I think I will have to cheat a little hear and go back to before I started this bucket list. I have camped at a lot of places in my life. I hope I far exceed 50 locations before I die!
1. White Tank Mountains Camp Ground (Glendale/Surprise, AZ) Various times and seasons. Score 2/5. Mostly for scouting events or church family campouts. It is very closet (20 minutes) from our house and way too easy to run home to get something you forgot. Think Sahara Desert...don't expect many trees and never never never camp during the summer.
2. Powell Springs Camp Ground (Cherry, AZ) Mid-September, 2014. Score 3/5. Jason Tanner and his daughter Brynna drove up with us for another Daddy-Daughter Campout. We got there late and left early, but the trip was worth it. 90 minutes from our house, mostly paved roads, but very easy with any car. The grove of Pine trees is an oasis in an otherwise brush covered landscape. It has vault RR's, nice camp sites with shade. There is a VERY small spring, more like a leaky water hose.
3. Blue Ridge Reservoir (near Happy Jack, AZ) Fall, 2013. Score 3.5/5. Water always earns extra points. I was with a group of teenage girls at a church summer girls' camp. We dry camped just outside the lake property boundary, then drove to the lake to do canoeing. The boat ramp was a little scary, but I think it has been rebuilt since then. Being on top of the Rim means the temps are cooler, lots of pines, and afternoon storms. The lake is narrow, steep, deep...and cold (in case you happen to fall out of your canoe...hmmm.)
4. Chevlon Lake (Mogollon Rim above Payson (but back in a ways). Mid-September, 2013. Score 3.5/5. My daughter and I camped here for a Daddy-Daughter church campout. We had an amazing dinner of carne asada fries with meet from the Uruapan Carniceria in El Mirage, Az, and home slides potatoes deep fried. About 1/2 a mile walking above the lake, the campground is small but has a vaulted RR, established campsites, and a mix of pines and oaks. We got a little traffic on Saturday with people trying to get to the lake. There is no vehicle access to the lake.
5. Lynx Lake (Prescott, AZ). Spring, 2008. Score 3.5/5. I took my kids camping here for a school holiday. We ended up in the middle of a lightning storm that about sent us into the afterlife. Rain leaked through the tent and puddled around the kids...it was great! The campsite was very nicely prepared for campers. The walk to the lake was only about 50 yards. UPDATE: 8/2014 - the water level at the lake has receded so low that the lake has lost a lot of its appeal.
6. Manzanita Campground (Oak Creek, Sedona, AZ). Various times. Score 4/5. The campground is within yards of Oak Creek and within walking distance from Slide Rock at Oak Creek. This campground fills up early every weekend, so either get there early Thursday or try to get reservations. Perfect temps.
7. Pine Flat Campground (Oak Creek, AZ). Various times. Score 4.5/5. This site is located at the upper end of Oak Creek Canyon, just before heading up the hill to Flagstaff. The creek flows right past the campsites. Lots of pine trees. Great amenities for the family. There are beautiful walking trails along the creek. I have been here with scout troops and family multiple times. Like all campsites along Oak Creek, this one fills up fast. Highway noise can be bothersome. There is overflow camping across the highway, away from the creek.
8. Al Fulton Point (Mogollon Rim, AZ) Spring, 2009. Score 4/5. This is not an established campground but is one of my favorite places ever. You are right on the edge of the Rim, overlooking thousands of square miles of pine-covered landscape. The road in can be a little rough, but it is only about 1/2 mile from the 260 between Payson and Heber. Can't wait to get back to this one.
9. Woods Canyon Lake (Payson-ish, AZ) Spring, 2008. Score 3.5/5. There are tons of campgrounds around Woods Canyon Lake...and they all fill up fast. The lake is also extremely popular. There is a nice store, a boat dock, boat rentals, and lots of people. The last fish I caught was from the shore on this lake. I had a great time with my son, Tyler, taking a rented fish boat up and down this long lake.
10. R-C (Payson/Heber, AZ) Fall, 2011. Score 3/5. (5/5 for the experience) In my involvement with the Boy Scouts of America, I took the opportunity to attend Woodbadge training held here. I actually camped at this same location several summers when I was a youth boy scout. Great memories swimming at Box Canyon!
11. Heard Pueblo (Phoenix, AZ) Spring 2013. Score 2.5/5 (5/5 for the experience) Another round of Woodbadge, but this time I was serving on staff. Great views of Phoenix from South Mountain. Yes, it gets cold in the desert!
12. Mogollon Rim (Payson, AZ) Spring 2014. Score 2.5/5. We tried to get to a spot right on the edge of the rim, but the road was closed for the winter. So in the dark night three trucks with boy scouts found a random forest road on the road to Young that turned out to be a great spot. I'm not sure I could ever find that spot again if I tried. We went to the Tonto Natural Bridge the next day, but due to higher water level no one was allow to cross under the bridge.
13. Mountainair (Near Munds Park, AZ) Spring 2012. Score 2.5/5 I have camped there three times with the church as a family campout and a couple of father and son campouts. It is very easy to access off I-17, but you can still hear traffic on the highway which is just over a small ridge.
14. Horton Springs (Near Christopher Creek, AZ) June, 2016. Score 3.5/5. We took the scouts on a four mile hike (3 miles in the dark) up this 1000 foot climb. The trail is very heavily used as it skirts Horton Creek. The campsite is just a clearing in the trees near the spring. The water from the spring is amazing!!! First time I camped in a hammock, about the 3rd time camping at this spot.
15. US 180 (Near Snowbowl, Flagstaff, AZ) Winter 2015. Score 2.5/5. (4/5 for the experiences) I've camped on this road about 4 times with scouts over the years. This was another winter scout campout, another late arrival and set-up after dark, so we again pulled off the road and camped as far away as we could drive (not far). The kids had a great time playing in the snow, but by the next morning the crowds were gathering on the other side of the road for a small sledding hill.
16. US Navy Observatory (Flagstaff, AZ) February 2016. Score 2.5/5. (4/5 for the experience) Annual scout snow campout took us to the hills above Lake Mary. We arrived after dark and after getting one of the trucks unstuck from a big mud hole, we had a nice chilly night on snow under the stars. The next morning the place came alive with cross-country skiiers heading out from the trail head where we had randomly stopped to camp.
17. Hobson's Ranch (Prescott Forest, AZ) Summer 2013. Score 2.5/5. After a very long drive on a dirt road out of Mayer, AZ, down S. Senator Highway (more dirt road) we landed at an old cabin for a scout campout. Saturday we took a long hike and circled back to the cabin. I blew a huge 6 inch hole in my truck tire on that road!
18. Near Happy Jack (Hwy 87, Mogollon Rim, AZ) May 2013. Score 2.5/5. Two years in a row we had a ward Father and Son's outing at this spot. It is very isolated and is up in some nice pines. Not a lot of recreation other than solitude.
19. Moqui Campgrown (Hwy 87, AZ, Near Happy Jack) June 2012. Score 3.5/5. I spent a week at this group campground with the stake scout camp - back when stake did that. I was a merit badge counselor. We took a drive to Blue Ridge Reservoir for some cool swimming and zip-line.
20. McDonald's Parking Lot (Kanab, UT) April 2019. Score 1/5. No hotels left. It midnight. Too tired to keep driving. So Suzanne and I drove to the back parking lot and found 6 semi's parked for the night. So we joined them and slept in the cab of the truck. It was not a good night's sleep!
1. White Tank Mountains Camp Ground (Glendale/Surprise, AZ) Various times and seasons. Score 2/5. Mostly for scouting events or church family campouts. It is very closet (20 minutes) from our house and way too easy to run home to get something you forgot. Think Sahara Desert...don't expect many trees and never never never camp during the summer.
2. Powell Springs Camp Ground (Cherry, AZ) Mid-September, 2014. Score 3/5. Jason Tanner and his daughter Brynna drove up with us for another Daddy-Daughter Campout. We got there late and left early, but the trip was worth it. 90 minutes from our house, mostly paved roads, but very easy with any car. The grove of Pine trees is an oasis in an otherwise brush covered landscape. It has vault RR's, nice camp sites with shade. There is a VERY small spring, more like a leaky water hose.
3. Blue Ridge Reservoir (near Happy Jack, AZ) Fall, 2013. Score 3.5/5. Water always earns extra points. I was with a group of teenage girls at a church summer girls' camp. We dry camped just outside the lake property boundary, then drove to the lake to do canoeing. The boat ramp was a little scary, but I think it has been rebuilt since then. Being on top of the Rim means the temps are cooler, lots of pines, and afternoon storms. The lake is narrow, steep, deep...and cold (in case you happen to fall out of your canoe...hmmm.)
4. Chevlon Lake (Mogollon Rim above Payson (but back in a ways). Mid-September, 2013. Score 3.5/5. My daughter and I camped here for a Daddy-Daughter church campout. We had an amazing dinner of carne asada fries with meet from the Uruapan Carniceria in El Mirage, Az, and home slides potatoes deep fried. About 1/2 a mile walking above the lake, the campground is small but has a vaulted RR, established campsites, and a mix of pines and oaks. We got a little traffic on Saturday with people trying to get to the lake. There is no vehicle access to the lake.
5. Lynx Lake (Prescott, AZ). Spring, 2008. Score 3.5/5. I took my kids camping here for a school holiday. We ended up in the middle of a lightning storm that about sent us into the afterlife. Rain leaked through the tent and puddled around the kids...it was great! The campsite was very nicely prepared for campers. The walk to the lake was only about 50 yards. UPDATE: 8/2014 - the water level at the lake has receded so low that the lake has lost a lot of its appeal.
6. Manzanita Campground (Oak Creek, Sedona, AZ). Various times. Score 4/5. The campground is within yards of Oak Creek and within walking distance from Slide Rock at Oak Creek. This campground fills up early every weekend, so either get there early Thursday or try to get reservations. Perfect temps.
7. Pine Flat Campground (Oak Creek, AZ). Various times. Score 4.5/5. This site is located at the upper end of Oak Creek Canyon, just before heading up the hill to Flagstaff. The creek flows right past the campsites. Lots of pine trees. Great amenities for the family. There are beautiful walking trails along the creek. I have been here with scout troops and family multiple times. Like all campsites along Oak Creek, this one fills up fast. Highway noise can be bothersome. There is overflow camping across the highway, away from the creek.
8. Al Fulton Point (Mogollon Rim, AZ) Spring, 2009. Score 4/5. This is not an established campground but is one of my favorite places ever. You are right on the edge of the Rim, overlooking thousands of square miles of pine-covered landscape. The road in can be a little rough, but it is only about 1/2 mile from the 260 between Payson and Heber. Can't wait to get back to this one.
9. Woods Canyon Lake (Payson-ish, AZ) Spring, 2008. Score 3.5/5. There are tons of campgrounds around Woods Canyon Lake...and they all fill up fast. The lake is also extremely popular. There is a nice store, a boat dock, boat rentals, and lots of people. The last fish I caught was from the shore on this lake. I had a great time with my son, Tyler, taking a rented fish boat up and down this long lake.
10. R-C (Payson/Heber, AZ) Fall, 2011. Score 3/5. (5/5 for the experience) In my involvement with the Boy Scouts of America, I took the opportunity to attend Woodbadge training held here. I actually camped at this same location several summers when I was a youth boy scout. Great memories swimming at Box Canyon!
11. Heard Pueblo (Phoenix, AZ) Spring 2013. Score 2.5/5 (5/5 for the experience) Another round of Woodbadge, but this time I was serving on staff. Great views of Phoenix from South Mountain. Yes, it gets cold in the desert!
12. Mogollon Rim (Payson, AZ) Spring 2014. Score 2.5/5. We tried to get to a spot right on the edge of the rim, but the road was closed for the winter. So in the dark night three trucks with boy scouts found a random forest road on the road to Young that turned out to be a great spot. I'm not sure I could ever find that spot again if I tried. We went to the Tonto Natural Bridge the next day, but due to higher water level no one was allow to cross under the bridge.
13. Mountainair (Near Munds Park, AZ) Spring 2012. Score 2.5/5 I have camped there three times with the church as a family campout and a couple of father and son campouts. It is very easy to access off I-17, but you can still hear traffic on the highway which is just over a small ridge.
14. Horton Springs (Near Christopher Creek, AZ) June, 2016. Score 3.5/5. We took the scouts on a four mile hike (3 miles in the dark) up this 1000 foot climb. The trail is very heavily used as it skirts Horton Creek. The campsite is just a clearing in the trees near the spring. The water from the spring is amazing!!! First time I camped in a hammock, about the 3rd time camping at this spot.
15. US 180 (Near Snowbowl, Flagstaff, AZ) Winter 2015. Score 2.5/5. (4/5 for the experiences) I've camped on this road about 4 times with scouts over the years. This was another winter scout campout, another late arrival and set-up after dark, so we again pulled off the road and camped as far away as we could drive (not far). The kids had a great time playing in the snow, but by the next morning the crowds were gathering on the other side of the road for a small sledding hill.
16. US Navy Observatory (Flagstaff, AZ) February 2016. Score 2.5/5. (4/5 for the experience) Annual scout snow campout took us to the hills above Lake Mary. We arrived after dark and after getting one of the trucks unstuck from a big mud hole, we had a nice chilly night on snow under the stars. The next morning the place came alive with cross-country skiiers heading out from the trail head where we had randomly stopped to camp.
17. Hobson's Ranch (Prescott Forest, AZ) Summer 2013. Score 2.5/5. After a very long drive on a dirt road out of Mayer, AZ, down S. Senator Highway (more dirt road) we landed at an old cabin for a scout campout. Saturday we took a long hike and circled back to the cabin. I blew a huge 6 inch hole in my truck tire on that road!
18. Near Happy Jack (Hwy 87, Mogollon Rim, AZ) May 2013. Score 2.5/5. Two years in a row we had a ward Father and Son's outing at this spot. It is very isolated and is up in some nice pines. Not a lot of recreation other than solitude.
19. Moqui Campgrown (Hwy 87, AZ, Near Happy Jack) June 2012. Score 3.5/5. I spent a week at this group campground with the stake scout camp - back when stake did that. I was a merit badge counselor. We took a drive to Blue Ridge Reservoir for some cool swimming and zip-line.
20. McDonald's Parking Lot (Kanab, UT) April 2019. Score 1/5. No hotels left. It midnight. Too tired to keep driving. So Suzanne and I drove to the back parking lot and found 6 semi's parked for the night. So we joined them and slept in the cab of the truck. It was not a good night's sleep!
21. Wendy's Parking Lot (Kanab, UT) July 2018. Score 2/5. I was driving alone and saw no reason to spend money on a hotel when I could sleep just fine in the truck. I did. There were about 5 other vehicles back there too.
22. Verde River RV Resort (Camp Verde, AZ) January 2021. Score 5/5. Suzanne and I took out the camper trailer for a quick overnighter. I would recommend this place...next to the Verde River...one of the only "rivers" that still flows year round in Arizona. They have a heated pool, club house, full hook-ups, a food truck on Saturday afternoon...$65 was worth it. We wished we could have stayed longer.
23. Spanish Fork RV Park (Spanish Fork, UT) October 2020. Score 4/5. Our son, Daniel, his wife Taylor, and baby Lila, were moving into their new house in Spanish Fork, so Suzanne and I thought it would be a good idea to haul the camper trailer up there from Arizona. This park is really just a parking lot with water and electric hook-ups and a common dump station. It was all we needed since we spent the days helping Daniel move, and only stayed in the trailer at night. Not bad for $15/night.
24. Grand Plateau RV Resort (Kanab, UT) November 2020. Score 5/5. Same trip as #23 above. We only stayed here overnight, but 200% different experience than sleeping in the truck in the back of McDonald's parking lot. We really didn't have time to play, but the place was nice. We got there early enough to meet up with my sister Quenta and her daughter Brookie's family for dinner.
25. Mingus Mountain Campground (Mingus, AZ) January 2009(?). Score 2.5/5. Annual snow campout. The scout troop had a little more fun on this outing because we had an ATV and some big inner tubes. The snow was deeper than the height of a picnic table (which we discovered when we built a fire on top of the snow and it melted down exposing the edge of a random concrete picnic table. Right on the rim of the mountain, there are extraordinary views. I also camped here as a youth.
26. St. Joseph's Youth Camp (Mormon Lake, AZ) June 2019. Score 3/5. This is a small church camp with cabins, a dining hall, and lots of room for games. Our stake hosted 2 1/5 days for the young men, then 2 1/5 days for the young women. Each was a great experience for the adults and the youth.
27. Mingus Mountain Playground Campground (Mingus, AZ) September 2019. Score 2.5/5. This is the same mountain as #25, but a few miles from the rim of the mountain. The Gateway Park Ward annual family campout camped here for the 2nd (3rd?) year in a row. On Saturday we did the annual service project at the nearby Camp United Methodist where several high school marching bands hold their annual summer camps.
28. Bloody Basin (about 25 miles on a dirt road east of Cordes Lakes, AZ) Score 4/5. As a youth my father, Raymond Kellis, took me deer hunting every October. Some years it was bitterly cold. Other years it was too hot. Every years was an amazing three days with my dad who was the camp chef, chief story teller, and excellent marksman.
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