My Top Ten National Forest Campgrounds – Arizona
The diversity of Arizona’s landscape is reflected in the range of camping experiences one can find in this state. Here are a few of our personal favorites. The level of development at these campgrounds range from semi-wilderness camping experience to near recreational vehicle (RV) park-style campground.
One of six Apache National Forest campgrounds in the East Fork Recreation Area and located on the White Mountain’s East Fork of the Black River is Diamond Rock campground. This campground features basic or “rustic” camp sites. Sites in this little pack it in/pack it out campground are near the River making it a very popular with anglers of all ages. Some of the sites have log lean-to shelters, a unique feature to this campground, and all are tucked in among towering pines.
East of Flagstaff are Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments. Just north of Sunset Crater, and almost in the shadow of the San Francisco Mountains, is the Coconino National Forest’s Bonito campground. While a list of this campground’s amenities might suggest Bonito is just another “rustic” campground, its flush toilets and interesting coverground of colorful cinders make it feel more like a private campground with lots of elbow room. The giant Ponderosa pine cast shadows across the landscape and offer pleasant shade. Bonito campground is an excellent choice for a basecamp whether exploring the community of Flagstaff, neighboring National Monuments, or Coconino’s many natural features.
In our opinion, the campground with the best views in Arizona is Reef Townsite campground in Coronado National Forest, just south of Sierra Vista. While the campground accommodates both tent and car campers, the drive up to Miller Peak is not recommended for an RV of any size. Although the campground doesn’t have a reliable water source, at 7,200 ft (a delightful cool elevation) and an extensive network of trails in and around Miller Peak Wilderness, Reef Townsite is a place, once discovered, is visited over and over again.
For folks who want to experience history, Cochise Stronghold campground is the place. In the mid-1800s, a band of the Chiricahua Apache, under the leadership of Cochise, sought shelter and peace here. The tall surrounding bluffs provided natural lookout for the sharp eyed warriors and protection from the elements. A self-guided interpretative trail gives campers a chance to learn about the plants the Chiricahuas used for food and clothing. Campsites are scattered among the boulders and shaded by native oak trees. The Forest Service has provided many reminders of the Chiricahua Apache’s time in this canyon but there is an eery feeling in this canyon that history is still a live there among the many fancifully shaped rocks.
Want to enjoy the Grand Canyon National Park -South Rim and avoid its overcrowded campgrounds? Ten-X campground in Kaibab National Forest is a good alternative to packed-like-sardine campgrounds. True, it means driving to the Park’s entrance but with nicely shaded, level, spacious campsites and parking aprons that can accommodate any size RV, Ten-X campground is our pick for a South Rim basecamp. Plus, it is convenient to several commercial businesses, such as diners and motels, for a change of pace.
DeMotte and Jacob Lake campgrounds are on the north rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. DeMotte campground is closest to the Park and a nice little tent campground at the edge of a huge mountain meadow. The RV-friendly Jacob Lake campground is much farther from the Park’s entrance but in the little mountain community of Jacob Lake and about 1,000-ft higher in elevation from Ten-X campground, it offers cooler temperatures and a lot less crowds than the Park’s south rim campground.
A nearly resort camp in the Sitgeavers National Forest is Fool Hollow Lake campground. Developed in partnership with the Arizona’s State Parks, Game and Fish, and the city of Show Low, this campground offers fullhook-ups, as well as camp sites with no hook-ups, and some with water and electric only hook-ups. A down-side of Fool Hollow Lake campground is the lack of hiking trails but that might be a small price to pay for some.
We were once asked, “Are there any hot showers in Arizona?” The answer is “Yes!”. They can be found on the shores of Roosevelt Lake at Cholla campground in Tonto National Forest. This is not a camping location to be used in the summer but it is super the rest of the year. (Windy Hill campground is a possible alternative.)
The Tonto National Forest’s Tortilla campground is unique. We have found no other campground in the nation with only water and sewer hook-ups. And than there is the community of Tortilla Flats just across the road from the campground. (Check-out the wallpaper and bar stools.) March and April is the time to visit this campground when the wildflowers are at their best. A drive along the scenic Apache Trail to Roosevelt Lake is a must.
