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moving to arizona (tucson) in about a month...
we love to camp (& all that goes w/it, hiking, fishing, etc), & i want to know about some good spots in the area (not just tucson area, the whole region)...
anyone been to any?
moving to arizona (tucson) in about a month...
we love to camp (& all that goes w/it, hiking, fishing, etc), & i want to know about some good spots in the area (not just tucson area, the whole region)...
anyone been to any?
Well, the southwest is a huge area, and offers countless camping opportunities. There is such a variety of camping opportunities, I can't imagine you would ever grow tired of exploring them. For instance, you have numerous National Forests in Arizona and the surrounding states, a whole host of nearby National Parks (Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Rocky Mountain, Canyonlands, Joshua Tree, Petrified Forest, etc.), and countless acres of other public lands (BLM, state, etc.) nearby, not to mention lots of nearby tribal lands that also offer camping opportunities. You have alpine forests, desert lowlands, and everything in between within just a short distance of Tucson.
For starters, lets check out some of the areas that are close to Tucson, where there is a lot of nearby camping. Check out the Coronado and Apache National Forests and the Chiricahua National Monument. These are some of the areas closest to Tucson to enjoy, but are by far, not the only places I'd recommend. I've visited very few of these areas, but have talked to others that have visited and enjoyed them. Here are some links to get you started:
The Central and Northern parts of Arizona (Tonto, Coconino, and Kaibab National Forests) offer a multitude of opportunities as well, as do the states of Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, just to name a few that are next to Arizona.
Arizona has just about every type of camping opportunity available. From the Mountains near Flagstaff, to the deserts of the Colorado River valley, there are great possiblilties.
As mentioned already, Arizona has several National Forests, and you can get info on the rest of them not mentioned already at Arizona US National Forest Service website.
Arizona has a lot of state owned land available for recreation use from motorized to remote area camping. An inexpensive pass is requried and you can get information about it at Arizona Recreation Permit Info
BLM is major land manager in Arizona as well. The state is divided up into districts and are managed by various Field Offices. BLM offers almost unlimited "dispersed camping", and a few developed campgrounds. BLM sites are often underused as they are off the beaten path in many locations. Here is the Arizona BLM website.
There are some great remote camping opportunities at National Wildlife Areas! US Fish and Wildlife Service has some great camping locations available in Arizona. Here is the Arizona US Fish & Wildlife website (http://www.fws.gov/southwest/arizona.html - broken link).
The same is true for state wildlife areas when it comes to camping. Not all wildlife areas permit camping, but you can find the ones that do on the Arizona State Wildlife webside. Search the term camping on that site.
How about camping on the rim of the Grand Canyon. There are some places on the north rim WAY off the beaten path that offer tremendous rewards for the person that wants to explore. Both National Park Service and BLM managed lands mentioned above have possibilities.
These are just some of the resources available to help you find places on your own. For specific recommendations with maps and directions try Arizona RV Camping.
Northern ARizona's got nice mountains and the Grand Canyon area.
Of course once you get outside Arizona into neighborhood states, the camping opportunities abound.
moving to arizona (tucson) in about a month...
we love to camp (& all that goes w/it, hiking, fishing, etc), & i want to know about some good spots in the area (not just tucson area, the whole region)...
anyone been to any?
Everything would depend on your direction of travel, where are you leaving from?
My favorite is Flagstaff AZ where we always stay at Woodys Mountian RV park. Flagstaff might hit 72 degrees when the rest of southern AZ is 115 degrees. What a great little college town way way way up on top of the mountian pass with cafes and coffee shops. The Elk are all over the place. What an awesome massive animal.
Whatever you do...do not stay at Black Barts RV. Dont even think about it.
I would not camp in Tucson in the summer when temps are in the mid 120s. But perhaps my favorite animal collection (this is not a zoo) is the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. The people are in cages and the animals run wild which is the opposite of a zoo. This awesome place is in the heart of Tuson and the star of the town. Dont miss it.
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Everything Except The Ocean
