Arizona: 5 Small Places to Camp for Free!
We present to you a YouTube video published and directed by: Slim Potatohead
Summary of the video transcription of: Slim Potatohead
Nothing like some time with a cactus when your friends are freezing further north. For me it's just enjoying the sunshine today and thinking about all that snow I'm not shoveling. If you're looking for the perfect southwest paradise while driving the interstate, let me suggest a few little spots in my favorite Snowbird state, Arizona. Among them are 5 small places accessible by car from Phoenix and Tucson, where camping costs nothing. From East Bowie to Happy Camp Canyon and Indian Red Rocks, to Hot Well Dunes and Saddle Mountain, Arizona is full of scenic spots and hidden gems for outdoor enthusiasts. So hit the road and discover these unique places for your next getaways to the south.
Arizona: 5 places to camp for free!
There's nothing better than a little time with a cactus when your friends up north are freezing their butts off. For me, it's just catching some rays today and thinking about all that snow I'm not shoveling. But if you're heading down the highway looking for the perfect little slice of paradise in the Southwest, let me suggest a few little spots in my favorite snowbird state: Arizona.
Within a few hours drive of Phoenix and Tucson are 5 small places that cost nothing to camp, although very basic with few amenities, they meet the needs of those who are self-sufficient and don't need hookups.
Let's start with my first destination in the east: Bowie. Taking exit 362 from I-10, you will pass this abandoned gas station, enter town and then take Apache Pass south. A little past the pistachio orchards, you will find the Happy Camp Canyon campsite. It's a sandy dirt road that, after about a mile, takes you over a cattle guard and into the Indian Red Rock Recreation Area. After the picnic area, a few places to park and camp. I chose a small spot near a tree, it is a very picturesque spot with many native plants, most of them of the thorny variety, and the geology is also quite unique with the effect of the wind and temperature over time in full demonstration in the mountains and rocks. With a little daring and good hiking boots, you can find the hidden treasures in these steep hills, like Gila monsters and balanced rocks, but my personal favorite is the hidden springs. There's nothing better on a hot day than dipping your toes in a cold spring. This campsite also offers excellent access for day trips to the north. Beneath the shadow of Mount Graham lie the Hot Well Dunes. The Dunes actually has several campsites, but there is a small fee to pay to camp. Some sites are sheltered from the wind while others are more traditional in the desert. But the main attraction are the two hot wells, naturally supplied with thermal springs enclosed in modern enclosures. For just three dollars you can relax in the baths, which isn't really my thing, but hey, it's nice. No one else here, I think my glow-in-the-dark tan scared everyone away. But if hot baths aren't your thing, a few minutes south are the remains of historic Fort Bowie, history, geology and recreation all in one place. But this was just one stop on my Arizona adventures, so it was time to pack everything up and move on to the second destination. Just outside of Tucson is the Samuel Keene Road BLM area. About five miles west of the Tucson city limits on Highway 86, just turn north on Sanyo Hien Road, and you're already there. As far as camp sites go, this one is more utilitarian than attractive, it's just an old gravel pit dug into a hill, no trails, water or toilets, just plenty of space for park your trailer. Its main appeal is simple, you can visit Tucson without paying for big city accommodation. But it's really hot, like today it's 80 degrees, I keep one side open in the trailer so it's cool inside, but I don't want the heat in there so I'm going to cook outside because tonight I'm going to eat pocket pizzas, you know, the frozen ones you buy in a 2 pack at Walmart and I'm going to wrap them in foil and cook them on my little portable Coleman . I have this awesome little stand that folds nicely and if I can do it right it folds flat, really cool. I haven't found out where you can buy them yet, someone actually left them at a campsite, but the legs go down like this and I can put it right on my little Coleman and it's like a grill or a toaster, I guess. But hey, I'm going to wrap these things in foil now. These things are supposed to be microwave safe, but I'm not going to microwave them because I don't have one, so the idea is to wrap them in foil and cook them on the grill. Enough of my terrible bohemian culinary advice, a real solution is at the end of the video. Now let's move on to location number three on Highway 60, about five miles east of the small town of Superior, is Oakland. Oak Flat is an official Tonto National Forest campground, with picnic areas, campground restrooms, and fire grills. The road is maintained and access is easy, and the many shade trees provide excellent protection from the sun. The downside is that it's a little too accessible and tends to be crowded and a little noisy at times; it's a great place for birdwatching, especially if you're a fan of St. Louis, but for me it was just a step and I was ready to go.
However, before I continue, I must announce some very bad news. One of my favorite places in the Phoenix area, which I mentioned in my video about wild camping in Phoenix, is no longer available. This is Buckeye Hills. Buckeye was the perfect location for the Boone Dockers who needed to be close to Phoenix. However, without much warning, the sign went from this to this. In speaking to Parks and Recreation officers, it was clear that too many of our viewers had taken advantage of the place and ruined it for others. The big problem is that large vehicles have taken up places that were reserved only for picnics. On February 15, 2018, park officials gave notice to those who remained, even those who weren't camping at the picnic areas like me, losing great camping spots to overuse is something something all campers dread. I particularly loved this place for its unique qualities, like the fragrance of the creosote bushes, especially after a recent rain, and even the passing planes from Goldwater Air Force Base, as it was the beginning of the camping apocalypse , I thought one parody would be enough. I love the smell of creosote in the morning, it reminds me of rising from the ashes like a phoenix. Another area campsite full of possibilities is Saddle Mountain near Tonopah, Arizona. To access this land from I-10, take Tonopah Exit 94 and head south, then west on Salome Highway and left on Courthouse Road. As you approach Saddle Mountain you will find trails on the left, from a hill you can see I-10 in the background and dispersed camping in the foreground. Unfortunately I didn't document this well as I was editing the video at the time, but rest assured there are some great locations. There are no facilities, but it's perfect for those who are self-catering. Have you noticed my camera trick? I really hope that this flower in the desert remains pristine so that others can enjoy it and not destroy it. My final stop, I think, has a little bit of something for everyone, including nature trails and a bit of small town culture. This is the scenic loop near Ajo. Ajo is a small, thriving community with impressive architecture, incredible artwork, and a beautiful downtown plaza. It’s a true creative and cultural hub for the region, and yet, seen from space, it’s like something from another world. The big green eye is the remains of an old copper mine, but around its perimeter is one of the most beautiful scenic trails in the area, and you can camp on it. Although there were many dirt roads to explore, I decided to leave them to others and camped next to the mine as it was convenient, right off the highway. This bird didn't seem too happy about my arrival and tried to attack my Jeep, and how that cross ended up inside the cactus I'll never know. If you've seen some of my previous videos you may have seen the one about road music where I brought a gramophone with my travels and still have it. I've successfully made phonograph needles from several types of cactus, but never from Anoka teal bush, and I've never tried the needles from this one, so I think this one can save some one or two, so I'll break one or two and I'll try it tonight, who knows, we might make some beautiful music together. As the day progressed, I did a little exploring around my campsite. It's weird, I'm in a stream near Ajo, and a stream is like a dry river bed where everything is washed away when it rains a lot, but in the middle of it there is an old table of picnic and a sink. It's as if someone took it literally, a stream as a place to wash your hands. I'm not going to wash my hands in this. Looks like someone washed their worries away. I think the guy with the bottle was just having a bout of the blues, probably his girlfriend left him or something, so I took out my gramophone to play him a little song, old cowboy song. It's time to change the tempo before I lose all my spectators.
Back in Ajo, I still had pizzas in mind but I wasn't very efficient at preparing them, so I looked around the city for a good alternative, and that's where I came across on this panel. I wasn't sure what the frybread was, so with the arrows pointing at it, I set off in pursuit.
So, what is fried bread? It looks so good. It's so incredibly good. Fried bread, refried beans, tomatoes, lettuce, beats pizza by far. Good food, warm sun and a beautiful place under a cactus, all the ingredients of paradise, but reality hit. Well, I hope you enjoyed this video and please give it a thumbs up and follow me on my other adventures as well. Adios.
Source
FR_FR
EN