While the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is probably not a place to spend more than a day it is a great place near both Phoenix and Tucson. It will give you and your children a great insight into the history of the ancients who created the site.
If you love the outdoors as I do, then you are always on the lookout for great outdoor places to visit. I can tell you without any doubt that the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking is one of them. The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is a popular destination for visitors in Arizona.
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The park is home to the Casa Grande Ruins, some of the largest and best-preserved ancient ruins in North America. The park also offers a variety of other attractions, including hiking trails, picnic areas, and a visitor center. Several options are available if you are looking for Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking sites, where you can camp for free.
The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is open every day of the year from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The park’s visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes exhibits on the Casa Grande Ruins and the surrounding area. There is no admission fee to visit the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument; however, there is a $5 fee for parking.
History of the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
I got to learn a lot about the history of the place and will share it with you to see why it is so fascinating. The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument was established on December 19, 1918. The park is home to the Casa Grande Ruins, some of the largest and best-preserved ancient ruins in North America. The Ancient Puebloans built the Casa Grande Ruins, who lived in the area from about A.D. 1100 to 1450. The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. Casa Grande means “big house” in Spanish and refers to the Casa Grande Ruins.
The Casa Grande was declared a National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt on February 19, 1907. The Casa Grande Ruins became a national park in 1918. Casa Grande National Monument was one of fifteen new national monuments designated by President Herbert Hoover on June 30, 1932. Casa Grande National Monument was transferred from the Forest Service to the National Park Service on August 10, 1933. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument became a national historic landmark in 1960.
The Ancient Puebloans constructed the Casa Grande Ruins. The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument area was first occupied around A.D. 450. The Casa Grande Ruins were first built around A.D. 1100 and were used until around A.D. 1450. The Casa Grande Ruins are the largest and best-preserved ancient ruins in North America.
The Casa Grande Ruins comprises four buildings: the Great House, the East Ruin, the West Ruin, and the Hohokam Pueblo. The Casa Grande Ruins are open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the year. The park’s visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes exhibits on the Casa Grande Ruins and the surrounding area. There is no admission fee to visit Casa Grande Ruins National Monument; however, there is a $5 fee for parking. Now you see why I am advocating for this place.
16 Casa Grande Ruins Monument Boondocking (Updated 2022)
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1. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking Locations – Brady Pump Road BLM land
Address
Eloy, Arizona
GPS: 32.763259, -111.423012
Elevation: 1640′
Management Public – Bureau of Land Management (Official)
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument free campsites area is dirt. Dirt and 5 miles from a paved road. There are 1-5 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is unlimited.
Best Review:
Beautiful peaceful weather no amenities No trash can Must be self contained No water great cell service dogs can run around already fire ring is here no trash nor glass on the ground very clean. Absolutely fabulous! Quiet, scenic, flat, easy access. Several fire rings, but lots of space to settle on and build yourself one of your very own.
2. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Free Campsites – Cottonwood Canyon Rd (Permit Required)
The price is $15/person/year or $20/family/year
Address
East Cottonwood Canyon Road
Gold Canyon, Arizona
GPS: 33.191868, -111.274602
Elevation: 2093′
Management: State Trust
Cottonwood Canyon Rd is open year round. The maximum RV length at Cottonwood Canyon Rd is unlimited. You may stay 14 days at Cottonwood Canyon Rd. The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument boondocking area is dirt.
Best Review:
We’ve stayed here a few times, if you have a Jeep or other off road vehicle there is a ton a desert to explore. Otherwise, it’s too dusty and busy. The road in (to the cattle guard) is well maintained but has some washboards. The biggest con is the trucking traffic. It’s constant-starting around 5 AM, and they drive really fast, make a lot of noise, and stir up a lot of dust.
3. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking Spots – E96 Ranch Road 10
A State Trust Permit Required $15 Annual and good on land all over Arizona.
Address
Florence, Arizona
GPS: 32.856533, -111.225317
Elevation: 2260′
Management: State Trust
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument free campsites area is dirt and 4.5 miles from a paved road. There are 1-5 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is unlimited.
Best Review:
Great place about halfway between Tucson & Phoenix. I think its State or BLM land Beautiful cacti. Some 4 wheeler traffic during the day, but dead quiet at night. There’s a little bit of a litter issue, but not horrific. Please clean up after yourselves!
4. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking Locations – E96 Ranch Road 9
Address
Florence, Arizona
GPS: 32.856133, -111.210133
Elevation: 2329′
Management: Bureau of Land Management
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument boondocking area is dirt. and 5 miles from a paved road. There are 1-5 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is unlimited.
Best Review:
Got here after dark. Road in was dirt/sand, but was very well graded and smooth, no problem in a honda fit. There appeared to be pull offs along the road, but we didn’t stay long because we had to work the next day(remotely) and the supposedly “good” LTE signal on Verizon as stated on this page was unusable. Couldn’t even perform a speed test, even in an amplifier, so we didn’t stay. AT&T only had 4G and it wasn’t usable either
.
5. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Free Campsites – E96 Ranch Rd 6
Address
Florence, Arizona
GPS: 32.8552, -111.1939
Elevation: 2398′
Management: Bureau of Land Management
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument free campsites area is dirt Dirt and 6 miles from a paved road. There are 6-15 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is unlimited.
Best Review:
Really liked this area, stayed several nights. Its quiet, the cactus and desert are lovely. The map shows a pond, but its dry.
6. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking Spots – E96 Ranch Road 7
Address
Florence, Arizona
GPS: 32.8535, -111.193817
Elevation: 2395′
Management: Bureau of Land Management
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument boondocking area is dirt. There are 1-5 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is unlimited. Nice area in the desert. Wide open. Quiet.
Best Review:
None
7. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking Locations – E96 Ranch Road 8
Address
Florence, Arizona
GPS: 32.850967, -111.1939
Elevation: 2395′
Management: Bureau of Land Management
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument free campsites area is dirt and 6 miles from a paved road. There are 1-5 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is 35 feet.
Best Review:
None
8. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Free Campsites – Mineral Mountain
Address
Gold Canyon, Arizona
GPS: 33.22795, -111.26085
Elevation: 2178′
Management: Bureau of Land Management
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument boondocking area is dirt. There are 1-5 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is unknown.
Best Review:
BLM and public land. The public land part there will be ATV’s and people shooting practice targets etc. But not too bad and it is dispersed. The forest part is good for campers/RV’s but the public land is only good for 4/all wheel drives overall a nice little getaway under the stars and free place away from the city.
9. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking Spots – E96 Ranch Road 9
Address
Florence, Arizona
GPS: 32.856133, -111.210133
Elevation: 2329′
Management: Bureau of Land Management
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument free campsites area is dirt and 5 miles from a paved road. There are 1-5 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is unlimited.
Best Review:
This is a nice secluded spot. I pulled my 35ft travel trailer here and stayed for a couple of days. No one came down the road and it was Thanksgiving weekend. This spot is at the end of a road.
10. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking Locations – E96 Ranch Road 7
Address
Florence, Arizona
GPS: 32.8535, -111.193817
Elevation: 2395′
Management: Bureau of Land Management
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument boondocking area is dirt and 6 miles from a paved road. There are 1-5 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is 35 feet.
Best Review:
None
11. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking Spots – Superstition Mountain Area – A PASS or PERMIT is required at this campsite.
The price is $20
Address
SUPRSTITN Mountain, Arizona
GPS: 33.250415, -111.275855
Elevation: 2113′
Management: State Trust
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument free campsites area is dirt. Superstition mountain area is open Year round. There are 30 or more campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is unlimited. You may stay 14 days at Superstition mountain area.
Best Review:
12. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking Locations – E96 Ranch Road 4
Address
Florence, Arizona
GPS: 32.861583, -111.159617
Elevation: 2582′
Management: Bureau of Land Management
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument boondocking area is dirt. There are 6-15 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is unknown.
Best Review:
None
13. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Free Campsites – Apache Jct. Dispersed
Address
East Hewitt Station Road
Gold Canyon, Arizona
GPS: 33.280078, -111.2681
Elevation: 2126′
Management: National Forest Service
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument free campsites area is dirt and 6 miles from a paved road. There are 6-15 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is unknown.
Best Review:
Absolutely gorgeous desert setting in the Superstition Mt. foothills. Unfortunately many locals hunt the mountains here. They shoot at them constantly from shortly after sun up until 2-3 hours after sundown. Unless your deaf or need to play with handguns all day, this isn’t going to be a good place to camp.
14. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Free Campsites – E96 Ranch Road 2
Address
Florence, Arizona
GPS: 32.860019, -111.126554
Elevation: 2746′
Management: Bureau of Land Management
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument boondocking area is dirt. There are 6-15 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is unknown.
Best Review:
This is a nice open spot in the desert. I have pulled my 35ft travel trailer here a couple of times. My friends have stayed here when hunting as well. Road gets narrow and a little washed away about 100ft from this spot, but have never had a problem getting in or out.
15. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking Locations – Hewitt Canyon
Address
Arizona
GPS: 33.311903, -111.239671
Management: National Forest Service
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument free campsites area is dirt and 10 or so miles from a paved road. Hewitt Canyon is open Year Round. There are 1-5 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is 25 feet.
Best Review: None
16. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking Free Campsites – East Freeman Rd
Address
Florence, Arizona
GPS: 32.811765, -111.066347
Elevation: 2812′
Management: Bureau of Land Management
The road into this Casa Grande Ruins National Monument boondocking area is Dirt and 3.3 miles from a paved road. There are 1-5 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is unlimited. Nice open area above a wash. There are not a lot of spots before or after this for anything bigger than a truck camper or a popup trailer. This spot has a lot of room.
Best Review:
Great spot hidden off the road! There were many sites available and it was very clean! The turn in is hard to see. Especially at night. When you’re coming down Park Link Drive (following the map) it is between mile marker two and three. A little more than half a mile when she make the final curve.
Trails to Hike at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
As I have mentioned above, I love the outdoors, which is why I was eager to go trailing. The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument has two open trails, Casa Grande Ruin Trail and Casa Grande Mountain Park Trail. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is located in Casa Grande, Arizona, about 70 miles from Phoenix and 120 miles from Tucson.
The trails are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the year. The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is also near Casa Grande Mountain Park and Casa Buena Vista Ranch Historic District.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park Hiking Trail #1. Casa Grande Ruins
It was a good educational walkabout. The hike was not strenuous, but it provided an excellent opportunity to learn about this amazing structure – a 700-year-old multistory building designed by the ancient Sonoran peoples with cosmic principles in mind. The ball court is not included in the hike, but it is well worth the extra effort to visit.
Length: 0.3 mi
Elevation gain: 0 ft
Route type: Loop
Dogs on leash, Wheelchair friendly, Kid friendly, Stroller friendly, Walking, Views, No shade, Historic site
Casa Grande National Monument Hiking Trail #2. Casa Grande Mountain Park Trail
This is an easy 1.5-mile hike that we got to hike. It starts at the Casa Grande Mountain Park trailhead and ends at the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Casa Grande Mountain Park Trail is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the year. Casa Grande Mountain Park is also near Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and Casa Buena Vista Ranch Historic District.
We enjoyed our time at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking. Then next time we have time for a vacation, we will go there again. If you have some free time and love the outdoors, I recommend the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking. You will enjoy
Length: 3.8 mi
Elevation gain: 426 ft
Route type: Loop
Hiking, Mountain biking, Running, Views, No shade
Casa Grande National Monument Hiking Trail #3. Spine Trail Loop
Simple hike, perfect for hikes and walks as well as mountain biking. The trail map at the trailhead indicated that there was a trail on the ridge itself, but I was unable to locate any trails signs or obvious way to get up there and ended up making my way up without a trail. During one of my rides, I couldn’t see anything that looked like a trail, so I ended up descending and returning to the car via one of the many clearly marked trails that I had come across.
Length: 3.2 mi
Elevation gain: 321 ft
Route type: Loop
Dogs on leash, Kid friendly, Hiking, Mountain biking, Nature trips, Bird watching, Views, Wildflowers, Rocky, Scramble, No shade
Casa Grande National Monument Hiking Trail #4. Spine Trail to Ridge Trail Loop
Excellent overall hike, made even better by the beautiful autumn weather. It was the perfect combination of sun and shade. We covered 5 miles in approximately 2.5 hours. While the trail was relatively straightforward, the trail markers were occasionally absent, necessitating the use of this app to direct us in the right direction.
Length: 7.1 mi
Elevation gain: 902 ft
Route type: Loop
Hiking, Mountain biking, Nature trips, Running, Views, No shade
Places and Things to Do and See At Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
What made me love this place even better was that there were different activities and things to see. You will never get bored there, which is a guarantee. There are several places and things to do and see in Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. The Casa Grande Ruins are the main attraction and are some of the largest and best-preserved ancient ruins in North America.
Visitor Center Museum and Bookstore
The visitor center museum and bookstore are located in Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. The visitor center museum and bookstore are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the year. The visitor center museum and bookstore include exhibits on the Casa Grande Ruins and the surrounding area. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is located in Casa Grande, Arizona, about 70 miles from Phoenix and 120 miles from Tucson. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is also near Casa Grande Mountain Park and Casa Buena Vista Ranch Historic District.
Tours
I also really loved the guided tours a lot. It is like getting to enjoy the view while at the same time someone telling you all about it. The Casa Grande Ruins are available for tours by appointment. There is a fee of $3 per person or $5 per family for Casa Grande Ruins guided tours, and the Casa Grande Ruins can be viewed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is located in Casa Grande, Arizona, which is about 70 miles from Phoenix and 120 miles from Tucson. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is also near Casa Grande Mountain Park and Casa Buena Vista Ranch Historic District.
Picnic with Family and Friends at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
If you’re looking for a place to picnic with family and friends in Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument has several picnic areas. The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is located in Casa Grande, Arizona, about 70 miles from Phoenix and 120 miles from Tucson. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is also near Casa Grande Mountain Park and Casa Buena Vista Ranch Historic District.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Visitor Center
The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument visitor center is located in Casa Grande, Arizona. The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument visitor center exhibits Casa Grande Ruins and the surrounding area. The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument includes Casa Grande Ruins, Casa Grande East Ruin, Casa Grande West Ruin, Hohokam Pueblo, Casa Grande Parking Area, and Casa Chiquita Ruin. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is located in Casa Grande, Arizona, about 70 miles from Phoenix and 120 miles from Tucson. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is also near Casa Grande Mountain Park and Casa Buena Vista Ranch Historic District.
Casa Grande Parking Area
The Casa Grande Parking Area is located in Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. The Casa Grande Parking Area is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the year, and there is a $5 fee for parking. The Casa Grande Parking Area includes the Casa Grande Ruins, Casa Grande East Ruin, Casa Grande West Ruin, and Casa Chiquita Ruin. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is located in Casa Grande, Arizona, about 70 miles from Phoenix and 120 miles from Tucson.
Casa Chiquita Ruin
The Casa Chiquita Ruin is located in Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Casa Chiquita Ruin is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the year, and there is no admission fee. Casa Chiquita Ruin includes the Casa Grande Ruins, Casa Grande East Ruin, Casa Grande West Ruin, and Hohokam Pueblo. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is located in Casa Grande, Arizona, about 70 miles from Phoenix and 120 miles from Tucson.
If you’re looking for a place to camp in Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, there are several Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boondocking sites near the Casa Grande Ruins. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is located in Casa Grande, Arizona, about 70 miles from Phoenix and 120 miles from Tucson. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is also near Casa Grande Mountain Park and Casa Buena Vista Ranch Historic District.
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