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    Painted Rock Petroglyph Site

    3.9 (14 reviews)

    Painted Rock Petroglyph Site Photos

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    Painted Rock Petroglyph Site; Hohokam people; 7500 BCE-AD 1450
    Paul L.

    If you would like to toast marshmallows and view petroglyphs, you can do it here at Painted Rock Petroglyph Site. Located about 12 miles west of Gila Bend, on a dirt road north of Interstate 8's exit 102, a convenient campground hugs the compact mound of petroglyph site. You won't have to build up a strenuous sweat -- let the 120-degree summer heat do that for you -- because a short path takes you up and over the mound of petroglyphs that appear in full view. The Hohokam people inhabited this area from 7500 BCE to AD 1450 and you will see their images carved into the stone all around you.

    Oren P.

    I was not nearly as impressed with this place or the petroglyphs as some of the other reviewers. It's basically just a small hill of boulders with some "painted rocks" and a short trail around them. It's not really worth going out of your way to visit but if you have some extra time or special interest, it's only 11 miles off the interstate and won't take you very long to see all that's here. There is a day area and a campground; both ask for payment for use.

    Rachel W.

    First of all, if you put the directions in Google maps, it will tell you to cross the Gila River which you do not need to. It's actually NOT on S Rocky Point Rd, but just on Rocky Point Rd. Just put it in google maps as Painted Rock Petroglyph Site and it will take you to the right place. This place is in the middle of nowhere. We came here last week on a whim as we were traveling out of PHX back to CA and wanted to take a detour. We found this randomly and thought it looked cool. Upon arrival there are signs that tell you where the campgrounds are and we pulled up to find NO ONE there. We had the entire campground to ourselves. It was really nice. The grounds are very flat and there is really no shade anywhere. Definitely don't go during the summer months, like we did, because the 5am sunrise will wake you up and it will be scorching soon after. We arrived late in the evening and left early morning so didn't have too much of a problem although it was still quite hot during the night. In the morning when we woke up we explored the petroglyph site which we walked right over to from our campsite. The site is seriously AMAZING. It was so eerie to see all of the etchings from the Hohokam people as well as the late pioneers who passed through this area. It was really interesting to see all the different carvings and somewhat experience what life would have been like for people in this area (when the river was not diverted). Overall, my friend and I both agreed that this kind of out of the way detour was totally worth it for us. This was not something you see or experience everyday, and if you're interested in history and nature it's the perfect combo.

    Desert iguana I photographed there
    Kirk M.

    Camped in a tent here for five days while hunting snakes, and desert reptiles. Amazing petroglyphs on huge boulder piles. Even pieces of Native American pottery here and there. I photographed and caught a Chuckwalla by hand.. then released it unharmed..

    How to get there map from Captain Obvious.

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    10 years ago

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    10 years ago

    Cool lil stop while on our way to Yuma, AZ. Nice stop area for a picnic as there are tables to use.

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    Arizona Oasis RV Resort

    Arizona Oasis RV Resort

    4.2(274 reviews)
    93.5 mi

    We stayed in a cute little cabin, fully equipped with a kitchen and bathroom, living room, and…read morebedroom. We were right on the riverfront. It is a very nice resort with an amazing view, friendly office of staff and all the amenities that we needed. We had the best time!

    Alot could be improved. Cement slabs would be nice. Its…read moreadvertised full hookups with cable and wifi. We had a backup Riverview. Cable didn't work and when we went to the office to discuss they provided a Cable box. That didn't work either. WI-FI, its an open WI-FI so service is spotty and we had very little of it. So when they advertise WI-FI just know there isn't a password. You may or may not get Cable i guess it depends on spot your in. We were just told a water main broke so we have a little pressure tonight. Water being shut off tomorrow morning and service starting about noon. WHAT ??? now no water!!! When we were given our initial spot they were putting us in a place where there was a fire hydrant in the middle of it, obviously we weren't gonna fit and had to call emergency line to speak to someone to move us. He was great and we were given another spot. But... no cable!!! For the price we paid we won't be back. Its too bad the resort itself seems decent and the people in surrounding spots friendly. Alot of people are here fulltime and they have homes and rental cabins. Not our cup of tea. Should have just gonna to Parker i think. Sorry Arizona Oasis, we've been to much nice for less and full hookups with cable and WI-FI were just that.

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    Arizona Oasis RV Resort - This wasn't even everyone that was there.

    This wasn't even everyone that was there.

    Arizona Oasis RV Resort
    Arizona Oasis RV Resort

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    Encore Foothill Village

    Encore Foothill Village

    4.3(4 reviews)
    82.8 mi

    Foothill Village RV Resort was kind enough to let me extend my reservation to the end of April to…read moremake it through the COVID-19 outbreak since Thousand Trails had to cancel my future reservations durring the month of April due to the COVID-19 crisis. As a fulltime rver without a piece of land to park my rv, I had bought a, "Thousand Trails", membership as well as,"The Trails Collection", to give me a wide variety of coast to coast parks to choose from while I travel around the USA. The COVID-19 outbreak has changed all this for the month of April. Now we must all avoid close contact with other people to keep this deadly virus from spreading like wildfire. Foothill Village RV Resort is a clean, quiet RV resort with many amenities. I thank management of the resort, Encore and Thousand Trails for keeping their parks open so fulltime members can shelter in place while we all ride out this deadly virus. Good health to all!

    April was quite the delight! She greeted us at the front gate and led the way to our campsite. As…read morewe were setting up she stopped by with a wonderful 'welcome bag', a map, and the necessary codes for the bathrooms, WiFi, etc. Everywhere I looked was spotlessly clean. The pool and whirlpool were literally sparkling. The provided BBQ's were wonderful and convenient. Extra care was taken in the bathrooms for cleanliness. Our RV spot was large with a nice patio area. The Encore RV corporation should use this campground as an example of what all campgrounds should do to insure a pleasant stay! Thank you April for providing what I refer to as "excellence in customer service!"

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    Encore Foothill Village
    Encore Foothill Village
    Encore Foothill Village

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    Kofa National Wildlife Refuge - Inside one of the illegal mines..

    Kofa National Wildlife Refuge

    4.5(2 reviews)
    86.1 mi

    There is only one negative thing about this area, and let's get it out of the way at the top:…read more You need a high clearance vehicle to really experience this place. There are amazing places to camp, hike, and climb in here but make sure your vehicle has at least 7.5" of clearance (more is always better) or else you're definitely going to get some body-scraping going on. If you're renting a car to come out here, some sort of jeep (or a Tacoma) is probably going to be your best bet. You don't really need 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive, you just need to have your undercarriage up above the ground. Once you get in here though, there's some incredible stuff! I hiked/scrambled to the summits of (you can find my GPS files for your mapping software at the links below): Castle Dome Peak: https://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=4071 Ten Ewe Mountain: https://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=35522 Signal Peak: https://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=4066 There's also some really great stargazing in here, and lots of spots to pull over and have a campout. This is one of the better places for boondocking in the US provided, again, that you have the clearance. And since this is a merely a National "Wildlife Refuge" rather than a National "Park", it's effectively free and not very crowded. I only saw one other person (and his dog) in the mountains.

    ~ Crystal Hill Review ~…read more To get to the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge's Crystal Hill just look for the turn-off sign just past the 95 mile marker ( off the State Route 95). You will then have to drive 6 miles down a dirt and rocky road.. It's tough sledding (15 mph), but most cars can made it if they avoid the large rocks and go slow. I even saw a compact car make this. About halfway down the dirt road you'll see the official Kofa Park sign and Trailhead.. You'll then keep going for 2.5 miles until you're next to a small mountain / hill on your left. Hopefully there are RVs camping so you know you're at the right place. Just turn LEFT into the campground toward the bottom of the mountain/hill. There are several pullouts ( campsites) here, so park and walk towards the hill. There are a few trails up, all with white signs telling you that no digging tools are allowed on the hill. Walk up the trail and make your way to the top. Please feel free to go off trail as you please. The best finds are off the main trails so explore everywhere. Crystal Hill is very family friendly and you're going to find quartz ( mostly white) everywhere. The clear crystal points (very tough to find) can be found if you really look hard off-trail. Remember, limit of 10. TIPS - - 10 rock limit or 10 pounds.. whichever comes first.. - Most people collect then leave their spoils in a pile for others to find.. This helps out younger rockhounds find cool specimens. - The top is pure tailing, but the midway point on the North West side has some good locations for the cool stuff. - If you see small holes in the hillside those might be illegal mines. Small, but you or your kids can crawl in and take a look. Bring a flashlight.

    Photos
    Kofa National Wildlife Refuge - It glows under UV light.

    It glows under UV light.

    Kofa National Wildlife Refuge - The top

    The top

    Kofa National Wildlife Refuge - Cool stuff, but you need to have a keen eye.

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    Cool stuff, but you need to have a keen eye.

    Painted Rock Petroglyph Site - parks - Updated May 2026

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