Best Cabin Camping near Crown King, AZ

Gorgeous easy dirt road ~27 miles from i17/Bumble bee. (There’s also a much more difficult trail from lake pleasant that requires very experienced off-roading 4x4). Great food and drinks(alcohol) at the crown king saloon and Mimi’s Cafe. There are amazing camping areas just past the main town, and even all the way up near Horsetheif Basin which is about 7 miles past crown king(requires 4x4). There is also an amazing ~30 mile trail from crown king that leads all the way to Prescott called Senator Highway. This also requires experienced 4x4 and like the trail to Horsetheif basin, there are many areas that are only single vehicle width. Amazing weather all year round, but extremely limited travel available while snow is on the ground.

This place is huge! Nestled in the red rock country of Arizona, this Thousand Trails campground offers a scenic and tranquil escape. The sites are well-spaced, and the amenities include a pool, hot tub, 2 dog parks, hiking trails, river access and clubhouse. Its proximity to Sedona, Jerome and local wineries makes it an excellent choice for those seeking relaxation and exploration.

We love this campground! We have camped here around 5 times and always had a great stay. They have a pool and hot tub, mini golf, playground, pickle ball court, clubhouse, and lots of crafts and activities for the kids! The bathrooms and showers are very nice and clean too!

We have camped here three separate times for a month each time. It is beautifully landscaped and has large sites, some shaded. They have a great heated pool and hot tub. The staff is very friendly and there are activities every weekend. Within a 30 minute of Sedona which had some of the most awesome hikes ever!

Been going here over 6 years and I always look forward to my visits there in the Summer.  They have 2 pools (one is heated), volleyball, darts, horseshoe, pool tables, hot tub, sauna, nature trails, a cafe open in the weekend, events and tons of other things going on. Most of the people there are permanent or semipermanent residents. It is a comfortable, family friendly community, although you it is rare you see children there. I highly recommend and will continue to bring guests to enjoy some Arizona sunbathing!

We went over Thanksgiving and had a splendid time. The staff is super nice and awesome. There was so much to do from mini golf, painting classes, live music, dinners, karaoke, and free breakfast 3 days a week, hot tub and heated piol. There are lots of trees and it’s a great park to walk around. At the back you have the River you can walk around and you are surrounded with mountain views. Very dog friendly and they even have a dog park, and “office” dog. I would rebook here again we had such a lovely experience.

This is a hidden gem Thousand Trails campground for us. So many amenities. The off leash dog park, pickleball court, and hot tub/pool are just a few to name that we use! On the weekends they have a wonderful food truck that also serves espresso drinks and fresh pressed juice! Bathrooms are clean and showers are pretty big. Full hookups at most sites as well! We have stayed in both the premium sites and the regular and have enjoyed both. Pool was closed this last visit for renovations but they say it should be open any day now!

50amp sites a narrow and mostly taken by full timers so plan on using a 30 amp. site. they are all gravel sites with picnic tables and grill. ask of the grass sites. they are close to the pool and seem nicer. amenities are great-pool, hot tub, club house, mini golf, off leach dog area. only down fall was fire ants. with the lake of rain in the area they ants were all over. the river is nice a small hike from the camp. great fishing area we’d go back in the fall or spring to hot in the summer

We just stayed here this past weekend and we will definitely be back! This place is amazing! Nicer than most KOAs and similarly priced but with more stuff to do. There is a heated pool ( like actually heated) a hot tub, a cute playground, basketball half court, pickle ball courts, mini golf course, dog park, and a river nearby. On top of all they that have great activities available on the weekend like kids crafts, a movie night, live music and a nice campfire. Honestly this place is very well cared for and it shows. The staff were all very friendly, and public bathrooms were some of the nicest and cleanest I’ve ever seen! The even offered free breakfast on Sunday. Also they weren’t too close to the freeway ( we have a pop-up so we hear everything at night), but only a few minutes from gas stations and Starbucks as well as McDonalds and other fast food places.

Stayed here for two weeks. This campground is nestled behind some hills right next to the Verde River. It’s a beautiful setting with a huge variety of sites. There’s a mix of full timers and daily/weekly visitors. The entire staff is very friendly and helpful. I can’t say we met a bad neighbor either, and most were super nice people.

We stayed near the pool lodge. The pool and hot tub were very clean. There is a horseshoe pit, tennis courts, and basketball courts that didn’t seem to get much use. Still, nice to have for people staying longer term.

The only irritation I had was the speed limits. I understand the reasoning, but getting in and out of the park was a pain just because it took so long to drive 5-10 mph for 1-2 mile stretches. Most of that drive is through uninhabited areas, but I think Thousand Trails is just covering their rears for liability sake.

Oh, and internet is almost non-existent. I had a T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon phone, and all were pretty much worthless most of the time. We paid $15 for a week of WiFi, but ended up asking for a refund as it was even more unusable than our phones. Still, you can only ask so much from a campsite when it gets far enough off the grid.

So, overall a great experience, and would definitely love to stay there again in the future.

Crown king has been an amazing destination for my family for years....

Love this place..

This majestic spot is roughly ~26 miles (from Bumble Bee) of bumpy dirt roads, steep terrain, switchbacks, and the occasional one vehicle bridge. The main city of Crown King has a general store with essentials and a 1 pump fuel station. Prices are steep so best advised to fill up on gas and supplies before heading up. The Hazlitt Hollow campground and Horse Thief Basin Lake are ~7 miles from the main city of Crown King and definitely require a high clearance vehicle (4x4 highly recommended). Horse Thief Lake is truly a magical place and beyond serene. The lake fish species present include Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, and Muskie. The weather is very similar to Prescott with an elevation of 6,000 ft. Peaceful, quiet, serene, and soothing all describe this area perfectly.

We love heading up to Crown King! For dispersed camping, this place is top notch. When you head to town there are services, the saloon, breakfast joint, and pizza place coming soon. It’s not fancy but it’s fabulous! I can’t wait to go hideaway again soon.

I've camped here twice, once solo in a tent and once in a cabin with my family and dog.

This facility is clean, quiet (depending on your site neighbors, of course), close to town, and has great amenities.

The tent sites had decent separation from each other with adequate shrubbery in between.

The cabin loop is wonderfully private from the rest of the park and a great getaway for anyone looking for some peace and quiet.

Bathrooms are well maintained, lots of trails, good fishing opportunities in the lagoons.

Absolutely will camp here again.

My goal was to find a nice tent spot nestled in between Cottonwood and Sedona, and along the Verde River for easy canoe access. Upon driving onto the property we were greeting by a very friendly gatekeeper who wished us a great stay and suggested spots for canoeing and exploring the area. 

We were happy to find that the resort had a lovely pool and jacuzzi, (perfect after a day of adventuring or traveling) warm, cozy bathrooms after sleeping in a tent site in 50 degrees, and large clean campsites, many of them with trees and many close enough to hear the Verde River water down below. Being unable to get to the river from our campsite was our only disappointment. We stayed in the "A" section, which has tent and pop-up spots around rows of their mini cabins and RV spots. We were initially worried about the noise from all of the RV's, being more of the backwoods camping sorts, but the entire place is very calm and quiet. 

A short walk across what the property will find you at Alcantara Winery. It was the perfect place to end our day of exploring the area. I'd certainly come back to the park in the future.

Outstanding one night stay at the DHR Cabins. The family had an awesome stay. Cabins right on the river, quiet and spread out enough. Walked and fished the river, so peaceful. Cleanest bathrooms I have ever been to at a campsite. Would suggest this to anyone, had a blast!

Ranger Review: Humangear at Dead Horse Ranch State Park

Campground Review

We had a great time at Dead Horse Ranch! We just moved to Arizona, so we went in with zero expectations and were very pleased with just about everything.

Just 2 days beforehand, we booked our cabin on the campground website, the official Arizona State Parks site. The process was seamless, and we even got to pick our specific cabin out at no extra cost or fuss. We even got a confirmation email with our cabin unlock code on it when we booked. So convenient!

When we arrived at the park, we were warmly greeted by the Ranger and given instructions on getting to the cabin and activities in the park. Our cabin was small but just what we needed. It has an air conditioner/heater, so what more could you want!

After settling in, we drove around and saw the park has a lovely fishing and paddling area. Sadly we didn’t bring our fishing gear or boat, so we will have to do that next time. But there are lots of covered picnic areas and shading trees along the water.

While there, we did three “hikes”. They have real hikes there, but we have a 5, 3 and 1 year old so we had to keep it mellow. But the nature walks they had were great for that age group and was just enough to not burn out the kids. One of the hikes, per suggestion of the ranger, leads down to a little lagoon of water stopped between two dams. The kids were able to splash and play there -- it was just perfect! We went there twice in the 24 hours we were at the park.

All in all, a wonderful experience. There is a lot to see and do at this park. My only criticism is the bathrooms for the cabins. They are just fine, but there are only 2 of them for 8 cabins. Instead of having a bathroom with stalls and showers, it is just two stalls total that include a toilet, urinal, sink, and shower in a big lockable room. Seemed like an odd choice. I had to wait to use the bathroom several times because of this, and only have the cabins were occupied.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At Dead Horse Ranch, I tested a GoToob+, Flexibowl, and GoBites products from Humangear.

With the GoToob+, I decided to homemake a special hot dog sauce ahead of time and bring it to the campsite with me in the GoToob+. It worked perfectly! I especially love the new feature, called the LoopLock that slips up over the top of the cap as an extra security against leaks. When I have all my food packed for camping, the last thing I want to think about is leaking sticky sauce all over everything. Awesome feature.

Here is the recipe for the Sweet Campin’ Sauce:

• 1/2 tsp Onion powder
• 1/4 cup Honey
• 3/4 cup Ketchup
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup Brown sugar
• 1 tsp Cider vinegar

Mix all these together in a saucepan until all sugars are dissolved and ingredients are melted together. Allow to cool slightly and pour carefully into your GoToob+ and snap on the LoopLock. Throw into your camping cooler and enjoy some high-class dogs as you camp!

Here is a video I made to show you how: Ranger Review: https://youtu.be/Oj7enCSig5U

I also really loved the Flexibowl and GoBites utensils. The Flexibowl has a lip that can be flipped up or down, if you want more of a secure “bowl” or more of an open “cup”. I used it for homemade cole slaw.

The GoBites utensils came in really handy, especially the sharp knife! I needed to cut up hot dog into tiny pieces for my baby, and the knife did a great job. Also love the little toothpick included in the box -- shows a level of thougtfulness.

If you want any of these products, visit http://www.humangear.com/