Arizona? (And NM)

[wicked1]

Very similar to Ski3pin's post.. I am going to visit my sister around Tucson in a couple weeks. Only coming from the opposite direction. I'll be coming from the east.

I'm curious if anyone has any recommendations from the northeast corner of New Mexico through to Tucson Az. Or warnings about things being closed in the winter.. (Hopefully we're south of most of the snow closures, as far as forest roads and dispersed camp options). We plan to drive long days and maybe stay in hotels until we get to NM. Then we want to dispersed camp the rest of the way.

It looks like we won't have any trouble finding things to see, or places to stay, from my initial mapping.

Thanks a lot.

 

[dorocks]

I took a trip October this year and the high country in eastern AZ was cold and there was snow around Alpine. There was lots of free dispersed camping but a 20 degree night froze my plumbing until I used the heater for some time in the camper. Super windy around Pinetop Lakeside as well

 

[wicked1]

Thanks,
Yeah, I looked up weather last night to start my planning, and NM is a much colder state than I had realized.
Will definitely need to fill the propane tanks! Or reconsider my plans.. Maybe drive straight through NM, too. Looks like it finally gets warm around Tucson and west of it.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

The 2nd coldest place I’ve ever been was Gallup…5* at noon. Sounds like a great trip, some of my favorite country. Anything near Santa Fe and the surrounding mountains is a winner by me but you might want to consider the southern part of the state.

 

[dr.tucson]

You almost have to be well below 3,000' to have nights in the 40s or higher. Tucson (2,600') probably has more than 25 nights a year with lows in the 30s.
PS- Probably closer to 20 nights, and I live right by the Santa Cruz River, so its probably colder at my place than much of the rest of Tucson. 35 at my house this AM

 

[wicked1]

Arg, And I'm learning a lot of the forests down there are ones the horrible disgusting rangers are surrounding and closing the roads to.. So frustrating.. And it's all recent. Like, plenty of websites saying to see things and camp in these areas.. Then I dig deeper and see they've been inaccessible for the past 10 or so years. Even the forest service is locked out.. unless they fly in.

(and dig even deeper and see these same ranches that close the roads and even the forest service complains about, are the same ranches the forest service lets use the land for practically free to raise cattle.. They should maybe cancel those cattle leases until they arrange easement rights or something)

 

[AWG_Pics]

Arg, And I'm learning a lot of the forests down there are ones the horrible disgusting rangers are surrounding and closing the roads to.. So frustrating.. And it's all recent. Like, plenty of websites saying to see things and camp in these areas.. Then I dig deeper and see they've been inaccessible for the past 10 or so years. Even the forest service is locked out.. unless they fly in.

(and dig even deeper and see these same ranches that close the roads and even the forest service complains about, are the same ranches the forest service lets use the land for practically free to raise cattle.. They should maybe cancel those cattle leases until they arrange easement rights or something)

This debate or tussle or conflict has been ongoing for about 150 years in the western US. Open range versus closed access. You will find websites are not too much use. When enroute to a destination area we usually see a road going off into someplace remote, follow it and then stop when we reach a convenient/favorable camping location. Never had anyone come to tell us to move on.

 

[wicked1]

Thanks a lot. That is actually a very helpful comment.

Some of the places that are now inaccessible would make nice destinations, but I suppose they're off limits for now. And, there shouldn't be 'debate'.. These are public lands. They were accessible for 100 years in some of these locations.. until a new jerk buys the adjacent property and decides to close it. For a long time the forest service was wining in court on the grounds that if public had been using the road, it's a public road and needs to stay open. But more recently somehow all the precedent got tossed out and the rich get their way as usual. I guess that's not what this thread is about, tho...