Arizona is a fantastic location for outdoor family adventures. It offers a range of family-friendly camping choices, including desert settings, mountains, and canyons. It can be challenging to pick the ideal location for your family’s camping trip, but this article will examine some of Arizona’s top family-friendly camping areas. Arizona offers something for everyone, whether you’re seeking a quiet vacation, a location to walk and explore, or a place to enjoy water sports.
Read Also: ARIZONA BEACH RESORTS: Top 10 Resorts in AZ
#1. Spillway Campground
This is one of the best-liked camping in Arizona for families. The locations are close to the lake, making it easy to access the water. You can rent a small boat from the lake store nearby to use while fishing or exploring the lake. The kids can explore a lot of different sites. This campsite is surrounded by hiking trails; you can follow them to the adjacent store, around the lake, or away from the campsites and toward the road. There are also biking trails.
Please remember to bring plenty of water and snacks when hiking because you never know how far you’ll wind up hiking around the lake.
#2. Pine Grove Campground
One of the nicest campgrounds in Arizona for families to visit is Pine Grove Campground. There are lakes close by where you can go boating. Despite being in a public campground, you still enjoy a good bit of privacy because there is a lot of space between campsites. In addition, there are lots of utilities (toilets, showers, grills, drinking water, and more) for anyone who prefers a little comfort while roughing it. You can also enjoy the many hiking trails in the campground while you’re there.
Even a tiny theater is available for your entertainment. In case Sedona is your preferred location, it’s also a good idea to keep in mind that this campground is only a short drive away.
Read Also: SKI RESORTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: Best 10 Ski Resorts 2023
#3. Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area
There are plenty of kid-friendly activities at Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area. Family-friendly outdoor activities abound, including summer camps, fishing and boating rentals, immaculately kept hiking trails, and ranger-led nature walks sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service. Additionally, the campsites are situated close to Fool Hollow Lake. You can anticipate being surrounded by stunning pine trees and mighty mountains even when you’re not doing anything.
#4. Canyon Lake
This is a camping area for the winter. Since the climate is similar to that of the city, if it’s hot outside, it will also be hot here. If you have never gone camping, it is a terrific place to start. It is closer to the east valley and has many lakes where you can go fishing, ride Dolly the steamboat, or go on a hike around the lake. You can kayak, paddle board, wakeboard, and jet ski here as well. There is a restaurant nearby and a shower you can use. While not true camping, this is an excellent place to begin. It is truly one of the must-visit camping in Arizona for families.
#5. Kartchner Caverns State Park
The whole family can experience adventure at Kartchner Caverns State Park. The park, which is in Southern Arizona, has caves below ground and a campground close by that’s ideal for tent campers or anyone wishing to decompress in a nearby cabin. You can expect a lovely weekend getaway at this charming campground, whether your goals are to explore the caves’ natural beauty and mystery or simply to soak in Benson’s verdant surroundings.
Read Also: BEST SEDONA CAMPGROUNDS: 10 Top-Rated Campgrounds
#6. Usery Mountain
I advise using Usery Mountain for camping in the winter, early spring, and fall. This is an excellent destination if you enjoy trekking and outdoor treks. Inside the park proper, there are a ton of activities available. There are a few guided walks available, some of which are available at night. If you happen to have a bow and some arrows, you can utilize their archery range for $2. There are hiking trails nearby, and the view of the stars and the setting sun is nothing short of extraordinary. There are a lot of sparkling lights near the city.
#7. Cave Springs Campground
One of Arizona’s most well-liked cities, Sedona is a favorite of both residents and visitors. Red sandstone buttes abound at Cave Springs Campgrounds, and the thriving wildlife of Oak Creek Canyon gives the area a fantasy-like appearance. This quiet campsite strikes the ideal blend of natural beauty, leisure, and entertainment thanks to its spotless camping sites, neighboring general stores with delectable snacks, and Slide State Park, which is only 10 minutes away.
#8. Roosevelt Lake
This is also one of the most amazing camping in Arizona for families. Another lakeside campground with lots to do for boaters and anglers. Because there are restrooms and showers there, we prefer the Cholla campground. Bring your fishing gear and some worms to throw in between your paddleboarding, boat excursions, and walks because the forest service stocks fish in this area as well. If you own a boat, this campground is wonderful because it has a boat ramp as well. This campground’s year-round accessibility is another benefit.
#9. Jackpot Ranch
Kids can go paddle boating on the ranch’s pond, scale new heights in the treehouse on the site, and enjoy the animals at the petting zoo at Jackpot Ranch. Families can gather around a campfire in the evenings to roast s’mores, listen to ranch keepers’ tales, and talk. The entire time, visitors will take in exceptional Verde Valley views and a wholly genuine Arizona experience.
Read Also: BEACH CAMPING IN SAN FRANCISCO: Top 12 Campgrounds
#10. Aspen Campground
This campground is an excellent option if you appreciate being close to the lake but would prefer more hiking and biking paths. It is located close to Woods Canyon Lake. This is also close to the little store, and the cold climate is ideal for going on hikes, going bicycling, or simply having fun. There are bathrooms but no showers in this place. There is a lot of wildlife here, including squirrels, birds, and the mother and calf elk that my children first observed here.
#11. Koa Campground in Flagstaff
This campground is exactly what I would call “glamping,” with wifi and cabins you can rent while you’re there. This can be the ideal location to get your feet wet if you are new to camping and just want the kids to be outside. This camping area is close to Flagstaff, where the weather is cool and there are many activities for youngsters to enjoy. Check out the campground’s seasonal events (such as movie nights, mini golf, and ice cream socials) before making camping reservations. Koa Campground is indeed one of the families camping in Arizona.
Is Camping Free in Arizona?
Since there is so much public and federal land in the Grand Canyon State, anyone who wants to camp there can locate a large number of free campsites along dirt roads and in developed campgrounds, from the Coconino National Forest to the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.
Do You Need a Permit to Camp in Arizona?
Only on state trust land and in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge are camping permits required in Arizona. Other than that, no other part of Arizona requires a permit to camp.