My wife and I drove from Payson, AZ to Mesa, AZ yesterday and counted over 133 RVs of all sizes going up to Payson and beyond. So about 133+ per hour are traveling from the Mesa/Phoenix areas up to the forests in central-east Arizona. Where are they going? There does not seem to be that many camp grounds or RV parks to handle that rate of RVs. Where are they camping? I told my wife I wanted to follow them to see where they were headed as I have difficulty finding places to camp. Especially on a holiday weekend such as Memorial Day. What do you think/know? Where are they going?
Where to camp in Arizona?
- Thread starter RAHanock
- Start date
the rim and the white mountains...and there's LOTS of places to park or camp in those areas!
Lynn1130
Well-known member
The Rim and White Mountains and there are thousands of camping sites in the Coconino and Apache-Sitgreaves NFs. There are also a number of improved sites and private campgrounds. Since you live on the East side of town those are probably the quickest to get to for you but there are as many around Prescott and Flagstaff. By-the-way since it seems you are new here 
, it is "Press-kit" not "Press-cott".
There are also NFS maps that tell you which roads you can camp on and how far back from the edge of the road you can go. Some, like Coconino NF you can download from their Web-Site. Apache and Sitgreaves are in my opinion, a little behind Coconino and do not have downloadable maps and their camping distance rules are confusing but as long as you don't try to camp a half mile off of the road into the forest you will not be bothered. You will need to be self contained for most all of the unimproved forest sites. By downloading or buying the MVUM (Multi-Vehicle Use Maps) maps you will get an idea of where to camp. A little hint. I don't go camping on Memorial Day, 4th of July or Labor Day as well as other holidays. The traffic is terrible and sites are at a premium beginning about 5 days before the holidays. There was a 12 mile back up yesterday afternoon between Table Mesa Rd and Sunset Point north bound.
I suggest that you take a trip, without the trailer, up on the Rim and scout sites before you go. Picking one out on the map and then pulling the trailer there can get you in trouble. Some of the sites shown on the maps are down roads that are rough, steep, mud tracked and overgrown with low pine trees. If you are into improved sites There are a number of them listed on Good Sam's site and several state parks like Fool Hollow Lake or Woods Canyon Lake that are next to a lake and great camping BUT, those need to be reserved in advance as they can be full through the Summer. Fool Hollow is one of my favorites.
, it is "Press-kit" not "Press-cott". There are also NFS maps that tell you which roads you can camp on and how far back from the edge of the road you can go. Some, like Coconino NF you can download from their Web-Site. Apache and Sitgreaves are in my opinion, a little behind Coconino and do not have downloadable maps and their camping distance rules are confusing but as long as you don't try to camp a half mile off of the road into the forest you will not be bothered. You will need to be self contained for most all of the unimproved forest sites. By downloading or buying the MVUM (Multi-Vehicle Use Maps) maps you will get an idea of where to camp. A little hint. I don't go camping on Memorial Day, 4th of July or Labor Day as well as other holidays. The traffic is terrible and sites are at a premium beginning about 5 days before the holidays. There was a 12 mile back up yesterday afternoon between Table Mesa Rd and Sunset Point north bound.
I suggest that you take a trip, without the trailer, up on the Rim and scout sites before you go. Picking one out on the map and then pulling the trailer there can get you in trouble. Some of the sites shown on the maps are down roads that are rough, steep, mud tracked and overgrown with low pine trees. If you are into improved sites There are a number of them listed on Good Sam's site and several state parks like Fool Hollow Lake or Woods Canyon Lake that are next to a lake and great camping BUT, those need to be reserved in advance as they can be full through the Summer. Fool Hollow is one of my favorites.
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Thanks for the feedback. I am aware of Fool Hollow, Woods Canyon Lake, Canyon Point, etc., but they are long filled up with reservations. My point is, there are far more RVs headed to the rim than there are reserve-able camp sites. And the size of some the class A RVs would indicate that they probably are not headed into the forest. I am aware of some off road areas such as on the road to Young. But they don't accommodate that many RVs. So where do they go? Are there some locations, back roads, campgrounds that I am not aware of?
Lynn1130
Well-known member
Really hard to tell where they might be going as I do not know what you may be aware of but there are many RV campgrounds such as around Clint's Well etc. Some may just be leaving for the Summer. I have a 37' 5th wheel and primitive camping areas are my favorite. The further from people the better and if you drive the forest roads you will be surprised how some large rigs get into some pretty remote back areas.
Come elk hunting with us in the Winter. There are some pretty big rigs a long ways back in the woods.
Come elk hunting with us in the Winter. There are some pretty big rigs a long ways back in the woods.
JohnD
Moved on to the next thing...
By-the-way since it seems you are new here
When we were down there and said it wrong . . .
The locals always said to us . . . "It's Press-kit, D A M N IT!!
When we were down there and said it wrong . . .
The locals always said to us . . . "It's Press-kit, D A M N IT!!
Try saying Nev awe da with the soft A. You will get assaulted by people telling you it is pronounced Ne-vAda - just saying- Kim Dance
i totally agree. I have pronounced it nev awe da - Spanish pronounciation my whole life- but my NevAda friends (natives too) pronounce it with an AT sounding A. And I mean they are serious about it.
Lynn1130
Well-known member
Trying to be cool and don't have a clue. I never understood those who say the name of San Pedro California as San Peedro. Sorry folks it is San PAdro and I was born in Long Beach! Just as well pronounce Gila as GEEla. LOL
There is one in Arizona that the jury is still out on. Some living there call Tubac as TooBack. It seems that no one is sure whether it is some Spanish name that got changed or it is Indian and is correctly pronounced as "Back". I am sticking with TooBock since what I have found says it is from Spanish. Love our SW names.
There is one in Arizona that the jury is still out on. Some living there call Tubac as TooBack. It seems that no one is sure whether it is some Spanish name that got changed or it is Indian and is correctly pronounced as "Back". I am sticking with TooBock since what I have found says it is from Spanish. Love our SW names.
OldSlowHans
CinC of Everything Else
They're going to Minnesota.
Lynn1130
Well-known member
South takes you into/onto Bill Williams Mountain and there are many good camping areas. North for a short distance will keep you in the tall pines and there are good camping areas but that quickly turns to juniper and lower elevations. There are developed areas through out the Kaibab NF and going to their Web site will give you some direction, but you need to be aware of the camping regulations that designate only certain roads for camping and then camping only so far off of those roads. Kaibab is working on relaxing some of those regulations because they caught a bunch of heat over their unreasonable rules. Get a copy of their Multi Vehicle Use Map to keep you out of trouble.
And the last time I was there (last winter) Williams was West of Flagstaff about 30 minutes.
And the last time I was there (last winter) Williams was West of Flagstaff about 30 minutes.
And the last time I was there (last winter) Williams was West of Flagstaff about 30 minutes.[/QUOTE]
Absolutely right, about 30 min west of Flagstaff on I-40 (don't know what I was thinking). We usually go south of town on 4th St that turns into highway or route 73 and camp around the Dogtown lake area. Plenty of Forestry roads in the area if you're into mild off-roading.
Absolutely right, about 30 min west of Flagstaff on I-40 (don't know what I was thinking). We usually go south of town on 4th St that turns into highway or route 73 and camp around the Dogtown lake area. Plenty of Forestry roads in the area if you're into mild off-roading.
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