Free camping and cell signal in Southern Arizona
Where dispersed camping is allowed in Southern Arizona: Tucson, Sky Islands & Organ Pipe, which carrier will reach you to work or call for help, and what's on the road in. One map, saved to your phone for use with no signal.
Open Southern Arizona in the mapCan you camp for free in Southern Arizona?
On most national forest and Bureau of Land Management land, yes: dispersed camping is allowed outside developed sites, usually for up to 14 days, unless an area is posted closed. Arizona State Trust land is not public land: it needs a state recreational permit, and camping is limited to 14 days a year. National and state parks, wildlife refuges, tribal land and private timberland are not. In Southern Arizona the map shows who manages every piece of public land, wilderness boundaries and the land with no public record, which you should treat as private.
Where will I have cell signal?
From the carriers' own coverage filings with the FCC, strong (in-vehicle) LTE covers about 38% of Southern Arizona for AT&T, 27% of Southern Arizona for T-Mobile, 24% of Southern Arizona for Verizon, 0% of Southern Arizona for smithbagleyinc. Carriers model their coverage optimistically in the mountains, so the map also collects speed tests from other campers. Canadian phones usually roam on AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon here: check which one your plan uses.
Remote spots with coverage in Southern Arizona
Ranked by distance from town and signal. Tap one to open it on the map.
- Public land near Summit Tank · gravel road · 12.9 km from Dagger · AT&T
- Public land near Big Pond Tank · gravel road · 13.8 km from Radium · AT&T
- Public land near Indio Tank · unpaved track · 13.9 km from Skoksonak · AT&T
- Public land near Olsen Wash · unpaved track · 20.3 km from Oak Wells · AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
- Public land near Turkey Tank · unpaved track · 24.2 km from Clifton · Verizon
- Public land near Boulder Tank · unpaved track · 12.8 km from Elgin · AT&T
- Larry Forbis Group Site · road · 12.9 km from Youngberg · AT&T
- Site 2 · hike-in · 15.6 km from Tanque Verde · AT&T
- Public land near Eight Section Tank · gravel road · 13.6 km from Branaman · AT&T, Verizon
- Public land near Burnt Stump Tank · gravel road · 20.3 km from Clifton · Verizon
Road access and wildfires
The map shows which roads in Southern Arizona are paved, gravel, rough or unpaved tracks, plus parking lots and trailheads, and live wildfire hotspots and perimeters while you're online.
Open Southern Arizona in the mapCosmic's Camp Map puts all of this on one map with land status, cell coverage by carrier, recreation sites, wildfires, services and road reports, and saves it to your phone for use without signal. See everything the map does.