Cinder Hills Off Highway Vehicle Area

Compared to Marshal Lake, where I stayed last week, this place is a downgrade. Less private spots, no fire rings whatsoever, and the dust... So. Much dust and dirt. No grass really to speak of.

Pretty spot in the woods . A little noisy on weekends but it is a OHV spot . Close to flagstaff great road in and out .

The site was great! We have a jeep Cherokee, no all wheel drive and made it. The road getting there could be challenging if you have a low vehicle. The site had fire rings and was the best for a AZ heat escape

Pleasant time up here. It’s an OHV area, so as expected, there are people using it as such! There was plenty of options/spots available in Feb, overall really clean with great views of the mountains!

We usually don’t stay at OHV areas as they are usually quite busy with people enjoying the OHV trails but ran out of options as FR in the area were closed for winter as well as campgrounds. It was quite pleasant. A couple of riders could be heard and a few other campers but mostly had the area to ourselves. For an OHV area it was quite clean. Very easy to get to and find a spot to settle in.

First night here but it’s so pretty, ohv friendly, lots of potential spots and not overly occupied ( though it’s January with some snow on the ground so your mileage may vary)

It looks like it would have been a great spot but it is currently closed for construction. When you can camp you do need to drive about a mile from the highway. @TKCompass on YouTube

Great spot and lots of room. But some creeps were racing their ATVs till 2 AM. Not cool. Tons of campers and lots of ATVs but just a few morons ruined the night for everyone. I’m shocked there wasn’t a huge fight. Maybe there was and it wasn’t where I could see it. I expect ATVs to run all day till dark and that’s fine. People just having fun. But these creeps kept going around and around at high rates of speed until 2 AM. I would try it again because it’s a great location and lots of flat spots. I’m in a 26 ft RV

It's just really nice with enough sites for at least twenty people to stay, thirty or more with tents squeezed in everywhere. On weekends and holidays it's crowded.

The bois and I threw our hammocks up in here and it was perfect. Not bad views and the black rock field is cool. There are tons of banked turns and stuff in the trees and in the field, perfect for tearing it up.

This camp area is an OHV entrance/camp spot. There are tons of sites, and if it's crowded you might be camped pretty close together. I gave this a 4-star because of the  OHV noise and crowding, but it's a much better stop on the weekdays.

That said, there's LOTS of room, sites are available in the trees or out in the open (think solar). The main open area is almost a mile by a half-mile -- like 300+ acres!!! AND there are smaller, more isolated spots further on up the road. It might be possible to get away from the crowds and noise, but we didn't try, we just moved to another place up the highway.

In the large open area: Remember that wind and dust go together, and park accordingly. The dark-gray areas are volcanic ash and produce less dust.

NOTE: there are a bunch of historical camp sites right close to the highway, on the entrance road, but they're closed now, full of no-camping signs. Just drive in 1.5 miles until you see the big sign (photo).

Overall, it was a great spot at the front it says no camping, but once you make it to the coordinates, it says it's allowed. No one bothers you, and there are trees and such around but not much coverage if you dont like seeing people. It's definitely a bumpy ride since it's all sand once you make it to the camping area. This area is also used for ATVs who left around 10pm, but they leave large ditches in the sand, but my prius made it fine, but I could see getting stuck if it was wet. It's very cold at night, so bring all the clothes you've got. They do allow fires to just bury them once you are done.

Quiet and peaceful stay.  Quite a few campers, but were spread out nicely.  Roads were decent.

Stayed here for quite a while periodically when I was working in the area. It's a great spot with tons of area to spread out, but pretty consistently noisy due to the ATVs (even in the middle of the night, especially on weekends). Roads are in good condition, even farther back towards the end. Had no problems with 2WD, even with a bit of snow on the ground. Verizon service was great.

Great area to camp. Lots of roomy campsites and close to groceries.

Great place to rip the dirt bikes around, you have to drive about a mile and a half before you can camp from the highway. Great views of the Mountains as the sun goes down. Great spot all around.

My husband and I enjoyed this camping spot. We were looking for an easy spot to camp and this was super easy and convenient. We got there before the sunset and set up our tent. Used Dyrt to find this spot and it worked so well!

Stopped at this place after realizing most forest roads were closed (mid-April visit). This place is great. Drive as far as you want down the road but there are spots everywhere with great views. People are around but far enough to feel secluded. Might need 4x4 for some sandy areas off the main road.

Stayed here just for one night, but would have stayed longer. beautiful trees, and some views of the mountains. kinda noisy with trucks and bikes, but we did stay close to the main road.

Super easy to find and there is plenty of room for everyone to spread out. We felt like we had the place to ourselves. Good for RV, Tents, car camping etc. There are some OHV trails in the area but by dark it was quiet so there was no issues for us.

Get out of the woods and into the open. Less dust and people. Great spot overlooking the mountains.

I haven’t seen anything quite like this with the black gravel and the area was massive. Was blessed with one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen and a sunrise to rival it.

We stopped here late at night before heading farther north. Was an enjoyable spot, lots of people around and tons of space to find a spot. Only downside was loud off roaming vehicles very early in the AM. Solid spot!

It was a great free place to camp. It was very windy while we stayed though. Would definitely return!

Pros: free, easy navigation and parking, level sites, many many sites, unique, scenic, dog friendly. Cons: VERY DUSTY, trash, toilet paper strewn.

You should have no problem finding a site as the place is huge. Note, there is camp spots beyond the kiosk where Apple Maps Will navigate you to.

We used this spot to pull off and sleep just north of Flagstaff. The roads were clear and easy to traverse.

Great place to camp and off road riding. Rain or shine!!!

Stayed in a flat spot away from most people, with unreal views of Humphrey’s peak. The ground here is very soft and loose rock, and we are pulling a trailer. We needed 4WD + Locking rear to get to our spot as we just sank every time we hit the gas.

A smaller and lighter weight vehicle may be able to make it further into the park without 4WD but it’s risky.