CONNECTION
community
by Katie Lucas
April is my favorite month of the year (and not just because of my birthday). It's always fun to see everyone get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather the month of April brings, and one of the best ways to do that is to go camping! With six national forests, 31 state parks and over 12 million acres of public land, there is an abundance of space for you to kick back, relax, and be one with nature (and enjoy some delicious s'mores). Below you'll find three of Arizona's most popular campgrounds. For a full list of camping sites, check out VisitPhoenix.com.
Cave Creek Regional Park In the northern part of Greater Phoenix's Sonoran Desert, you'll find almost 3,000 acres of cactus, wildflowers, trails and more at Cave Creek Regional Park. For hikers, there's more than 11 miles of trails, ranging from the short Jasper Trail (0.2 miles) to the Go John Trail (5.8 miles). You can choose from 44 developed camp sites for tents and RVs, with water, electrical hook-ups, dump station, picnic table, barbecue fire ring, as well as public restrooms with hot water showers and flush toilets.
Manzanita Campground This Sedona campground offers some amazingly peaceful scenery nestled against the red rocks of Oak Creek Canyon, with relaxing waters for swimming holes and fishing, as well as wildlife watching. Be warned: this campground's 18 sites fill up fast, and are for tent camping only. Luckily, 11 of these sites are available for advance reservations. If you do happen to land a spot — congratulations! You'll have a picnic table, campfire ring and grill, as well as coin-operated showers just up the road.
White Tank Mountain Regional Park This West Valley park is the largest of Maricopa County's regional parks, encompasses almost 30,000 acres, most of which is occupied by the sprawling White Tank Mountains. The mountains offer petroglyph sites, as well as some amazing hiking and biking trails, including the Waterfall Trail. The park features 40 individual sites for tent or RV camping, with water and electrical hook-ups, plus a dump station, picnic table and barbecue fire ring, with nearby showers and bathrooms.
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