Camping at Pioneer Pass in the Pinal Mts

Little did we know that we'd be camping in the snow… we were looking for a camping spot near Globe and heard that the Pinal Mts were not far away and camping was free (always a major bonus)! As we started the ascent up into the mountains the landscape drastically changed from desert and cacti to wooded pine forest. We saw snow towards the top of the mountain, but there was no way we'd be all the way up there, or so we thought. The drive to the camp spot was beautiful, a twisting and turning dirt road where at times only one car could pass. Eventually, we started seeing patches of snow and well-equipped, yet rustic, campsites with picnic tables, grills, and composting toilets. All the sites were spread out and private. We only saw one other group of campers, though the summer months may be busy when the weather is warmer (the campsite is at 6,000 ft). We choose a campsite next to the creek, which was awesome to fall asleep to. There was a ton of wood and we were able to make a nice fire, which we desperately needed as the temperatures dropped incredibly when the sun went down! Pinecones make for great fire-starters and there is no shortage of pine cones here. Spring and summer are probably better times to camp in the Pinal Mountains, as we encountered quite a bit of snow and a 4x4 vehicle is necessary in the winter. Apparently the road is sometimes closed due to snow/ice conditions. There are hiking trails near the campsite(East Mountain trail is 0.8 miles before reaching the campground and is a 5 mile loop trail with views of the desert below)- but we were too cold to try them out… maybe this spring…

A good daytrip while camping here is to the Tonto National Monument, where you can see ruins of cliff dwellings occupied from the 13^th-15^th centuries. Entrance is free with a National Parks pass (see blog post on Tonto National Monument). There are also ruins at Besh-Ba-Gowah Archeological Park, very close to the campground and located near the ranger station in Globe.

Directions from ASDOH:

Turn left out of the ASDOH entrance and follow Baseline to Power Rd. Turn left onto Power Rd and take the on ramp to the US-60 East. Take the 60-E to Globe. This is a beautiful drive with amazing rock formations- look to the left for a waterfall after you leave the town of Superior and pass through a small tunnel. When you reach Globe, you'll see a four way stop (if I remember correctly…) and turn right to cross over the railroad track. You should see signs pointing to the Globe Ranger Station- follow these signs. Continue on this road for 1.6 miles to Ice Canyon Rd (located before the ranger station). Turn right onto Ice Canyon Rd and continue to the stop sign where you will bear left onto Forest Route 112 (the road on the right is Kellner Canyon Rd which will take you to a higher elevation campground in the Pinal Mountains at 7,500 ft. There are about 10 different hikes from this campground, but we've yet to check them out). The road becomes dirt and you will pass a cow ranch on your left. The campsite is only 7 miles away, but it seems to take forever on the dirt road. Relax and enjoy the scenery! On your drive back to Mesa, stop at the Creekside Coffee shop at 115 N. Keystone Ave in Miami, a small gold-mining/artsy town. The woman there runs a coffee shop, used bookstore, and acts as a tax account all in one building! Funky, but super cute… and she made the best blended mocha I've ever tasted. It's supposedly her specialty. ;)