Camping & Hotels | Arizona:
Updated: Mar 16
It can be frustrating when you go somewhere new and you have no idea where you want to stay. Are you camping? Do you have a campground reserved? Are you dispersed camping? Do you know where to go before things fill up? We want to help you cut out some of the hassle. Here are the places that we went, how we got there & how much it cost.
Campgrounds
There are two sides at The Grand Canyon - South Rim & North Rim. While the north rim is less crowded and beyond beautiful - the south rim has more of the "action". Mather Campground was perfect for putting us right in the middle of it all. Even though there are a lot of sites, they are spread out enough that it feels like you have more privacy than not. There is a good chance you will also be greeted by the local Elk. The spots do not have water or electrical hook ups! When you first enter into the campground there is a building that has coin operated showers & laundry. Shower at your own risk, I did shower with a baby turd. Gotta do what ya gotta do.
Our favorite part of this campground was that we didn't have to move the bus if we didn't want to! There is a trail that runs through the campgrounds to the visitor center, the Grand Canyon & the Village. Bring your bikes or put on your walking shoes!
Price: $18/night
Closest Town: Williams, AZ
GPS Coordinates: 36.049922, -112.120389
This is a great campground if you are headed to see Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. They have a few loops: tent only, rv spots with no hookups, & rv spots WITH hookups. The price varies greatly depending on which you decide to go with. The best part of this campground? You have a BEAUTIFUL view of Lake Powell.
They have a laundry facility, coin operated showers (much cleaner than The Grand Canyon) and a sink to do dishes in! They also have restrooms at each of the loops that are very clean. There is something about a clean bathroom that just really makes or breaks a place.
While the spot we stayed at didn't have hookups, you CAN run a generator when it isn't quiet hours!
Price: $30-$80/night
Closest Town: Page, AZ
GPS Coordinates: 36.996915, -111.499193
Side note: This is a more expensive spot, BUT we were not able to find any dispersed camping around the area. Once we left, there were a couple spots leaving the area that we felt we may have been able to boondock but don't hold us to that! If you want to check it out, 36.938161, -111.496130.
Our favorite campground in Northern Arizona! This was a great spot just outside of Sedona (30 minute drive with no traffic) at the Dead Horse Ranch State Park. We absolutely loved staying here and stayed for two nights. They have spots that have hookups and some that don't. We opted for the spot that didn't to save some money, BUT you may not run generators here.
Everyone who was at the campground was extremely friendly, the area was quiet and peaceful. It felt like we were on vacation! The bathrooms were very clean and they had free hot showers! The campground also has access to trails that will take you to the Tuzigoot National Monument.
Price: $20-$30/night
Closest Town: Cottonwood, AZ
GPS Coordinates: 34.752595, -112.020626
Dispersed Camping
First things, first: LEAVE IT BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT! I know this should go without saying, but unfortunately every time we camp we find other people's trash. The fact that we have places to disperse camp is such an amazing thing, but it only takes a few too many people not packing out for the privilege to be lost.
There are so many more spots than the ones we stayed at but part of the fun is discovering them for yourself. Here are some that we found:
Flagstaff Area:
Spot 1: (35.3647959, -111.5836179)
This spot is across the street from Sunset Crater Volcano & there really weren’t too many cars that drove by from the spot we stayed at! There are plenty of spots in this area; it just depends on your rig & what you are looking for. There were a couple roads that we turned around at because it started to get a bit too bumpy.
Spot 2: (35.2943512, -111.6941809)
Act like you are going to the Snowbowl but then don’t! Take the first road you see on your right and you will have tons of dispersed camping! (I believe this area is protected and so you can't have fires back here!) When you are taking this road out of Flagstaff on your way to Snowbowl you will see a BUNCH of dispersed camping to the right but it is going to be PACKED - there is a trailhead there so tons of people go to that spot - not to mention it is closer to Flagstaff. Just be patient and keep driving! You’re likely to have the place to yourself and even if some do join, the closest spots aren’t that close.
Sedona Area:
Spot 1: (Forest Service Road 525)
This oh so popular spot is off of forest service road 525. This is the closest free spot to Sedona that we had found in our research. This also means that a lot of other people have found this information as well. Every pull out is full of RV’s/tents/vans/buses and there is little to no privacy. It is also a heavily trafficked road for ATV riders. That being said, if we had a trailer we both agreed it would be a good spot to leave the trailer and then drive into town because it is SO close. In the morning it is a perfect spot to see a bunch of hot air balloons because it seems to be the area where they end their ride (watch out though, people on the freeway are watching them too and are not always paying attention!)
Spot 2: (34°41’01.2” N 111°43’35.1” W)
We stumbled upon this gem of a spot and we loved it! We had a perfect big little pull out with a view over the valley. There were a few other people dispersed camping nearby, but it was by no means crowded. This spot was also great because we could leave the bus and walk to the Bell Trail. (Warning: if you keep driving down this road it does close & the only other option is to the left down a somewhat steep drop - may be fine for you, we didn’t want to risk it with the bus)
Spot 3: (34.664054, -111.727820)
Another dispersed spot that isn’t near anybody, but the road is traveled more than the one above. It didn’t bother us! We only stayed here for one night because we didn’t have great service out here and we needed to get work done. It did feel like a little oasis though the way we were surrounded by trees and cacti.
Outside of Prescott:
Spot 1: (34.41'41.7"N, 112.08'39.3"W)
We got to this spot via the road from Jerome and it was a beautiful drive! It was a perfect location and there are a few dispersed spots (about 10) near this one. The road does get bumpy if you keep driving down the road. There was not a lot of drive by traffic while we were there for the night which was great! There is also a trail you can get to but we did not explore that this time!
Hotels
Honestly we stayed here because we hadn't stayed in a hotel in over 6 months and we just wanted to. We used our Chase Sapphire travel points to score it and we loved how central it was to downtown Flagstaff. We didn't explore or anything because we wanted to soak up the hotel. That being said, they are pet friendly, there is a hot tub & a sauna!
This hotel was SO cute and we are so happy we stumbled upon it. It feels like you are taking a step back in time. As you arrive you receive a free drink token that you can take back to your patio. That’s right, every room has a private patio! Each room is completely different and has its own carport. And you know what comes in the car port?! You’re own tandem bike! If you are in a bigger vehicle like us, they also have parking on the side of the motel. They have two communal fire pits that are lit until 9pm. It really felt like an old school apartment complex!
It was a short distance to the famous Whiskey Row - we walked and also took the tandem. We went in the daytime and nighttime and never felt unsafe.
(NOTE: They are not pet friendly, this was a collaboration stay and there was a misunderstanding regarding us having pets! If you don’t have your animals with you though, great stay!)