Painted Rock Petroglyph Site Campground Arizona

Painted Rock Petroglyph Site Overview

Painted Rock Petroglyph Site Campground is located in the Sonoran Desert, about 90 miles southwest of Phoenix and has 53 single family campsites and 2 group sites. All campsites are first-come, first-served. The area offers scenic panoramic views and plenty of opportunities for solitude and viewing vast night skies.

The primitive campground is next to the day-use area and archaeological site containing hundreds of figures and designs carved into the rocks.   The petroglyphs were created centuries ago by indigenous peoples and is considered sacred by many of the southern Arizona Native American tribes.

Campsites can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. Each of the 53 single-family sites have a table, fire ring and grill. Hookups are not available. The campground does not have drinking water. Two vault toilets and trash collection are provided. There’s also a day use picnic area with tables and grills. All camp roads and parking spurs are gravel.  Cell service is also not available. Generators are okay to use from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Painted Rock Petroglyph Site Campground – Area Recreation and Activities

Visiting the Painted Rock Petroglyph Site is the main attraction here, but visitors can also enjoy hiking, birdwatching, stargazing, picnicking and wildlife viewing.

The surrounding area features a diverse Sonoran Desert plant community. Visitors can see the iconic saguaro cactus, various cholla species, barrel cactus, creosote bush, and both ironwood and palo verde trees. The area is also home to a large population of desert mule deer and many other desert species such as kit fox, chuckwalla, and desert iguana.

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 on his way. In 1846, the Mormon Battalion also passed through.

You might also like visiting Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Campgrounds there include Twin Peaks and Alamo Canyon Primitive.

Amenities

• Campsite Tables
• Cell Service Fair
• Dumpsters
• Fire Pit
• Fire Rings
• Grills
• Group Pavilion
• Pets OK
• Picnic Tables
• Trash Collection

Activities

• Biking
• Bird Watching
• Hiking
• Historic Sites
• Photography
• Picnicking
• Stargazing
• Wildlife Viewing