This picturesque day use site in Oak Creek Canyon is at the trailhead of the West Fork of Oak Creek Trail. The trail follows the West Fork stream into a side canyon of Oak Creek Canyon, rich with maples and breathtaking beauty. Bring a picnic, your camera, and go for a hike!
This picturesque day use site in Oak Creek Canyon is at the trailhead of the West Fork of Oak Creek Trail. The trail follows the West Fork stream into a side canyon of Oak Creek Canyon, rich with maples and breathtaking beauty. Bring a picnic, your camera, and go for a hike!
Pine Flat Campground is a popular camping spot in scenic Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona’s Coconino National Forest. The campground is nestled in a forested canyon near the well-known town of Sedona, Arizona, and its red rock cliffs. The scenery is unmatched, the stream is stocked with trout, and swimming, hiking and birding spots can be accessed from the facility.
Double Springs Campground is an “old fashion” campground, originally built in the 1930’s, and has sites nestled in a beautiful draw filled with cool grass, ponderosa pine and Gambel oak.
Sometimes it’s a lake. Sometimes it’s not. Lower Lake Mary, the smaller of Flagstaff’s twin lakes, has a tendency to disappear during the long dry spells that periodically hit this area. When the lake has water in it, which actually is much of the time, its banks are usually lined with anglers trying to catch the trout which the Arizona Game and Fish Department stocks here. If it stays full for a year or two, it will pick up a population of northern pike and catfish.
Cave Springs sits in the scenic Oak Creek Canyon and is one of Coconino National Forest’s most popular campgrounds. The campground is nestled in a forested canyon near the town of Sedona, Arizona, and its famous red rock cliffs. The scenery is unmatched, the stream is stocked with trout, and swimming, hiking and birding spots are nearby.
Dairy Springs is a comfortable campground tucked away in a scenic area of northern Arizona. Its main attraction is the seasonal Mormon Lake which, when filled with water, draws visitors for fishing, windsurfing and wildlife watching. Hiking, biking, horseback riding and photography are available year-round. The facility has both individual and group sites that can accommodate groups of many sizes, including large families.
Good fishing and excellent views of the San Francisco Peaks characterize these two lakeside campgrounds. Ashurst Lake is stocked with trout, bass, and channel catfish, and boasts enough wind for windsurfing.
One of the most photographed scenes in the southwest is towering Cathedral Rock reflected in the waters of Oak Creek at Red Rock Crossing. It should come as no surprise, then, that the picnic area located at that same site is as popular as it is beautiful. People come here to fish, swim, and wade in the creek, as well as to picnic and photograph the scenery. At times it can become quite crowded. If you want the world-class beauty of Red Rock Crossing all to yourself (or nearly so) visit early in the morning or on a weekday.
Little Elden Springs Horse Camp is a campground that was created for those who love horses and enjoy riding in a beautiful landscape. Located in the Coconino National Forest of northern Arizona, the campground offers opportunities for horseback riding, hiking and wildlife viewing. The facility is very accommodating to campers and their horses and including hitching posts, plenty of space for horse trailers and access to over 30 miles of trails.
Manzanita Campground is a small, year-round, tent-only facility with campsites that fill up very quickly. Visitors enjoy the campground for its fishing and swimming holes along Oak Creek, beautiful scenery and excellent wildlife watching. Oak Creek Canyon is very crowded, especially on weekends; to get a campsite, it is best to reserve a weekday.
This cozy group campground is tucked in the Lower Sonoran Desert along the banks of the fresh, chilly Clear Creek. Campers can wade in the creek, fish, or curl up with a book under the umbrella of cottonwood trees. Another popular pastime here is birdwatching, where you might just spot a hawk or bald eagle in flight. Clear Creek Campground is seven miles southeast of the small ranching town of Camp Verde. It’s part of the Coconino National Forest, one of the most diverse forests in the country. Landscapes range from alpine tundra to desert valleys and red canyons.
Both campgrounds hug the lakeshore with campsites huddled in a picturesque stand of gnarly old juniper trees and pinyon pines. One of Ashurst Lake’s most notable characteristics is it ability to hold a high water level in drought years. That can be very important here in northern Arizona where less resilient lakes sometimes dry up.
Lakeview Campground is a tent camper’s paradise with its terraced hillside campsites tucked in amongst old ponderosa pines. With all the easy forest and lake access, this is also a great place for wildlife watchers. Many visitors report seeing bald eagle, osprey, migratory waterfowl, great blue heron, elk and mule deer.
Beaver Creek is popular for picnicking and birding year round, and water play in the summer. The area has limited space and easily gets over-crowded on hot days and holiday weekends. There are two separate sections to the day use facility at Beaver Creek.
Canyon Vista Campground is located near Walnut Canyon and Lower Lake Mary. This area consists of ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, aspen and oak, which offer good photo opportunities, interesting geology and views of the San Francisco Peaks.
O’Leary Group Campground was constructed in 2001 and is named for O’Leary Peak, which overlooks this site. The campground is designed to accommodate the special needs of large groups with everything from picnic shelters, tables and grills, to lots of level ground covered in native volcanic cinders, perfect for setting up tents. Its proximity to Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments make it especially suitable for visitors who are intrigued by the cultural and natural history of the area.
Chavez Crossing Group Campground is in the picturesque Red Rock district of Arizona, with famous red rock formations and breathtaking painted sunsets. Placed beside a creek and surrounded by sycamore and cypress groves, the campground’s location offers a fresh sense of the great outdoors. It’s also conveniently close to developed entertainment like golf courses and stylish restaurants in the resort town of Sedona. Drive through Oak Creek Canyon to view majestic red-hued cliffs, buttes, and canyons. At night, relax by the campfire at your site or take advantage of Sedona’s trendy shopping and nightlife.
Pinegrove Campground sits in the lush Coconino National Forest of northern Arizona, offering visitors countless recreation opportunities set in a stunning landscape.
Bonito Campground is located 18 miles northeast of Flagstaff, near Sunset Crater/Wupatki National Monument. Elevation is 6,900 feet. Bonito Campground is named for the Bonito Lava Flow which oozed across this high desert plain some 900 years ago. That river of liquid rock, now frozen forever, is just one of the many remnants of volcanic activity which lend an otherwordly appearance to this starkly beautiful place.
This popular visitor center at Indian Gardens offers the first public roadside rest rooms in the canyon. They were completed at Indian Gardens by the collective efforts of members of the Oak Creek Canyon Task Force in conjunction with Coconino National Forest.
This primitive campground offers a scenic view of the San Francisco Peaks and dry camping in the cool aspen trees that surround Lockett Meadow. This is a terrific campground for those who cherish a real mountain camping experience and love to hike wilderness trails. You may catch a glimpse of the natural residents, porcupine or elk or thrill to the song of a hermit thrush that sings his best here. Even black bear have been known to stroll right through groups of picnickers without as much as a glance at their lunches.