Camping Near Camp Verde

At a glance, Camp Verde looks and feels like a small town overshadowed by some big destinations – Phoenix, Sedona, and Flagstaff. It took us two separate occasions to see that camping near Camp Verde is actually like striking gold! On our first encounter with camping near Camp Verde, we came from the direction of Payson. Although we noticed a lot of dispersed camping near Payson, it was still too cold at high elevation. So we ended up finding a spot in Camp Verde for two nights. During our stay we checked out Montezuma Castle then kept north towards Cottonwood and Sedona. Luckily, the way things worked out we were granted a second chance to dig a little deeper and see that camping near Camp Verde is actually pretty awesome. If you don’t already know about this gorgeous area, you’ll soon see what we mean.

Quick Info: Camping Near Camp Verde

Cost: Free

Ownership: Forest Service; 14 day limit

Directions: From Cottonwood, follow the AZ-260 E for about 20 miles. Then turn left onto Bull Pen Road/Forest Road 618. After about a half mile there are several boondocking spots on the left. If you want to continue further, there are numerous other great dispersed camp spots as well.

Solar: Excellent; but some spots are located in a canyon which limits hours of direct sunlight.

Miles From Town: About 10 miles from Camp Verde

Water: None

Road Conditions: Dirt/gravel road – somewhat bumpy but well maintained.

Cell Service: Yes, at the first couple dispersed spots but we lost it the further in we went.

Our Experience Camping Near Camp Verde

A couple months had passed since our first encounter with camping near Camp Verde. During those months we camped in several places in the surrounding area – Cottonwood, Mayer, and Cherry. While we were camping near Cherry we were looking for a good adventure and stumbled upon a hike in West Clear Creek Wilderness. And we realized that the trailhead was further down the road from where we had previously camped near Camp Verde.

We were so surprised by the beauty that was just a couple miles further down that dirt road!! Our hike led us to a beautiful river in a cottonwood lined canyon with swimming holes, cliff jumping and our first encounter with a Gila Monster! After that we knew we had to come back to explore further.

So we headed back to give this camping near Camp Verde thing another go. We did end up staying in the same spot that we had stayed in on our first visit because we needed the cell service – hot spot, good ol’ computer work and whatnot.

But – there are many other dispersed spots along this road that looked awesome! The spots look great for tent camping as well as big RVs/trailers. Note that there are camping restrictions in the area. There is a sign as you get closer to the Bullpen Day Use Area and West Clear Creek Trailhead that indicates no camping beyond this point. And obviously there is no camping at either of the two parking areas either. This area does get really busy on the weekends when the weather is warm enough for swimming so keep that in mind when heading to the area to camp.

Camp here later – Pin it now!

The dispersed camp spots further in along this road are situated in a beautiful desert canyon area. And the further in you go, the closer you’ll be to the stunning West Clear Creek Wilderness…

As far as traffic goes in this area, you’ll notice that there is quiet a bit of people going in and coming out. We noticed a lot more traffic on the weekends but the weekdays still had their fair share of vehicles. On this second occasion of camping near Camp Verde it was the beginning of May and the temps were getting in the mid 80s. Perfect weather for heading to an area full of gorgeous swimming holes. I’d imagine that traffic would be pretty minimal during colder seasons.

After dark, there is virtually no traffic and overall camping near Camp Verde was a very peaceful experience. There were lots of lizards around and we could hear coyotes at night which is always awesome. And the stars here were great!!

Things to do While You’re Here

We rarely camp at the same location twice. After we discovered that the West Clear Creek Wilderness was down this road we stayed another 4 days here so we could check it out. The best thing to do while camping near Camp Verde in our opinion is to hike the West Clear Creek Trail and beyond! You’ll experience huge tall green cottonwoods all along the river as well as swimming holes surrounded by gorgeous red rocks. And there are areas with cliffs and walls near the water so you can climb and jump. For more details about exploring West Clear Creek Wilderness, check out this article.

If you’re looking for another amazing hike to do while you’re camping near Camp Verde, we would definitely recommend Black Canyon Trail. It is one of those hikes that is beautiful the entire time and keeps getting better and better! Check out this article to get the details.

Also nearby in Montezuma Castle National Monument. This is a neat old dwelling built into the canyon walls years ago. If you already have a National Park Pass it’s definitely worth a stop.

While we were camping near Camp Verde we explored the washes near our camp spot. We never know what we’re going to find when we set off and wander. One particular evening stroll turned into a 6 mile adventure through the washes. And we found some tall badland-like formations, narrow canyon areas, and a few medium sized dry falls. The washes were also full of color and fragrance from the flowering bushes everywhere.

A couple other things to check out while camping near Camp Verde include Black Rock Canyon (amaaazing!), the town of Jerome, Tuzigoot National Monument and of course Sedona.

We were so glad that we came back to see more of this area!

Thank you for reading about our experience camping near Camp Verde. If you enjoy reading about our boondocking experiences, check out the articles below:

• Camping Near Sycamore Creek
• Laguna Creek Wilderness Free BLM Campground
• Camping Near Mayer
• Boondocking at Trona Pinnacles

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