we’ve tried to do in this guide is help you find those places that will suit you best. We’re making a few assumptions along the way: that you love the outdoors, that you favor peace and quiet but are sometimes willing to compromise, and that you appreciate a wide variety of different experiences. In short, that you’re a lot like us.
Like so many Arizonans, we’re imports from other climes—Kirstin from the lakes and snows of Minnesota and Kelly from the lush hills of Maryland. Kirstin knew from day one that she belonged here, while Kelly took some time to develop a full appreciation of the desert. Family camping played a part of both our young lives, in tents, pop-ups, and cabins. The leap to camping as adults came for both of us when we moved to the Grand Canyon State, where unparalleled natural diversity calls out to be explored.
Studies have shown that being in nature is good for your body and soul. This just makes sense in our modern world of superhighways and smartphones. Congratulations on making the effort to tear yourselves (and especially your kids) away from comfy chairs and glowing screens!
Note also that these preserves and parks and wildlands need you as much as you need them. This is still an era of budget squeezing and struggling to make ends meet for the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, and state and county parks, even as the number of people seeking recreation in America’s outdoors increases every year. Those of us who cherish these resources need to support them, to raise awareness of their value, to advocate their wise use, and to raise another generation of responsible, educated, and enthusiastic campers—kids who get excited when they look out the airplane window.
WHAT’S NEW
We wrote the first edition of this book just before the 2008 economic crash, which had a significant impact on many of Arizona’s recreational sites. It’s been interesting to see how various agencies have responded: some sites have closed, some sites have removed their campground hosts, and some sites have increased their prices, although a surprising number of sites have remained free.
We’ve added several new campgrounds for the second edition, including one at Monument Valley that puts the iconic view of the Mittens just outside your tent. At Ashurst Lake, you’ll find great fishing and bird-watching opportunities with a view of the San Francisco Peaks in the distance. Brookchar offers walk-in tent-only sites with sunset views across Big Lake. Creekside Lawrence Crossing, named for a murdered man, is now a green and peaceful base to experience the far more ancient past at the V Bar V petroglyph site.
We’ve also added remote gems like verdant and often-unused Rose Creek in the gorgeous Sierra Anchas, as well as popular Sunny Flat, a perfect setting for bird-watching and exploring the unique geology of the Chiricahua Mountains. For desert bikers and hikers, we’ve included the sprawling, spectacular McDowell Mountain County Park outside of Phoenix.
Prices, websites, and profile text have all been updated to reflect the changes that have occurred over the past 10 years. New categories for the best campgrounds include the best sites for each season, the best free sites, and the best sites to see wildflowers and birds.
What hasn’t changed is the rich history that you get to experience by visiting these campgrounds and the never-ending beauty that is the state of Arizona.
—Kirstin and Kelly
BEST CAMPGROUNDS
BEST FOR BEAUTY
5 Lockett Meadow Campground Northern Arizona
7 North Rim Campground Northern Arizona
8 Tuweap/Toroweap Campground Northern Arizona
28 FR 9350 Dispersed Camping Area Mogollon Rim
36 KP Cienega Campground White Mountains
BEST FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS
10 White Horse Lake Campground Northern Arizona
15 Desert Tortoise Campground Central Arizona
25 Yavapai Campground Central Arizona
27 Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area Campground Mogollon Rim
39 Lyman Lake State Park Campground White Mountains
BEST FOR FISHING
13 Burnt Corral Recreation Site Campground Central Arizona
15 Desert Tortoise Campground Central Arizona
30 Knoll Lake Campground Mogollon Rim
33 Brookchar Campground White Mountains
34 East Fork Recreation Area Campgrounds White Mountains
BEST FOR HIKING
5 Lockett Meadow Campground Northern Arizona
7 North Rim Campground Northern Arizona
19 Lost Dutchman State Park Campground Central Arizona
37 Los Burros Campground White Mountains
42 Bog Springs Campground Southern Arizona
BEST FOR CANOEING AND KAYAKING
