Ironwood Forest National Monument 1-26

Ironwood Forest National Monument might be even prettier than Sonoran Desert National Monument. It is, however, a lot more crowded as well. A person who makes a serious effort to find the quietest campsite available might still encounter two or three other people a week. None of them are camping, but they do drive by occasionally.

The other issue with Ironwood is plane noise. They seem to fly over constantly. It’s beautiful, though. I stayed there off and on for several weeks in late 2025 and early 2026. Then I got really, really sick and had to run back to Idaho...the first time I’ve been in Idaho in the winter for 12 years. What a weather shock!

Sunrise at one of my campsites in Ironwood National Monument

Here’s the same view at sunset