Camping

 

Dispersed Campging around Sedona

What is Dispersed Camping?

Dispersed camping is essentially free camping on open land, and it comes with its own set of pros and cons. Also known as primitive camping, it is most commonly available on publicly-owned U.S. taxpayer land, also referred to as BLM land (Bureau of Land Management).

You won’t find dispersed camping areas anywhere within national parks, city areas, private property, protected wilderness, etc. Camping at a designated campground, for example, is not dispersed camping. The links below (as well as Google) can tell you where to find said land around each U.S. city area and how to best preserve the land you’re staying on.

What are the advantages? No crowds, no costs, no formal campgrounds, no reservations. Since they are (by definition) located outside populated city limits, dispersed camping areas are almost always exponentially more beautiful, remote and exciting to stay at—you’re actually having the authentic outdoor experience that you came for (imagine that). Talk to any experienced outdoorsman, and they’ll tell you that dispersed camping is the only option they look for on an adventure.

And now, the drawbacks. It’s real outdoor camping. That means zero amenities whatsoever. Restrooms, running water, picnic tables, grills for barbecuing food—you have to bring all of that swag yourself. Yes, you’ll be digging holes in the ground to poop (or finding restrooms in town). You’ll be responsible for your own fire safety and packing out your own trash. Because you’re staying in remote territory, roads in & out aren’t always paved or accessible for low-clearance vehicles. It means that people might not be around in case of emergency, and in the same context, it also often means no cell phone service.

With a great experience comes great responsibility. Know your comfort level in the wilderness and choose wisely. The best campsites I’ve ever stayed at have ALL been on primitive/BLM land. At the same time, for brand new outdoorsmen and women with families, this may not be the best option. If you decide to go and you’re new to this, read and have a copy of the instructions below.

Remember to LEAVE NO TRACE—be respectful of the land, and only bring in what you’re able to pack out.

Resources


Sedona Dispersed Camping Restrictions

You won’t find dispersed camping of any kind within the Sedona city limits. Unfortunately some of the worst wildfires in northern Arizona have been caused by at large campers, forcing the forest service to place heavy restrictions on camping activity.

As a result, many of the approved dispersed camping areas are tricky to find and access, so I’ve included my own go-to resources below along with a summary on finding & evaluating the best campground for your trip.

Sedona Area Dispersed Camping Resources


West of Sedona - Loy Butte Rd. (FR 525)

Summary - The first 6 miles of Loy Butte Rd. (FR525) are available for dispersed camping. This is your closest and most accessible option to town. It’s our recommended camping option for anyone without a high-clearance vehicle.

It’s essentially open desert. We found it very beautiful during the spring. During summer and early fall, it might not be quite as pleasant.

Supposedly a Red Rock Pass is required to camp here. We were unaware, didn’t displaying ours and weren’t hassled for it.

Pros - Accessible by all vehicles, 10 min. from town, beautiful views of the countryside west of Sedona.

Cons - Being a popular camping option for tent campers and RV’s alike, we had to drive at least 4 miles up the road before we found an open campsite on two separate occasions in May. Expect high sun exposure, with the only shade being juniper trees. No water source.

Directions - Heading west from the city limits of downtown Sedona, take Hwy 89A roughly five miles until you reach FR 525, aka Loy Butte Rd. Turn right (north) onto the dirt road—campsites are available at any turnout for the next six miles.

Resources

 
 

North of Sedona - FR 237

Summary - Heavily wooded dispersed campground, just a few minutes north of Oak Creek Vista off Hwy 89A. Consider this as a much less crowded alternative to the Cave Springs and Manzanita campgrounds.

Pros - Higher elevation and shade from the pine trees make it a much cooler (temperature) option than some of the open desert campgrounds around Sedona such as Loy Butte Rd; it’s also not as crowded. Accessible by all vehicles. Some amenities nearby, including restrooms at Oak Creek Vista and public showers at Cave Spring campground.

Cons - Closed during the winter season. A slow 15 mile drive through Oak Creek Canyon means you’re at least a half hour each way from downtown Sedona. No water source.

Directions - From from Oak Creek Canyon Vista, head north roughly two miles on Hwy 89A, and turn right (east) onto Hwy 237. Camping areas are clearly marked by posted signs and begin less than a half-mile from the highway.


 

East of Sedona - Schnebly Hill Vista

Summary - Possibly the best camping locations in Sedona, but there’s a catch….

The high-clearance dirt road up to Schnebly Hill Vista is long, bumpy and slow. Feedback looks consistent across the board. The views from the top make for an absolutely beautiful camping experience…ONCE.

Once you get to the top, the road evens out, continues east and eventually meets up with I-17. So, if you coming from somewhere east of Sedona and have the vehicle clearance, give Schnebly Hill Vista a shot for one night—either on your way in or back out again.

Pros - Excellent campsite views, great place to see the sunset looking directly west over Sedona. Great for privacy, since most people are discouraged by the drive.

Cons - Long, slow drive up a bumpy dirt road. High-clearance (possibly 4WD at times) required to access from the west. Not good for RV’s. No water source.

Directions - North of the Schnebly Hill Vista just off of Schnebly Hill Road. Camping is allowed between Schnebly Hill Vista and I-17. Look for the "Camping Permitted" sign.

Resources

Photo: Courtesy via Lost Sasquatch

Photo: Courtesy via Operation Explorations

 

South of Sedona - Beaverhead Flat Rd.

Summary - Open desert camping area roughly 5 miles south of Sedona off Hwy 179. Similar to Loy Butte Rd. (above) with vast, open layout and easy accessibility.

Pros - Much less crowded than the campsites on Loy Butte Rd. Great location for anyone spending most of their time around the swimming holes, like Fossil Creek and Wet Beaver Creek. Also great for anyone coming up from the south (i.e. Phoenix).

Cons - Rougher dirt road (although still accessible by most vehicles), further from town, high sun exposure and no water source. In my opinion, not as scenic as Loy Butte Rd., and also a little further from town.

Directions - From Hwy 179 north toward Sedona, turn left (west) onto Beaverhead Flat Rd. After roughly two miles, turn (right) north over the cattle guard onto FR 9500A. You’ll find plenty of dispersed campsites there and rarely anyone around to share it with.

Resources

 

Private Campgrounds

Camp Avalon - Spiritual Nature Retreat

Update: Camp Avalon is Temporarily Closed until Further Notice

Summary - Privately owned campground and spiritual retreat on a shaded beautiful creek-side land—possibly your best option if you’re looking for a developed campground in the Sedona area. There’s even a swimming area with a rope swing. :)

The owners are very kind and spiritual—offering classes, reflection rooms and even a small gift shop on the premises.

Pros - People love this place. The land itself is beautiful and located away from the main road. The common areas are clean and well-maintained, and the whole place has a peaceful, spiritual vibe that reflects Sedona’s culture.

Cons - It’s spacious, but still popular and crowded on the weekends at times. It’s also very quiet and peaceful, so if you have kids or you’re a young person who likes to hang out and socialize at night, this might not be the best place for you. Likewise, if you’re not into Sedona’s spiritual culture, I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

Directions - Just 5-10 minutes southwest of downtown Sedona. Set directions to: 91 Loy Ln, Sedona, AZ 86336

Resources

 
 

Developed National Forest Campgrounds

There are seven Red Rock Country campgrounds managed by the Coconino National Forest Service. I’ve highlighted the top picks below. For a list of ALL reservable campgrounds in the Coconino National Forest area around Sedona, check out Recreation.gov.

Oak Creek Canyon - North of Sedona

Photo: Manzanita campground is the best designated campground in the Sedona area, but is often full. Your best bet is to arrive early for any first come, first serve openings.

Manzanita Campground - If developed campgrounds are a must for you, this small 19-site campground is probably your best bet in the Sedona area. Located off Hwy 89A in Oak Creek Canyon, it’s located along a beautiful shaded stream, but it’s also right next to the highway. It won’t feel like true camping, but it does have bathrooms, picnic tables, running water, and public showers nearby at Cave Springs.

Manzanita is open year-around for tent camping only. It’s first come, first serve and popular, so you’ll want to get there early in the morning for any campsite openings. I’d also recommend having a backup option in case it fills up. The campsites along the stream are excellent. Try and get campsite 11—it is closest to the stream and only has a neighbor on one side.

Cave Spring Campground- Looks cool from the highway, but I found it to be way too crowded once I took a lap around the campground. They had a few open spots when I used the shower, and I opted out for the dispersed camping area north of Oak Creek instead.

Tent camping and RV’s both welcome. They do take reservations in advance (link below), so your chances of getting a spot are higher than some of the other small campgrounds located nearby.

Pine Flat Campground - Another alternative to Manzanita and Cave Spring in Oak Creek Canyon, and perhaps the most scenic of the three. Pink Flat has 59 campsites, accepts advance reservations and is open to both tent camping and RV’s. On the downside, it’s right along the highway and the furthest away from downtown Sedona.

 

Clear Creek - South of Sedona

A small 18-site campground east of Camp Verde. Definitely wouldn’t be my first choice, but certainly convenient if you’re looking to stay south of Sedona and require amenity camping. Reservations for the group sites only.

Resources

As a final resort, we’ve included some additional developed camping resources for the Sedona area below.

 

Glamping

Tiny Houses

For $99 a Night - The Sedona area had a number of tiny house AirBnb options available. We stayed here one night to freshen up after a backpacking trip and really liked it. For $99, it’s a much better alternative than most hotel options at the same price.

Photo: Courtesy via AirBnb

For $180-190 a Night - Double your price, and you can get a really luxury pimped out tiny house with private salt water hot tubs and stargazing decks.

Photo: Courtesy via TinyHouseBlog

 

Sedona’s Harmony House Hostel/Homestay

The Harmony House is the best low budget option in Sedona if you’re simply looking for a shower, a good night’s rest and a place to do laundry. We stayed here on a whim one night, because we had just finished up with a backpacking trip and a big thunderstorm was on its way in.

For $65 a night, you can’t beat it.

Photos: Courtesy via Harmony House Homestay

 

Resources in Town

Public Showers

Cave Springs - There are literally just two places for public showers in the town of Sedona. The best one is at the Cave Springs campground in Oak Creek. Showers are available to anyone, including non-campers. The units themselves take tokens, not coins, which must be acquired from the camp host. As a result, I’d recommend going only during hours where you’d be likely to locate him.

The Community Pool - I was so relieved when I found out the local community pool offered public showers for $3. However, know the quality of the facility is basically on par with that of a prison shower.

The showering area consists of three shower heads in a single open room without any privacy barriers. It’s the first main room you walk into when entering the locker room—so essentially it’s a spot to rinse off before & after using the pool, which they allow the general public to use as long as they don’t mind the lack of privacy. Personally, I didn’t mind it—it wasn’t crowded. I just wouldn’t recommend using it on the weekends.

 
 

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