RODEO GROUNDS CG, Wickenburg, AZ

RODEO GROUND CAMPGROUND

RUN BY:   City of Wickenburg

LOCATION:  Wickenburg, AZ 

Last Visited: 3/30/2018

UTILITIES:  NONE

COST:  $8

DISCOUNTS:  N/A 

OUR RATING (1-5): I – score 4

NOTES:  Some city campgrounds are hidden treasures, and this is one. The campground is just across the road from the rodeo grounds, so this place is filled when there is an event going on. Wickenburg is the home office of the US Senior Rodeo Association, so this is a cowboy, rodeo town. The campground sits on the side of a hill looking down over the town. Very pleasant place to stay.

Environment:  Desert

Amenities:  None

Dump:  At Fast Mart – 1115 W Wickenburg Way

Public Water:  Yes

Toilets: Yes

Showers:  No

Laundry:  No 

Phone Service: 4G3 (Verizon)

Nearest Propane: Fast Mart – 76 Station.  1115 W Wickenburg Way 

Location:  On E Wickenburg Way (US-60 east) El Recreo Dr turns north.  El Recreo merges with Constellation Rd a short distance up.  Continue on to the Campground across the road from the Rodeo Grounds. 

Proximity to shopping: On the edge of town. Everything you need.

Camping Population:   Most of us were from out-of-state. Going to be lots of cowboys if you would happen to get a site during an event across the road. 

Sites:  Roomy and most seem fairly level or easy to level. 

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RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service 

* There are people who are not full-timers and van-dwellers by choice. We try hard not to be demeaning or assume that they are bad people but sadly, as you find in the poorer parts of a city, there seems to be more crime. Many call these people van-dwellers. That isn’t really accurate even though they do often live in vans. We know quite a few van-dwellers who have good incomes, are full-timers by choice and prefer a van to other types of vehicles. To try to show some respect for people who have a difficult lot in life, I’m calling them ‘residential campers’.  It is only when you get a high proportion of residential campers in an area that you find an increase in petty theft, etc.  

WINDY HILL CG, Roosevelt Lake, AZ

WINDY HILL CAMPGROUND,  
Roosevelt Lake, AZ

RUN BY:   National Park Service

LOCATION:   32.793828 -109.592354

Last Visited:  3/15/2018

UTILITIES:  NONE  (there are pole-power sites available)

COST: 

DISCOUNTS:  50% for senior pass

OUR RATING (1-5):

NOTES:  Roosevelt Lake is in the middle of Tonto National Forest.  The campground is rather typical of a large national park campground. The sites were nice and we had a view of the lake.  The best part of this spot is what is around you. Tonto National Monument is nearby. We were fortunate enough to visit on Heritage Day weekend so the trail to the cliff dwellings was open. Otherwise you have to sign up for a guided trip, and they are limited.  The drive across the mountains to Apache Jct on  State Rte 88 is beautiful but not for the faint of heart. It is dirt and often barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass. If you’re on the outside you have a looooong way down. (Sorry. I can't find my picture of the actual campground.)

Environment:  Basically desert. You’re between the Sonoran Desert to your west and the Chihuahuan Desert to your east.

Amenities:  There are some sites you can get with hookups.

Dump:  Yes

Public Water: Yes 

Toilets: Yes

Showers:  No

Laundry:  No

Phone Service: 4G Verizon 

Nearest Propane:  Globe, AZ

Location:  State Hwy 188 north out of Globe. Watch for campground signs and visitor center just after the small community of Roosevelt.

Proximity to shopping: At least 27 miles away in Globe.

Camping Population:   Quite mixed. Typical national park.

Sites:  Nice size for park campground. Easy access. Ours was pull-through.

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RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service 

* There are people who are not full-timers and van-dwellers by choice. We try hard not to be demeaning or assume that they are bad people but sadly, as you find in the poorer parts of a city, there seems to be more crime. Many call these people van-dwellers. That isn’t really accurate even though they do often live in vans. We know quite a few van-dwellers who have good incomes, are full-timers by choice and prefer a van to other types of vehicles. To try to show some respect for people who have a difficult lot in life, I’m calling them ‘residential campers’.  It is only when you get a high proportion of residential campers in an area that you find an increase in petty theft, etc.  

HAEKEL RD, Solomon, AZ

HAEKEL ROAD,  near Solomon, AZ

RUN BY:  Bureau of Land Management

LOCATION:  32.793828 -109.592354

Last Visited:  3/11/2018

UTILITIES:  NONE

COST:  NONE

DISCOUNTS:  N/A

OUR RATING (1-5):  Category II.  Score 5

NOTES:  Hackel Rd is a large flat desert area south of Solomon, AZ.  It sits up on a ridge above highway US-70, which is far enough away that it doesn’t bother you.  It has a lovely view and is convenient to services as well as places you will want to visit.  There is a hot springs a few miles south on the BLM road (dirt).  Lots of beautiful country to see nearby. We stayed four nights.

Environment:  open desert  

Amenities:  NONE

Dump:  NO

Public Water:  NO

Toilets: NO

Showers:  NO

Laundry:  NO

Phone Service:  4G 2-3 bars (Verizon)

Nearest Propane: Safford, AZ

Location:  About 5 miles southwest of Solomon, AZ near the junction of US-70 and US-191.  You will turn south off the highway. The camping area we used was at the top of the hill on the right. (see coordinates).

Proximity to shopping: Solomon is about 5 miles away and Safford, a much larger community, is about 5 miles beyond Solomon.

Camping Population:   Travelers.

Sites:   N/A  - dispersed camping on BLM land

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RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service 

* There are people who are not full-timers and van-dwellers by choice. We try hard not to be demeaning or assume that they are bad people but sadly, as you find in the poorer parts of a city, there seems to be more crime. Many call these people van-dwellers. That isn’t really accurate even though they do often live in vans. We know quite a few van-dwellers who have good incomes, are full-timers by choice and prefer a van to other types of vehicles. To try to show some respect for people who have a difficult lot in life, I’m calling them ‘residential campers’.  It is only when you get a high proportion of residential campers in an area that you find an increase in petty theft, etc.  

CITY OF ROCKS SP, Faywood, NM

CITY OF ROCKS STATE PARK

RUN BY:  State of New Mexico

LOCATION: near Faywood, NM  32.589827 -107.975028

Last Visited:  3/7/2018

UTILITIES: None

COST:  $15

DISCOUNTS:  None

OUR RATING (1-5): Category I. Score 5

NOTES:  This is a very unique place. The rocky area that has been carved by erosion does look like an abstract city from a distance. There are some good trails and it is fun exploring all of the nooks and crannies of the “city”. 

Environment:  Desert

Amenities:  NONE

Dump:  Yes

Public Water: Yes

Toilets: Yes

Showers: No

Laundry: No

Phone Service:  4G2 on north side of campground. 

Nearest Propane:  11824 Highway 180 East, Silver City, NM   

Location:  Take US 180 north out of Deming, NM. Watch for State Hwy 61 and turn right. Follow signs. You’ll see it from the road well before entrance.

Proximity to shopping:  There are a cluster of small towns just before Silver City to the northwest and Deming to the south. None are close.

Camping Population: Travelers and vacationers. Met people from several different states.

Sites: Most are nice size and easy access. 

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RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service 

* There are people who are not full-timers and van-dwellers by choice. We try hard not to be demeaning or assume that they are bad people but sadly, as you find in the poorer parts of a city, there seems to be more crime. Many call these people van-dwellers. That isn’t really accurate even though they do often live in vans. We know quite a few van-dwellers who have good incomes, are full-timers by choice and prefer a van to other types of vehicles. To try to show some respect for people who have a difficult lot in life, I’m calling them ‘residential campers’.  It is only when you get a high proportion of residential campers in an area that you find an increase in petty theft, etc. 

CASCADE CAVERNS, Boerne, TX

CASCADE CAVERNS, Boerne, TX

RUN BY:  Private

LOCATION:   Off I-10 Northwest of San Antonio, TX

UTILITIES:  FULL

COST:  $41/night

DISCOUNTS:  NONE

OUR RATING (1-5):  Category I. Rating

NOTES:  We don’t usually stay at commercial campgrounds, but we found this one when we were trying to visit family in nearby San Antonio.  It was the only place with openings and a reasonable price.  It did have a lot for the money and many of the campers were snowbirds there for the winter. Besides the typical campground amenities there was also the cave which was very interesting. The people were friendly and helpful.

Environment:  For this part of Texas, I would have to call the area wooded.  Mostly small trees but very pleasant and rural.   

Amenities:  Just about everything you could want. 

Dump:  N/A

Public Water:  Yes

Toilets:  Yes

Showers:  Yes

Laundry:  Yes

Phone Service: Verizon 4G 3-bars

Nearest Propane:  unknown – we found that Boerne has just about whatever you might need.

Location: 

Proximity to shopping:  about 5 miles

Camping Population:   Lots of snowbirds. 

Sites:  Typical commercial campground – a bit close but adequate room. It seems they were all pull-through.

=========================================================================

RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service 

* There are people who are not full-timers and van-dwellers by choice. We try hard not to be demeaning or assume that they are bad people but sadly, as you find in the poorer parts of a city, there seems to be more crime. Many call these people van-dwellers. That isn’t really accurate even though they do often live in vans. We know quite a few van-dwellers who have good incomes, are full-timers by choice and prefer a van to other types of vehicles. To try to show some respect for people who have a difficult lot in life, I’m calling them ‘residential campers’.  It is only when you get a high proportion of residential campers in an area that you find an increase in petty theft, etc.  

CROSS ROADS, Earp, CA

Sorry. No pic of camping area. This is why we were here.

CROSS ROADS CAMPGROUND, Earp, CA

RUN BY:  Bureau of Land Management

LOCATION:  34-211602  -114.205606

UTILITIES:  NONE

COST:  $5

DISCOUNTS:  Senior Pass 50%

OUR RATING (1-5):  Class II.  Rating 3.0

NOTES: This was a small campground managed by BLM.  There were a handful of sites on the Colorado River and people end up waiting days in the over-flow lot to get one of those spots.  Even the riverfront sites are small and have no real access to the river. The other regular sites are not far from the river but do not have a particularly good view.  We weren’t impressed because, even if you had the best riverfront site, you had no access to the river, were looking across the river at condos and developed areas, and had to put up with high powered speed boats. There was an overflow area, out of sight of the river, where we stayed. Actually, the advantage of the overflow is the burros, but I understand that they do go down into the main camp. We stayed here strictly for the burros and did not attempt to get a riverfront site.

Environment:  Small area along the Colorado River across from condos. Burros roam through the campground in the evening on their way to the river for water and may beg for food.

Amenities:  NONE

Dump:  NO

Public Water:  NO

Toilets:  Pit Toilet

Showers: NO

Laundry:  NO

Phone Service:  Verizon 4G, 1bar

Nearest Propane: Parker, AZ about 8 miles away

Location:  From Parker, AZ, cross the Colorado River on S. California Ave to CA-62.  Just over the bridge turn right onto Parker Dam Road. The campground is about 6 miles down this road.

Proximity to shopping:  Parker has good shopping and is only about 8 miles away.

Camping Population:  Limit of 2 wks.  Lots of snowbirds and full-timers.

Sites:  some are small and close together. Difficult to get spot near the river.

=========================================================================

RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service 

* There are people who are not full-timers and van-dwellers by choice. We try hard not to be demeaning or assume that they are bad people but sadly, as you find in the poorer parts of a city, there seems to be more crime. Many call these people van-dwellers. That isn’t really accurate even though they do often live in vans. We know quite a few van-dwellers who have good incomes, are full-timers by choice and prefer a van to other types of vehicles. To try to show some respect for people who have a difficult lot in life, I’m calling them ‘residential campers’.  It is only when you get a high proportion of residential campers in an area that you find an increase in petty theft, etc.  

Glia Bend, AZ

GILA BEND, AZ

RUN BY:   Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

LOCATION:   32.844355  -112.322108

UTILITIES:  NONE

COST:   NONE

DISCOUNTS:  N/A

OUR RATING (1-5):  Category III.  Rating 4.5

NOTES:  This is a spot just off I-8 east of Gila Bend. It is no more than a pull-off but there is almost no traffic on the road and you have a beautiful view. There are signs put up by the US Border Patrol warning you about smugglers and illegal immigrants, but no one we’ve talked to or read has ever had a problem.  You actually have a very nice view and the highway is far enough away that traffic doesn’t bother you.

Environment:  Desert.  Very open with campsite along the road.

Amenities:  NONE

Dump:  NO

Public Water:  NO

Toilets:  NO

Showers:  NO

Laundry:  NO

Phone Service:  Verizon 4G, 4bars

Nearest Propane:  Gila Bend and Hwy 85 about 25 miles west  

Location:  On I-8 east of Gila Bend,  get off at Exit 140 and go south on Freeman Road. At T-intersection turn right and start looking for a good site.  Coordinates to our site  32.844355  -112.322108

Proximity to shopping:  Gila Bend. 25 miles

Camping Population:   You’re all alone. Boondocking.

Sites:  They vary a great deal.

=========================================================================

RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service 

* There are people who are not full-timers and van-dwellers by choice. We try hard not to be demeaning or assume that they are bad people but sadly, as you find in the poorer parts of a city, there seems to be more crime. Many call these people van-dwellers. That isn’t really accurate even though they do often live in vans. We know quite a few van-dwellers who have good incomes, are full-timers by choice and prefer a van to other types of vehicles. To try to show some respect for people who have a difficult lot in life, I’m calling them ‘residential campers’.  It is only when you get a high proportion of residential campers in an area that you find an increase in petty theft, etc.