I discovered Cochran Road when I was driving down the Florence-Kelvin Highway looking for a place to boondock on this Sonoran Desert camping trip.
Cochran Road | Arizona
Details
- Distance: 14 miles
- Location: Central Arizona
- Start: Florence Kelvin Highway
- End: Gila River
- Roads: Cochran Road
- Conditions: dirt road, sandy, rutted, loose rocks
- Cities: Florence, Arizona
- Camping: BLM
Highlights
- The Boulders
- OHV Staging Area
- Cochran historic town site (no remains)
- Coke ovens
- Gila River
The turnoff for the Cochran Road is to the west of the entrance to a place called The Boulders. There is an OHV staging area with a large dirt parking lot and several big rocks next to it. A graded dirt road heads north into the desert from here, passing by a few homes and other desert outposts before becoming much less populated.
Sandy Road Through the Desert
The sandy road starts out relatively mellow and becomes more challenging the further you go although nothing too difficult for a high clearance vehicle with four wheel drive or an adventure motorcycle with an experienced rider.
Sonoran Desert Landscape
There are many places to camp along the way with some large turnouts although there are no services so bring what you need including plenty of water. I imagine that it can get really hot here during the warmer months of the year.
A Perfect Sonoran Desert Camping Location
I found a beautiful location perched on top of a hill to watch the sunset from the rooftop deck on my van. I ended my Sonoran Desert camping trip with a charcoal grilled steak and a good cocktail. It was a perfect way to relax and enjoy the beautiful solitude of the desert in the middle of the winter.
A River in the Desert
Eventually the road leads to the old townsite of Cochran with very little remaining to be seen. I understand that there are some historic coke ovens nearby, although these might be located on private property. From here the Cochran Road passes through some overgrown brush that will threaten the top of a tall vehicle (be careful about roof racks) before arriving at the Gila River. There is water in the river during much of the year and it looks like a nice place to camp although not much room for a vehicle other than a motorcycle right next to the river. I would highly recommend exploring the Cochran Road on your next Sonoran Desert camping trip. If you enjoyed this trip report please check out some of my other desert van travel videos.