Tinajas Atlas
Camping and hiking opportunities here. Research indicates that there are multiple pools of water up on the rocks which involves a decent amount of scrambling. I did not investigate in April due to heat and potential for snakes. Would like to revisit and explore in a cooler season.

Bates Well
Located in Organ Pipe National Monument, this is a historic ranch with a building you are able to enter and explore. I did not investigate in episode V22E8 but I was here in a previous Organ Pipe experience. Ample parking. No camping.

Fortuna Reservoir
An ancient reservoir built out of rocks and concrete to serve water to Fortuna Mine. All dried up now, but an interesting historical remnant.

Spooky Canyon
The entrance to Spooky Canyon. Vehicle access up to this point, but the wash up to the canyon is very soft and sandy. Didn’t have trouble in the Jeep, but heavier vehicles with less floatation might get stuck. Not sure what the canyon is like. Would like to return and explore on foot in a cooler season.

Amphitheater Campsite
Part of the Christmas Pass designated camping area, this is a small, 4x4 accessible amphitheater that would make a great campsite for a group seeking privacy and solitude. Very scenic and remote.

Junction
Unexplored to the northeast, continued southeast.

Spacious Clearing
En route to Christmas Pass, larger vehicles might opt to camp here in this spacious clearing. Very remote and great privacy, but somewhat more accessible than Christmas Pass itself, which is a little more rugged.

Ancient Volcano
Located in Cabeza Prieta, this is a parking area to access an incredible volcanic mound. There are a cluster of such mounds here, and the ground is covered with lava rock which can be hard on your shoes and tires. Some of the mounds feature really impressive craters that are only visible from atop the rims. I believe Cabeza Prieta was named after these formations, which translates to dark head, as these volcanoes all appear much darker in complexion than the surrounding landscape.

Gravel Pit
Spacious gravel pit road maintenance area.

Remote Border Patrol Outpost
A government outpost structure, presumably used by Border Patrol for maintenance and administration. Very remote, and it looked vacant and somewhat neglected.

Small Campsite
A small but charming campsite located very close to Fortuna Foothills on the western end of El Camino del Diablo, not far from civilization, and enough room for one or two vehicles.

Junction
Unexplored to the south, continued northeast.

Secret Party Campsite
Hidden in the mountains on the western end of El Camino del Diablo, I found this spacious campsite on the saddle between two desert mountains. I was in search of a campsite when I found it, and the road in was great, but when I got there, there were signs that it might be an occasional party spot. I moved on.

Dispersed Campsite
On BLM just north of the border for Organ Pipe National Monument. Enough room for a couple of vehicles with a stone fire ring. Might be a great spot from which to start your El Camino del Diablo run from the east.

Papago Camping Area
Designated camping area on the eastern end of El Camino del Diablo, in Cabeza Prieta, near Papago Well. Picnic tables, fire rings, some cell service, and hiking opportunities.

White Sandstone
An interesting part of the desert where the road passes unique formations. Almost camped here, but there is a border surveillance antenna nearby.

Border Surveillance Antenna

Junction
Unexplored northeast, continued southeast.

Maybe Grave
I didn’t mention it in the video because I truly was not sure, but this mound of rocks is likely a makeshift grave. Encountered a number of these on El Camino del Diablo.

Gas Station
Where I topped off the gas tanks in the Jeep in Fortuna Foothills before running El Camino del Diablo. Just off of I-8, this gas station looked brand new in April of 2024.

Important Junction
Traveling El Camino del Diablo from west to east, it is easy to miss this. The actual route bears left, and turns primitive here after being a smooth dirt road for a number of miles. I almost sped past it, but fortunately, there are signs up that indicate that the groomed road is a private service road to the southeast beyond this point. Stay alert for the turn off. I was surprised to see El Camino del Diablo revert to a primitive route here, but it made me very happy!

Spacious Clearing
Along El Camino del Diablo, the road passed through this lovely section of desert with scenic mountains to the east. It would have been nice to camp here by the roadside, especially in a van or a larger vehicle, so I made a note of this spot.

Possible Mud
Looks like El Camino del Diablo can be problematic here when the conditions are wet. It was bone dry during my visit, but deep ruts suggest other vehicles have become stuck. This was the only spot along the entire route that looked like there was potential for mud. Although watch out for flash floods.

Improvised Campsite
Atop the knoll across the road to the southwest would be a good place to spend the night. No fire ring, but decent privacy, good views, cell service, and not far from Fortuna Foothills.

Rock Formation Campsite
A large rock mound looms to the north, a desert mountain range to the west. Good privacy. Fire ring. I was about to spend the night here, but found a better spot nearby at the notch overlook just a little farther north.

Possible Campsite

Tule Well
Junction for Christmas Pass Rd, featuring a small adobe hut (locked), a tank, windmill, and a designated camping area with picnic tables and grills. I continued to Christmas Pass from here and returned the next day to resume El Camino del Diablo.

Mining Area Campsite
On BLM just north of the border for Organ Pipe National Monument. Enough room for a couple of vehicles with a stone fire ring. Might be a great spot from which to start your El Camino del Diablo run from the east. Remnants of pit mines nearby.

Cozy Mountain Campsite
Noticed a short track off of El Camino del Diablo into some rocks, and found this cozy little campsite among the rock formations. Stone fire ring with good privacy and enough room for two or three vehicles.

Spacious Clearing
Along a primitive track a short distance off of El Camino del Diablo, there is a spacious clear area that might offer a good, private place to camp off the main thoroughfare. It is not the most scenic, but it is a good spot. No fire ring.

Active Border Patrol Outpost
At the boundary between Cabeza Prieta and Organ Pipe National Monument is this active Border Patrol Outpost. No stopping is required. It is a hub for patrol and surveillance. The road to the east of here is well-groomed for the remainder of El Camino del Diablo.

Possible Campsite
Near the very beginning of Christmas Pass Rd near Tule Well, I considered this small clearing for dispersed camping. Good privacy, and not on the main thoroughfare.

Foothills Campsite
A few miles into Christmas Pass Rd from Tule Well, there were some spacious and scenic dispersed camping opportunities that I made a note of. This was one of the more attractive spots with interesting desert mountains due east.

Papago Well
A water tank with a windmill and a spigot. Flying blue flag indicates water source. Looks like good water with which to top off, but I would filter it just in case.

Summit w/ Organ Pipes
A primitive and overgrown BLM track meandered up to this desert mountain summit offering great 360 degree views, and some impressive Organ Pipe cacti. Compact four-wheel drive strongly recommended. Expect scratches.

Saguaro Pass Campsite
Atop a desert mountain pass off a groomed section of El Camino del Diablo, this dispersed campsite had attractive views and nice Sonoran Desert vibes. Close to the eastern end of the route.

Notch Overlook Campsite
Located on a two-track offshoot, this is a primitive campsite in a scenic notch located at the top of a canyon. It overlooks a vast expanse of Sonoran Desert to the southwest, and the border wall is visible on the horizon. There is a small stone fire ring here and enough room for two vehicles. No cell service. Great view of the sky for satellite connectivity. While the site is located on a mountain ridge, the position is exposed to potential wind. Very remote location, accessed via the western end of El Camino del Diablo. This is a good place to spend the first or last night of an El Camino del Diablo run, depending on which direction you are traveling. While nearly any 4x4 can get here, the quarter mile trail segment to access the site might be best suited for more compact vehicles, due to terrain variations and vegetation. Wonderfully scenic, hidden campsite. Free permit required for recreational access to Barry Goldwater Range.

Christmas Pass Designated Camping
Located seven miles off of El Camino del Diablo at Tule Well, this designated camping area is an approximate halfway point, despite being a slight deviation from the route. Great place to spend the second night of an El Camino del Diablo run, regardless of travel direction. This is extremely remote. Cell service is non-existent. Clear view of the sky for star-gazing and satellite connectivity. The seven mile stretch of Christmas Pass Rd is best suited for compact and mid-size 4x4s, as the two-track is narrow at points and gets relatively rough close to the campsite. There are picnic tables and multiple stone fire rings in this spacious camping area. Tucked against a rock formation to the south and to the west provides shade and shelter. Sprawling view of Sonoran Desert to the north and to the east, with a distant mountain range visible to the east. Farther than 60 miles to the nearest anything, so travel well-prepared with desert survival in mind. Enough room for several vehicles. Free permit required for recreational access to Barry Goldwater Range and Cabeza Prieta.

Saddle Campsite
On BLM land just north of Organ Pipe National Monument there was this spacious clearing atop a desert mountain saddle, only accessible by smaller four-wheel drive vehicles. Good views and privacy.

Ajo Plaza

Designated Papago Camping Area
Easily accessible designated camping area just off of El Camino del Diablo toward the eastern end of the route, located in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. This is a spacious, flat area with multiple primitive campsites featuring picnic tables and stone fire rings. There is a lot of low vegetation and desert scrub in the area. Some cell service from Mexico suitable for browsing social media, but not fast enough for streaming. Great view of the sky for streaming. Accessible by nearly any four-wheel drive vehicle. Located 40 miles from the city of Ajo and only 13 miles from the western boundary of Organ Pipe National Monument. Just a quarter mile from Papago Well which is a tank with a working water spigot, suitable for filtering. Hiking opportunities nearby at the base of Papago Mountain. Views of scattered desert mountains in all directions. Enough room for several vehicles. This is a good camping area for first or last night of an El Camino del Diablo run, depending on direction of travel. Amazing sunset here during my stay.

Air Up/Down
I aired down to 15 psi here.

Continues Into Mountains
I turned around here, not because it was too difficult, but because it was going the wrong way. However, it was a juicy, rugged four-wheel drive track that wandered into the mountains outside of Fortuna Foothills. I made a note to come back and explore.

Historic Fortuna Mine
There is an informational kiosk at this site that details the history of Fortuna Mine. The mine itself is fenced in, but you can see through the fence into the gaping abyss.

Fortuna Saddle Campsite
A small campsite suitable for one vehicle located on a saddle southeast of Fortuna Mine. I made a note of it and moved on. It was a fun four-wheel drive track, but there are far more interesting campsites in the area. It might be interesting to come up this way from Fortuna Mine as an alternate route to access El Camino del Diablo.

Dirt - Organ Pipe Access

Street

4x4 - Primitive Two-Track
From mining area campsite to summit of low desert mountain.

4x4 - Wide w/ Light Maintenance
From Papago designated camping area to Organ Pipe National Monument.

4x4 - Primitive Two-Track
Trail network within desert mountains. Some good primitive camping opportunities.

4x4 - Primitive Two-Track
From scenic notch campsite to sandy access road.

4x4 - Sandy Washboard Road
Scenic, but soft sand with washboard. Soft suspension and low air pressure to make more comfortable.

Dirt - Well-Groomed to Pavement

Dirt - Well-Maintained by Border Patrol
Silky smooth section of El Camino del Diablo.

4x4 - Primitive Section
Consists of some rocky two-track to the east and west, and follows winding sandy wash in the middle.

4x4 - Rocky Two-Track
Leaves pavement from residential Fortuna Foothills into Barry Goldwater Range. Susprisingly rugged.

4x4 - Somewhat Primitive Section
Rugged but well-traveled section to access historic Fortuna Mine from the north.

4x4 - Primitive Section
Rugged and rocky section of route that winds its way south from Fortuna Mine toward sandy road.

4x4 - Primitive Sandy Wash
Primitive road east of range, runs north to south. Winds through a smooth, soft, sandy wash.

4x4 - Lightly Maintained Section
From remote Border Patrol outpost, east to Papago Well.

Rocky and overgrown road from low desert mountain summit, back to groomed dirt road.

4x4 - Primitive Sandy Wash
Primitive road east of range through soft sand. Some nice camping opportunities.

4x4 - Sandy Road
Firm and smooth sand during my visit. Was able to maintain decent speed.

4x4 - Gentle Primitive Track
From well maintained road to Tinajas Atlas, rock formation with potential for pooled water. Hiking opportunity.

4x4 - Somewhat Primitive Section
From volcanoes through winding, sandy valley, to remote Border Patrol outpost. Potential for mud here.

In the BLM, a rugged two track from a well maintained dirt road up to a mining area with campsite.

4x4 - Rocky Two-Track
Spicier alternative route from Fortuna Foothills to El Camino del Diablo. Suited for smaller and mid-size 4x4s.

4x4 - Primitive w/ Soft Sand
From El Camino del Diablo to Spook Canyon. Soft sand near canyon entrance. Foot traffic only thereafter.

Sandy through verdant section of desert to the west, winds through desert mountains to the east.

Dirt - Well-Maintained by Border Patrol
Descends from mountains to the west. Wide and gentle through valley. Maintained good speed here.

4x4 - Rocky and Winding Track
Rocky and winding primitive two-track to Christmas Pass, from El Camino del Diablo. Superb, remote camping. Small and mid-size 4x4 recommended.

4x4 - Rocky and Winding Track
Rocky and winding primitive two-track from Christmas Pass, to El Camino del Diablo. Superb, remote camping. Small and mid-size 4x4 recommended.

4x4 - Primitive Section
Spacious track through a barren and rocky section of desert.

4x4 - Primitive w/ Soft Sand
Access to Spook Canyon, foot traffic only at canyon entrance.

4x4 - Rugged Two-Track
Primitive two-track, suitable for small, high-clearance 4x4 continues east through mountains. Unexplored.

Dirt - Well-Groomed