Prescott Basin - Ponderosa Park Road Dispersed Camping

Dispersed camping is camping outside of developed campgrounds. In contrast to camping in developed campsites, dispersed camping is more primitive, and generally has no amenities such as trash collection, water or toilets.

The Prescott Basin is an area immediately south and west of Prescott, Arizona and encompasses approximately 59,000 acres (about 4% of the Prescott National Forest).

Prescott Basin has a high percentage of wildland-urban interface, a mixture of undeveloped and developed land. The popularity of the Prescott Basin, has contributed to resource impacts such as accelerated soil erosion, damage or loss of vegetation, displaced wildlife, increased fire risk, and accumulation of trash and human waste.

To help prevent unacceptable resource damage from dispersed camping, Forest Service resource managers have designated sites, established stay limits, and limits on building and maintaining campfires.