yes

Trash Service:                                      Yes

Toilets:                                                Yes

Showers:                                             Yes

Dump station:                                      Yes

WiFi:                                                   Yes

Level sites:                                          No

Laundry:                                              No

Store:                                                  Yes (memorabilia only)

Pool:                                                   No

Shade:                                                Yes

Verizon reception:                               None (occasional 1 bar 4G)

Internet reception:                               None

Cost:                                                 $20 /  night

When I got my camp set up and checked Verizon internet reception I found there was absolutely none, even with my signal booster, given there was a large mountain between me and the cell towers in Fort Davis this wasn't surprising.  I'm not sure this was the reason but the park actually had usable from campsite free wifi unlike every other Texas State Park I've visited to date.  You couldn't stream Netflix but it was more than adequate for email and casual surfing.

Note the Wifi antenna on the roof of the Interpretive Center.

The Interpretive Center was close enough to my camp to allow me to access it's wifi antenna.  The Center contained displays of local wildlife and a video loop about the park projected on a big screen TV.

The mini-museum within the Interpretive Center.

The park has several miles of hiking trails and seven miles of equestrian trails in a special section north of Texas 118 (most of the park is south of 118).

Sign at one of the trail heads.

There is even a trail that goes all the way from the park back to the visitor center at the Fort Davis Historical Site but it looked like about a 10 mile round trip so I passed on taking it.

Davis Mountains State Park is one of the quietest Texas State Parks I've stayed at.  The three days I stayed there had almost ideal sunny temperatures.  Again, it's one of those places you don't end up in unless you set out to go there in the first place but, combined with a visit to Fort Davis Historic Site, would make a great four or five day outing.

 Thanks for reading!