Boondocking Site Review – Thousand Trails Road, Prescott NFS, Cottonwood, AZ

Sunset at our boondocking site on FS360

A very scenic boondocking spot in the Prescott National Forest just SE of Cottonwood, AZ

Location: Prescott National Forest, just SE of Cottonwood, AZ
Coordinates: Camping area starts at intersection of AZ 260 and Thousand Trails Road(FS147)/Camino Real(FS360). Approx. 34.660993,-111.965153. Link to map location HERE
Cost: FREE (14-day limit)
How We Found It: We had heard about camping around Thousand Trails Road from other RVers and also found the listing on freecampsites.net. We settled on our final site by studying the Prescott Motor Vehicle Use Map for other permitted dispersed camping in the area.
Nearest Dump/Water: No facilities in forest. Free dump station at Giant Gas on corner of 89A and 260. Plenty of other nearby dump stations in Cottonwood & Camp Verde area.

1. Access – 2.5/5
   Access can be very good to very poor depending on where you camp. The boondocking area we chose is on the intersection of 260 & Thousand Trails Road just SE of Cottonwood. There are two main areas to camp here on either side of 260:
   Thousand Trails Road -> Travelling north on Hwy 260, take a right at Thousand Trails Road (paved, clearly marked). Follow the paved road for 1/4 mile and then turn left onto Forest Rd 147A (wide dirt, firm). You will see flat, open areas and other rigs boondocked along the first 1/2 mile of this road. This is a popular area and easy to access for any-sized rig. Do not continue past top section (where road descends sharply to the water) since it becomes narrow with no turn-around.
   Forest Service Road 360 -> Travelling north on Hwy 260 take a left at Thousand Trails to the dirt road directly opposite. This road is  unmarked, fairly narrow and rapidly becomes very poor (very rutted, bumpy). According to the Prescott MVUM dispersed camping is allowed all along this road including adjacent FS361 and FS9460C. There are several camping areas fairly close to the entrance which can be relatively easily accessed, but sites further back require high clearance vehicles. Look for cleared-out sites that have been previously used (often there’s a small fire-ring). This is lightly used by campers, but much harder to access. Small high-clearance rigs will be able to find some very private (and still very scenic) sites here, but big rigs will be very limited.
2. Nature – 5/5
   Lovely nature and views here. You are just south of Cottonwood in high desert forest with sweeping views of the valley (all the way to the red rocks of Sedona). Open land all around and lots of forest service roads to hike and explore.
3. Isolation – 2.5/5
   You’re close to the largish town of Cottonwood so only medium isolation here. Thousand Trails is a fairly well-known boondocking site so you’ll undoubtedly be camping with others (for those familiar think “Quartzite-like” camping). The other side of 260 has very few campers, but does get OHVers and cars exploring the roads. Either way you’ll encounter some traffic unless your rig is small enough to get very far back in the forest, but the views and location are worth the trouble.
4. Pet Friendliness – 5/5
   A great location for the paws. Nice, open (cactus-free) space all around for easy paws on the ground plus lots of forest service roads for hiking/exploring. You are also only ~2 miles from Verde River access for water-splashing.

Overall Rating =  3.75
BONUS ALERT = Sweeping views of Verde Valley and the distant Red Rocks of Sedona!

Summary: We chose this area based on good reviews from other RVers and, although it’s not as isolated as we typically like, we managed to find a fairly secluded spot and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Thousand Trails Road is just SE of Cottonwood and off Hwy 260. This makes it a popular (and well-used) spot, but also gives some excellent sweeping views including the Verde Valley and the gorgeous red rocks of Sedona in the far background. Access can be easy to poor depending which side of the road you chose to boondock on (see above), but you’re rewarded with a scenic site that’s a short drive to Cottonwood, Jerome, Verde River and the various excellent sights around the area. Don’t expect to be alone here, plus be prepared for some trash (sadly, typical of heavily-used forest), but enjoy a great location. We loved the area and would readily come back again.

NOTE/ The Prescott National Forest covers a huge area and this is but a teeny piece of the boondocking available. You can pick-up or download a copy of the Prescott Motor Vehicle Use Map which will show each and every road open for dispersed camping in the entire forest. It takes a little doing to match forest service roads to actual road names (plus not all are marked) but if you spend the time you can find some excellent and well-secluded spots.

Extra Info: Good 4G Verizon signal (4 bars) and decent 3G signal. Since this is a well-used area the 14-day limit is enforced. There was a camp host at the Thousand Trails site and a ranger came by to take our license plate number at the other site.

Entry road to Thousand Trails site

View of Thousand Trails boondocking rigs from FS147A. It’s a popular spot!

View down one of lanes in Thousand Trails site

Another View down Thousand Trails site

Yet another view of rigs at Thousand Trails

View of our site down FS360

Another view of our site on FS360

View of another camper further down FS360. You can see how rutted the road is in the front.

One of the many sites around FS360

General map of the 2 boondocking areas. Download the Prescott MVUM for more details.

SP Campground Review – Lost Dutchman State Park, Apache Junction, AZ

The stunning Supersition Mountains at Lost Dutchman State Park!

A simply gorgeous State Park with stunning views of the Superstition Mountains just East of Phoenix, AZ.

Link to campground here: Lost Dutchman State Park, Apache Junction, AZ
Link to map location here: Lost Dutchman State Park, Apache Junction, AZ

1. Site Quality = 4.5/5
   Very nice sites here with just very few dings. There are 2 main camping areas:
   Main Campground (sites 1-70) - These sites are all paved either back-in or pull-through with excellent separation and lovely “sitting areas” containing picnic table, fire-pit and grill. Only ~1/2 of sites have hook-ups (50amp/water) whereas the rest are non hook-up. All outer-sites are nicely large especially the enormous pull-throughs (many of which could easily fit 2 rigs) and most have excellent views of Superstition Mountain. Only ding is some of inner sites (esp. 1-15, 33-38) are smaller and best suited to smaller rigs while a *few* of the back-ins are a tad uneven.
   Overflow Campground (sites 75-104) – This is a brand new addition to the park and all sites here are currently first-come-first-serve. All sites are cleared dirt with picnic tables and fire-pit. Although primitive they are nicely large with decent separation and good views of the mountain. It’s a simple loop, but easily one of the nicest overflow sites I’ve seen.
2. Facilities = 3.5/5
   Good facilities. The bathrooms are large and kept nicely clean. Showers are individual rooms with separate bench area and very good water pressure and temperature. Only slight ding is they have those annoying spray heads.
3. Location = 5/5
   This is an excellent location. You are right at the base of the Superstition Mountains with simply lovely views all-around and direct access to miles of hiking trails right from your campsite. Nearby Apache Junction has basic shopping needs and Mesa/Phoenix are only ~1/2 hour away.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Another fabulous pooch park. Lots of space to hang out in camp plus dog-friendly trails all around. Very little cholla too so a good camp for paws on the ground.

Overall Rating =  4.5
BONUS ALERT = Camp will full views of the gorgeous Superstition Mountains!

Summary: I fell in love with the Superstition Mountains last time we stayed in Pheonix and this park puts your right in the middle of the action. It’s a lovely State Park with large paved sites (pull-throughs are especially enormous), good separation, nice “sitting areas” and simply excellent views of Superstition Mountain all-around. Lots of hiking directly from your campsite plus direct access to the Apache Trail for lakes/sightseeing as well as short drive to shopping. Although you’re only ~1/2 hour from Phoenix it feels like a whole other world, and if you catch the desert blooms in spring you’ll be rewarded with quite the special show. A simply lovely park that may well be our fav in the area. No doubt we’ll be coming back!

Extra Info: Good Verizon signal (3-4 bars on both 3G & 4G). 72 reservable sites of which ~35 have 50Amp/water (remainder are non hook-up). Additional 30 first-come-first-serve primitive sites in overflow camping section (this is a recent addition!). Sites cost $30/night (Jan-Mar), $25/night (off-season) for electric/water, $17/night (Jan-Mar), $15/night (off-season) for primitive. On-site dump station.

View of our site (#20). Slanted at the front, but lots of flat space for the rig.

View down our row. Site #19 on left with us in #20 on right.

View towards upper end of loop. Empty site#21 on left with #23 behind it.

View towards top of loop. Site #32 on right, #31 on left. Both have excellent views.

View of large pull-throughs down left-side of campground. Site #49 on right with #47 behind it. Site #46 on left.

Another view of large pull-throughs. #57 on left, #54 on right

View of smaller sites in middle. #5 on right, 4 behind on left.

View of the other smaller sites. Empty #35 on left, truck in #34 on right

Typical “sitting area”. This is from site #38

View of pull-through in overflow campground. This is site #78. RV in site #98 behind.

Another view of overflow. Empty pull-though #100 on right with RV in #99 behind.

View of facilities

SP Campground Review – Patagonia Lake State Park, Patagonia, AZ

Afternoon at the lake

A rather busy, but well-located birding and water-lovers campground ~10 miles from Patagonia in SE Arizona.

Link to campground here: Patagonia Lake State Park, Patagonia, AZ
Link to map location here: Patagonia Lake State Park, Patagonia, AZ

1. Site Quality = 2.5/5 
   Very varied site-quality in this campground. All sites are paved, either back-in or pull-through with 50Amp/water and “sitting areas” containing metal picnic table and fire-pit. The biggest issue is size and levelness. There are 2 main loops in the campground:
   West Campground -> This loop comprises sites 39-108 and sits closest to the beach. This tends to be the most popular loop and has more kids, noise & activity. Sites nearest the beach (40-48) are very, very tightly spaced (far too close together IMHO), whereas those further back (esp. around 87-91) have more room. Sites 93-95 are right behind the dump station and best avoided altogether. No real water-views from any sites in this loop, but some sites do have covered picnic tables. Unless we can get a site at the back, we’d prefer to avoid this loop.
   East Campground -> This loop comprises sites 1-37 and sits towards the birding trail. It is much more relaxed with sites (generally) more widely spaced, however you’ll get alot of variation in levelness and size. Sites 3-5 are so steep as to be almost unusable for most rigs (no way we could get in here without scraping “the beast”), while sites 16-22 although in nice spots with a slice of water-view are best suited for smaller rigs. Sites 10-15 are very nicely private, but also quite unlevel. Despite the level issues this is our preferred loop to stay.
2. Facilities = 3.5/5 
   Decent facilities here. Large showers with separate bench and pegs, plus spacious toilets. Biggest ding is showers have those annoying spray-heads. On-site dump station.
3. Location = 5/5
   Patagonia Lake State Park gets its good marks for location. You are right next to a large lake with lots of water activities (boating, kayaking, canoeing etc.), swim-beach, fishing, marina, boat launch and ~3 miles of birding trails. Lots of cool birdwatching here (it’s one of the main draws of the area), plus you are only ~10 miles from the lovely little town of Patagonia.
4. Pet Friendliness = 4/5 
   A good park for pooch. Variable space in camp (depends on your site), but good hiking and creek access along the birding trail, plus lake access to swim and play (towards east-end of East Campground). Biggest ding is pooch is not allowed on the beach.

Overall Rating = 3.75
BONUS ALERT = Birders paradise and lake all-in-one!

Summary: This is a popular park in the area and in many ways I can understand why. It’s by a large lake (a huge bonus in the desert) with no end of water activities (fishing, boating, kayaking etc.) plus it’s a very well-known birding spot that’s only ~10 miles from lovely Patagonia. The combo tends to draw both families and avid birdwatchers alike. The main downside of this is that it’s also a busy park, plus it gets some further dings in site levelness & size. Sites are all paved with 50Amp/water, but vary alot in quality. Sites closest to the beach (West Campground) tend to be very tight and very busy (lots of families and kids here), whereas sites closer to the birding area (East Campground) are more spacious & relaxed but also tend to be unlevel. We prefer the East Campground, despite the level issues mostly for space and privacy. Overall we had a lovely time walking the birding trails, splashing with pooch in the water and exploring the Patagonia area, but we did get somewhat overwhelmed by the crowds. This, together with poor Verizon signal means it doesn’t make our top list. We liked the park and it’s a very worthy stop for families, water-lovers and birders, but for our own preferences we’ll probably plan to go boondocking nearer Patagonia when we come back to the area.

Extra Info: Very poor Verizon signal (flickering between 1X and 1 bar of 3G). We were able to get a stable signal with our external antenna/amp, but otherwise would have had trouble connecting. ~108 sites with 50amp/water ($25/night) . There is NO overflow camping. boat launch, marina and on-site dump station.

View down beginning of East Campground. Site #6 on left, with #7, #8, #9 behind (we’re in #9)

Our site in East Campground #9. Nicely wide, but sloped to the back

View of the “crazy” sites in East Campground. RV in #5 on left w/ #4, #3 behind. These are so steep we couldn’t possilbly get in. Nice views though.

View towards back of East Campground. Site #18 on left with #17, #16 behind. Very small sites, but there are lake views. Most are used by tenters.

View towards far back of East Campground. RV in #10 on right with #15 behind. Lots of privacy/space here, but rather uneven.

View down lake-side of East Campground. Site #26 on left with #24 (empty), #22 (RV) behind. These sites all have slices of lake views, but most are rather short.

View down beginning of West Campground. Site #44 on left with #42 behind.

View down right-side of West Campground. RV in site #61 on right with #57 behind. #59 on left.

View towards beach-end of West Campground. Site #52 on left (empty) with #50, #49, #48 behind. Sites get tighter as you get closer to the beach.

View down middle of West Campground. Car in site #56 on left with #54 behind.

View down middle-left of West Campground. Site #82 on right with #80, #78 behind it.

One of larger sites towards back of West Campground. #58 shown.

Typical “sitting area” with picnic table and grill.

View of swim beach

View of marina

Boondocking Site Review – Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, Sonoita, AZ

I just LOVE these grasslands

A remote and rarely visited grassland area in SE Arizona. Simply spectacular!

Location: 45,000 acre natural preserve on the NE corner of Hwy83 and Hwy82 next to Sonoita, AZ
Coordinates: Road Canyon Camping Area approx. 31.740029, -110.585976, Cieneguitas Camping Area approx. 31.766641,-110.627142. Link to map location HERE
Cost: FREE (14-day limit)
How We Found It: I originally found this spot on my handy Arizona Benchmark Map and was overjoyed when Ivan&HisKitty blogged about stopping here last month. Further research on the Las Cienegas NCA website nailed down the last details.
Nearest Dump/Water: No facilities in camp. Supplemental water availible on the preserve at Empire Ranch. Nearest dump Patagonia Lake State Park ~20 miles south.

1. Access – 2.5/5
   This is a rarely-used grassland preserve so it takes a bit of extra effort to get here. Camping is allowed in designated primitive ”camping areas” or in previously-used dispersed spots. The designated spots -> Cieneguitas (open year-round) or Road Canyon (seasonal) are both accessed off the main road that runs through the preserve. This road is dirt and very bumpy, but otherwise firm and drivable for any-size rig, especially if you stick to the access listed below…just be ready for a bumpy, slow ride!
   Cieneguitas -> This is best accessed from the western side off Hwy 83. Driving north from Sonoita, just before milepost 40 you’ll see the entrance to Las Cieneguas NCA and the beginning of Empire Ranch Road (wide, washboardy dirt road) to your right. Head east on Empire Ranch Road ~3 miles until you come to a fork. Take a right here onto Yucca Road (narrow, lots of small embedded stones) and go another ~1.1 miles to Cieneguitas Camp. The area is clearly marked by a sign. Turn right here and drive down the road to chose your camping spot. There are 6 large, cleared-out “individual” spots on either side of the road going back ~1/2 mile. More info HERE.
   Road Canyon -> This is best accessed from the southern side off Hwy 82. Driving east from Sonoita, just after milepost 36 you’ll see the entrance to Las Cieneguas NCA and the beginning of Yucca Road (narrow, lots of small embedded stones) on our left. Head north on Yucca Road  ~2.5 miles until you hit BLM Road 6916 (marked by a very, very small sign). No obvious sign or individual sites here, but you’ll see large cleared dirt areas for camping. This camping area is closed April 1 to June 30 due to pronghorn fawning season. More info HERE.
   NOTE/ I do *not* recommend driving between Cieneguitas and Road Canyon in a big rig within the preserve. This particular interior stretch of Yucca Road is pitted with some deeper washes. If you decide to take your rig from one campsite to the next, it’s better to drive back onto Hwy 83/82 and re-enter at the south access point.
   Dispersed Camping -> According to the local ranger you may also camp elsewhere in the conservation area on condition that the spot has been obviously previously used and you are no closer than 1/4 quarter mile from wildlife or livestock watering area. In our drive around there were not really any “beast-size” options of this sort, but for smaller rigs you may be able to find a site.
2. Nature – 5/5
   Nature is simply fabulous here. Be ready for rolling hills, sweeping grassland views and distant mountains. Very light traffic and lots of little side-roads to explore the preserve by bike or 4WD. Simply spectacular!
3. Isolation – 5/5
   Wonderful isolation here. This is a very lightly-used preserve so you will only see a few cars going through and you may (or may not) see any other campers. I can’t guarantee complete solitude, but you’ll come very, very close. In our 4 days at Road Canyon we saw no other campers and only a few cars.
4. Pet Friendliness – 5/5
   Another great location for the paws. Easy grassland all around and  lots of other dirt roads leading deeper into the wildlife area which can be accessed with pooch for longer walks.

Overall Rating =  4.4
BONUS ALERT = Camp with sweeping grassland views!

Summary: This 45,000 acre grassland preserve is a wonderfully remote, natural get-away in SE Arizona just next to Sonoita, AZ. It’s a rarely-visited park and very primitive. Just dirt roads, dirt sites and sweeping views. This makes accesability more difficult, but the payoff is lots of solutide and fabulous, natural camping. The main road through the park is narrow and fairly bumpy (Empire Ranch Road is washboard, while Yucca Road has lots and lots of small emdedded stones…get ready to rattle!) and camping is permitted in designated spots Cineguitas (open year-round) and Road Canyon (seasonal), or previously-used dispersed sites. If staying at the designated areas choose your spot before you come since access is different for each one (see above). The camping areas are large, dirt clearings with plenty of space for any-sized rig and easy, flat surfaces. Cieneguitas has 6 “individual” style campsites which are further from the main road, while Road Canyon has more “group-like” wide-open camp area closer to the main road, but both have great views and lots of space. Lots of nature to enjoy as well as on-site historic Empire Ranch. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here and would come back in a heartbeat.

Extra Info: Water and pit toilets availible at the Empire Ranch, but no other facilities. Decent 3G Verizon signal (2-3 bars).

Driving down Yucca Road in the rig. It’s firm, but very bumpy and narrow!

Entrance to Road Canyon camp area. Just a teeny sign for BLM road 6916 here.

Left view of our rig at Road Canyon camp area.

Front view of our site

Right side view of our site

Back-view of our site

Our “sitting area”

One of the other cleared out camping areas at Road Canyon

Entrance to Cienguita Camp area. This is marked by a clear sign.

One of sites at Cineguita Camp Area

Two rigs parked at another site in Cineguita Camp Area

Main map of Las Cienegas showing the 2 camp areas.

Boondocking Site Review – Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area, McNeal, AZ

Sandhill Cranes coming to roost at sunset

A birders paradise and great few-day stopover in SE Arizona

Location: On the south end of Coffman road just outside of McNeal, AZ
Coordinates: Approx. 31.560774, -109.718968. Link to map location HERE
Cost: FREE (3-day stay limit)
How We Found It: I had heard about this spot from birding friends and found further details on freecampsites.net and on Whitewater Draw website.
Nearest Dump/Water: ??

1. Access – 4.5/5
   Very easy access here for any-sized rig. Coming from the south you’ll enter the Wildlife Refuge on just over 1 mile wide, firm flat dirt road from Central Highway. This is washboardy and dusty, but otherwise fine. Whitewater Draw is clearly marked by a sign and high entrance gate on Coffman Road. Turn left into the refuge and drive a few hundred feet to main parking area. There is a small sign saying “overnight parking permitted” and picnic tables arranged in fenced areas around a central pit toilet and garbage. The area is super-flat, firm dirt with space for around 5-6 big rigs or a larger number of smaller rigs. As long as it’s not full you can fit any-sized rig here. Park and enjoy!
   NOTE/ If the main camping area is full there is a second overnight camping spot ~1/2 mile further north on Coffman Road at the “sportsman’s entrance”. Turn left and you’ll see the “overnight camping permitted” sign and flat parking area. No picnic tables or pit toilet here. Space for ~3 big rigs.
2. Nature – 5/5
   Nature is what this spot is ALL about. The overnight camping area is only a few hundred feet from the hiking & viewing trail at Whitewater Draw. Open views of grassland and hills directly from camp plus lots and lots of birds including up to 30,000 Sandhill Cranes during the main season (Oct-Feb). Watch sunset over the water and fall asleep to the sweet sounds of life in the draw!
3. Isolation – 3/5
   Moderate isolation here. This is a fairly popular (for the area) birdwatching spot and the day-use parking is just next to the overnight camping area, so you will get people driving through to see the draw. Most birders come early morning or late afternoon so the rest of the time the spot is very relaxed and at night it will be completely dark and quiet.
4. Pet Friendliness – 5/5
   This is a great location for the paws. Easy grassland all around and a nice hiking trail around the draw. Lots of other dirt roads leading deeper into the wildlife area which can be accessed with pooch for longer walks.

Overall Rating = 4.4
BONUS ALERT = Fall asleep to the sound of Sandhill Cranes!

Summary: Whitewater Draw is a wonderful little oasis in the high desert of SE Arizona. It’s a small 1,500 acre preserve that is well-known for hosting tons of birds including up to 30,000 Sandhill Cranes in the main season (Oct-Feb). Free overnight camping is permitted for up to 3 days (within a 7-day period) and it is well worth the stop. Access to the draw is super-easy along a very wide, firm, dirt road and camping is in a flat dirt circular area around a central pit toilet and garbage. Lovely 360-degree grassland views from camp as well as cute picnic tables all around. We came here with some buddies in the “off” season (Mid-March) so at the time we were the only rigs in the area and traffic to the draw was very light. With no-one in camp access was super-easy and we had plenty of space and isolation to ourselves. During the main Crane season I gather the traffic is higher and camping spots may be more limited especially if you come in a larger rig. If the main camp area is full there is a second “overnight camping” area ~1/2 mile north on Coffman Road at the “sportsmans entrance” with space for another 3 or so big rigs. We spent our days birdwatching, sunset viewing and relaxing at our lovely site. Overall a magical little place and we’d definitely come again.

Extra Info: No water or dump, but there is on-site pit-toilet and garbage disposal (nice bonus!). Moderate 3G Verizon signal (2 bars or so), but stable enough for use with our external antenna.

Driving down Coffman Road towards the draw. Very large, flat dirt road.

Main entrance to the draw

View of main overnight camping area. It’s a large circular parking spot.

View from other side of camping area looking back towards entrance

Side-view of our parking spot

Side-view of Beluga

View of picnic table at the overnight camping area

View of pit toilets in middle of camping area. There is a also a garbage disposal.

View of secondary overnight camping area from “sportsmans entrance” further up Coffman Road.

General map of Whitewater Draw