Located in north-central Arizona at the edge of the Colorado Plateau, Coconino National Forest encompasses 1.8 million acres of mountainous terrain ranging from desert to ponderosa pine forest. This diversity leads to exciting biological and geological diversity as well, including mixed conifer forests, ancient volcanoes, and mysterious sinkholes. Popular activities include birding, scenic driving, camping, and hiking.
This area of Arizona has many great campgrounds and outdoor activities to enjoy. Some things to do are hiking, camping, biking, and fishing. Three different areas to explore are Upper Lake Mary, Mormon Lake, and Lower Lake Mary. These areas have many great campgrounds and recreation sites for visitors to use during their stay in Coconino National Forest Recreation.
Coronado National Forest is located south of Tucson and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The Santa Rita Mountains are just one of 5 ranger districts that make up Coronado National Forest and are located in Pima County. Sierra Vista Ranger District is another of the five districts and is the gateway to Coronado National Forest, making it a great starting point for your camping trip!
You can explore natural caves and climb the nearby mountains at this location, but be sure to check out Cave Creek Canyon before you leave! Arizona houses many rare species of plants, animals, birds, and reptiles. You’ll find these species on display at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum or Saguaro National Park West.
There are two ways to visit the Grand Canyon, National Park. The South Rim is open year-round and has more campground options to choose from. It’s also home to some of the park’s iconic landmarks like Bright Angel Trail, Yavapai Point, and Mather Point.
The North Rim is closed during winter months due to snowfall but offers a quieter, more secluded experience with similar views and trails. These include the Widforss Trail, Cape Royal Road and North Kaibab Trail.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is the perfect spot for you to get away, enjoy yourself, and relax.
This park is located at the junction of the states of Nevada and Arizona. This area consists of two large lakes; Lake Mead and Lake Mohave.
There are many different places you can camp within this national recreation area, which can be a challenge if you have not been here before. There are also places to hike, swim, fish and picnic as well.
Lake Mead offers breathtaking views from practically everywhere in the park. The camping sites are easy to find and clean up after yourselves if you happen upon a messy site when arriving to set up camp, it does not take long for the rangers to clean it up for your use, as they keep a close eye on things around here!
Take advantage of the excellent weather to go hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and swimming.
Tonto National Monument is located in the Tonto Basin Ranger District. The Campground is open from April through October. With a backdrop of the majestic Superstition Mountains, the campground offers 21 sites with picnic tables and grills. There are no hookups or showers but there is drinking water and flush toilets available.
Apache Lake Marina & Resort offers camping on the shores of Apache Lake in a scenic setting. The campground has 65 campsites with full hookups for RVs as well as tent sites with water and electricity nearby. There are shower facilities at both ends of the campground plus laundry facilities and WiFi available at the resort office which you can use while enjoying a meal at their restaurant overlooking the lake. Apache Lake Marina & Resort also offers boat rentals so you can enjoy fishing or exploring this beautiful area on its 20 miles of shoreline.
The Tonto National Forest Recreation provides another option for camping near Mesa Arizona in their Tortilla Campground located just north of Apache Junction in Gold Canyon along Highway 88 known as Apache Trail Scenic Drive. This facility sits on top of one of many peaks surrounding Superstition Mountain providing spectacular views day or night from its 31 tent-only sites each with picnic tables and barbecue grills plus three vault toilets, trash receptacles, and drinking water conveniently located throughout this well-maintained site that operates on a first come first served basis year-round for your enjoyment!
The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument was occupied by the Hohokam people around 1200 AD. It is a pre-Columbian Hohokam village and trading center. Located in Coolidge, Arizona, it is also known as “Big House”. The four-story structure takes up about 3 acres and has walls that are 5 feet (1.5 m) thick. It is the largest of the Hohokam structures, but it is not known for certain what its purpose was.
One theory is that it was used for irrigation control and religious ceremonies. Another theory is that it served as a gathering place for trade with other Native American groups from far away like the Puebloans to the north and east, or maybe even from Mexico to the south–there were goods traded between all of these groups at various times in history. During excavations at this site in 1911, two skeletons were found under one of its rooms which may point to its being some sort of burial or shrine site because the human sacrifice was practiced by many ancient cultures
Another possibility is that it served as a fortress to protect against attack by other tribes during times when they fought over land or water rights (which happened fairly often).
If you are planning a trip to Arizona and want to enjoy the great outdoors, there are many places in Arizona that would be perfect for camping. If you want to experience the beauty of Arizona while enjoying the wide-open spaces, there is no better way than camping. There is plenty of space outdoors in Arizona and it is great for people who love nature and enjoy being in one with nature.
