Free camping, mountain bike riding, desert hiking, ancient rock art – what’s not to love? Come explore New Water Mountains Wilderness near Quartzsite, Arizona with us!
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What and where is New Water Mountains Wilderness?
New Water Mountains Wilderness is wild… in so many ways.
No, really!
Created in 1990, New Water Mountains Wilderness is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Oddly enough, hardly anyone we’ve talked to on our travels in Arizona know much about it, let alone where it is.
Contrary to its name, the area only receives about 2 to 4 inches (51–101 mm) of rain a year. New Water Mountains Wilderness is located within the Sonoran Desert.
It sits on the doorstep of a Snowbird mecca called Quartzite, yet feels a million miles away. Crowning the northern edge of Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, adventure seekers can camp – for free! – and explore to their heart’s content. When you really get out there, chances are you won’t see anyone, not even the resident desert bighorn sheep.
Boondocking… aka free camping… in New Water Mountains Wilderness
New Water Mountains Wilderness is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Recreational activities include everything from camping to rockhounding, wildlife observation to hunting, hiking to off-road adventures. There’s a little bit of something for everybody.
Many visitors discover this wilderness area because of the opportunity for free camping – a.k.a. boondocking or dispersed camping. As with all BLM lands allowing dispersed camping, campers can stay for up to 14 days within a 28-day consecutive period. There are no facilities available. Visitors are expected to be self-contained and practice “leave no trace” principles.
Setting up camp
Pulling off I-10 at the Gold Nugget Road exit, we circle the large pullout area with several campers set up. Following the road heading south, we come across a quieter location with only one other camper set up at the next site. Perfect!
Turns out “Bob from Maine” and his 11-week-old Golden Lab puppy are the perfect neighbours – quiet and chill. Bob’s been camping here every year for the past five years. However, he doesn’t know much about our next day’s adventure.
We plan on camping in New Water Mountains Wilderness for a couple of nights. Our primary goal for this RV adventure is a hike/bike into a tiny desert oasis – Dripping Springs.
Dripping Springs petroglyphs
The next morning, we load up with plenty of water and a little lunch and head out the road from our campsite. We are following the directions from our 4×4 backroads adventure book – a great guide for off-road, pedal power adventures, too!
The bike ride was… interesting at times. Loose sandy washes, rocky hills, and the occasional smooth flow where we could get some speed up.
Ditching the bikes after 3.2 miles (5.1 km) at the top of a steep hill and changing out bike helmets for ball caps, we walk down into the wash below… and right past the barricaded old access point.
Turning around, we pick our way up through the cholla cactus towards the low cliffs and the old quad parking area with remnants of a stone house. An antelope squirrel skitters around the rocks as if excitedly welcoming us.
And then they caught our eyes – petroglyphs on every rock. There are scattered across the slope on the other side of the wash. Long descending lines, suns, lizards… and so much more. One large, car-sized boulder is completely covered with rock art.
Exploring the rock art at Dripping Springs
We wander at will, no one else around, oohing and aahing and taking way too many photos. Heading up towards the cliff, we find the “dripping springs” themselves. Following the cliff back towards the hill where our bikes are stashed, we discover more densely grouped petroglyphs. These are a little more off the beaten path and less impacted by careless graffiti. A good trail across the slopes takes us right back to our bikes.
On our way out we pull over to let a group of four side-by-sides pass. The leader pauses and asks if we are okay and need anything – friendly folk! We keep biking, this time following part of an AllTrails route on the way out. It climbs over one additional low pass, but we have it to ourselves.
Total biking distance: 10.4 miles (16.8 km)
Total walking distance: 2.2 miles (3.5 km)
As the sun dips low that evening, we start looking at the maps and reflecting on our day. What’s down that road? Where does this trail lead? I wonder what’s behind that ridge. Looking back, we realise that we barely scratched the surface of the New Water Mountains Wilderness. There are old mine sites to see, desert bighorn to find, and peaks to climb. Next time, we’ll have to plan a week of exploration.
For now, let’s just enjoy this sunset.
When You Go
The New Water Mountains Wilderness is located east of Quartzsite. It lies just south of I-10 and just north of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. The western boundary of the Wilderness can be accessed at the Gold Nugget Road, exit #26.
To learn more about the New Water Mountains Wilderness visit the BLM website.
Love southern Arizona adventures? Check our guidebook for even camping and active travel from Quartzsite to Chiracahua!
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