Agree with others, this is a great place, especially for the Phoenix area. So nice to be actually camping under the stars and clear skies...yet the Verizon cell and air card worked fine, and there's TV reception on antenna. Would give this a perfect 10 rating except that the 2 sites we tried were not level, and the shower room was cold & water never got hot. Rates have just gone up to $25 as of 12/09 but worth it...especially in nice weather. Can get cold and windy up here in winter. Good hiking trails but need a car for exploring and supplies. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Located east of the junction of I-17 and AZ74, this county campground is very, very nice with great sites, beautiful views and decent hiking trails. Get to this campground early as it is very popular and you may need to wait in the overflow area for a night or two in the Jan-Mar period. A 2-week limit is regulated but the county closes it’s eyes to snow birds who continue to re-up every two weeks. This crazy policy limits the options for travelers and visitors. Site 10 is terrific but 11 and 34 are too close together. Also avoid site 25 which is much too close to the overflow area. Only other thing this place needs to make it perfect would be sewer hookups although there are 2 dump stations which is pretty good for a campground of only 38 sites. We camped here in a Motorhome.
They were full so we spent the night in overflow. Toured the campground and it's lovely. Ended up leaving after one night because they were full for the weekend, but we would definitely come back. First class operation. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Possibly the best of the Maricopa County Regional Parks, for camping. Much like Usery Mountain but smaller. Close to Carefree Highway and shopping, but in a very rural, scenic desert setting. Great for bird and critter (javelina, coyote) watching. Several wonderful trails in the park plus remnants of past mining and ranching activity. Much to see and do in nearby Cave Creek and Carefree. Campsites are mostly large, level, and private. Good TV reception with an antennae. This park is on a first come-first served basis and is very popular. The overflow portion was quite full nearly every night we stayed. You must pay for your site by 8 AM the next morning or run the risk of losing it. Most of the staff was friendly and helpful. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Park owned by county. Lovely setting in desert surroundings. Hiking trails. Very spacious sites. Quiet. Dry Camp Group area set aside. Horses may be brought for overnight, small pen at campsite, call first. Isolated but easy drive into northern Phoenix. Big new Grocery store nearby. Electric registered low 110v-113v most of the time. We camped here in a camper.
I think this is the best of Maricopa County parks. The sites are great with only 5 of 38 somewhat undesirable. All others are special. It is the best managed in terms of the well organized and efficient teams of of volunteers/hosts. The 180 degree views look southward towards Phoenix and Scottsdale with awesome sunsets. The proximity to shopping at Cave Creek and Scottsdale makes this a wonderful place for snow birds. There is a 2 week maximum stay but some people vacate the site, go into the overflow for a night and then re-up again. Way to go, Maricopa and the park superintendant for doing it right. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very clean well maintained park with large well separated campsites. Quiet desert setting among the saguro cactus. First come first serve but during October there was a lot of availability. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is our favorite park. The sites are very, very large. They all have cement slabs and are well landscaped. There is no noise and no lights to bother you seeing all those stars. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.