Best Equestrian Camping near Flagstaff, AZ

We stayed here for 3 days and had a blast. This place has all the amenities of a resort level KOA!! You’re about 50 minutes from the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, and 35 from flagstaff. We’ll stay here again if we’re back in the area!

We stayed here for our first trip with a TT in December 2020. Water and electric hookups. They have a dump station. They have a lake to fish in and equestrian center to go on horse back rides.

Dead Horse Ranch is a beautiful Arizona state park. It is also a great home base because it is down the street from Tuzigoot National Monument and close to Sedona and Monetzuma Castle National Monument. It is just outside the charming city of Cottonwood.

The Little Elden Springs Horse Campground is a reservation HORSE/MULE ONLY campground. There are 15 pull-through sites, many that can accommodate 4-horse live-n trailers. There is a new pit toilet building as of 2022 and 7 water points around the campus.

Here is a link to a video I made of the campground.

https://youtu.be/qtEmtsXoUi0

We pulled into our spot at Dead Horse Ranch as the temps crept below freezing. This was our first night ever in a campervan, and we were feeling very fortunate for scoring the last site with electricity. 

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It snowed in the night (February) and we woke to discover that the bathhouse was heated with free hot showers. This, combined with dishwashing stations (again with hot water) and friendly campground hosts, made for a lovely stay at Dead Horse Ranch.

The only downside was the lack of privacy between sites - fine for van or RV camping, but not ideal for tenters. 

There are a couple of nice trails in the park, one leading into Old Town Cottonwood - try Old Town Cafe for their flaky croissants! Dead Horse Ranch is about 30 minutes from Sedona and fantastic hiking, which we took advantage of all three nights we were there. 

Bottom line, this was not a wilderness experience, but Dead Horse Ranch provides nice sites and great amenities, and you can't beat the convenience of the location. 

We preferred the Red Tailed Hawk loop to all the others, and really liked sites 57 - 64 for the views and access to trails.

The forest was closed in Northern Arizona so I decided to camp out at Dead Horse Ranch SP.  I was pretty pleased overall with my trip.  My campsite was comfortable and private enough, considering how close the sites are at this campground.  I had some shade trees to help keep my travel trailer cool but definitely needed to run the AC all night in order to stay comfortable.  The RV sites here have fresh water and power, but no sewer.  There is a dump station at the park entrance that is easily accessible when both entering and exiting the park. I enjoyed fishing, hiking, and bike riding while I was here but had to limit my outdoor activities to the morning hours due to the heat.  

One afternoon I went into old town Cottonwood, which is only a couple of miles from the park.  It's a great place to visit if you're into antiques or wine tasting.

Can be crowded and full of youngsters but close to all Flagstaff has to offer. Aim for RV spots 1-8 for best views and least crowded options.

This a great location with easy access to I-40 & I-17. They were able to accommodate us with no reservation. Clean park with lots of activities. Easy access to flagstaff.

We are always pleased with our stay here. The park has so many different activities from hiking, horse trail, lakes and access to the verde river. We stayed in spot 97 this time and had some privacy with the bushes and trees from our neighbors. The bathrooms were clean and well maintained. There is a fun bike track for the kids or even adults up by the tent loop. Cottonwood is just a few miles and lots to do in town.

Spent a few days here last Spring and loved it.  The sites were decent.  I was lucky to have one with a view but overall the site was decent.  There are quite a few campgrounds and a couple were up the mountain slightly.  Def suggest checking those campgrounds out - not much shade in those areas.  The Quail campground had ample shade.  Nearby towns - Cottonwood, Jerome - have lots of shopping, dining options.  Sedona is also not a far drive and beautiful.  Definitely recommend staying in this area if not at Dead Horse.

Wow, what an awesome state park! Camping here with little ones was awesome, it had so much to do. The three small lakes are a great spot to fish and lots of shade. A horse stable and playground are nearby. There are 4 camping loops, 1 tent only. The cabins are on a separate road and have so much space and shade between. There is also river access. Close to national monuments and wineries. Not too far from Sedona and Jerome. Lots of day trips close by. We will be back!

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/

Where to begin? Bring your bicycles, kids, horses, and a great attitude and you and have nothing but fun here very clean very well maintained nice helpful people.. it's close to anything you want to go to Jerome the ruins the casino Sedona it has all the amenities that you would want to take care of you your family or any gifts that you have with you..

Really nice facility. Great bathrooms and showers. There's an area to take the little ones down to river where they play in the water safely,. Dogs are welcome and the playground has a really fun mini zip line. The place is well-maintained, especially the restrooms. Camp hosts were welcoming and knowledgeable about hiking. Fun place to hike.

Nice campground if you are staying close to conveniences of Flagstaff or to watch a concert at Pepsi amphitheater. We got a group site, 5 vehicles and 6 or 7 tents. We had plenty of space! The only problem with our site was that it was situated near the fence to what looked like a 4-H event. The cows and sheep were very noisy. I'm sure if you picked a site closer to the interior of the campground it wouldn't be as noisy.

We needed a quick place to tent camp close to flagstaff, AZ and we found this campsite on the Dyrt. We tent camped for one night at a cost of 23.00$. Our site was fine, cell service was good, they only have port-a-potty’s, it they were clean, and had auto lights for night time. The campground sold out while we were there, it seems they have a lot of groups attending this camp. There is an extreme course in the same park, lots of activities. No showers, water is extra, location was great, and the host was nice and accommodating.

Dead Horse Ranch State Park is a perfect place to stay if you want to visit, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Tuzigoot National Monument, Old Cottonwood, Red Rock State Park, Jerome and the many Sedona attractions. Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot are pet friendly although if your pet doesn’t like stairs Tuzigoot may be a little more difficult walk for them. The price of one ticket covers both National Monuments and Tuzigoot is only 4 miles from the campground. Within the campground, there are three lagoons and miles of trails to hike or bike. The bathrooms are well maintained, and the showers had great water pressure. We were in site 91 which was a large site and level, but the metal picnic bench needs to be replaced. Brush between the sites adds privacy. Staff and the camp host were all very friendly and helpful. Firewood can be purchased for$8 cash from the camp host. The dump station is on the way out of the park is easy to access. Overall, we enjoyed the park. It was very quiet and a great location to multiple attractions.

My family and I stayed here in a 34’ travel trailer for one night in late July. To get to the campground, travel thru the county park and follow the signs to Luke AFB recreation area. The campground is part of a larger complex that includes a lodge, cabins, and yurts. All amenities are shared so we had access to a large playground, basketball and volleyball courts, the store, and the bathhouse. The county park itself has playgrounds, an amphitheater, bike trails, and an awesome disc golf course. At each site is a picnic table and a fire pit, with hookups for electric and water. Our site was huge, but others can be a bit tight. Adjacent to the campground is the fairgrounds, which is bordered by an unattractive chain fence. The pump-out station was backed up and unusable while we were there. I’d say the best aspects are the price and the convenience to Flagstaff which is only three miles away. We would stay again.

Canyon Vista Campground. Flagstaff, AZ

(71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)

Overall Rating: 3.5 Price 2024: $ 13 w interagency pass Security: host is at entrance and active Usage during visit: Fills up as only first come first serve w facilities in area during spring Site Privacy: No Site Spacing: Good for some sites Pad surface: Dirt Reservations: First come first serve Campground Noise: Quiet Outside Road Noise: May be noticeable from first couple of sites.
Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: no Sewer Hookup: no Dump Station: no Potable Water Available: Limit is 5 gallons per day for each site. A market about 10 minutes SE sells water to fill at a reasonable rate . Can fill into containers or direct into the RV. Generators: Allowed Bathroom: Pit toilets are kept VERY clean and well supplied.
Showers: no

Cell Service (AT&T): 3 bars Setting: Ponderosa Forest Recent Weather: Sunny and windy, 20mph ,some of the time Solar: Good in most sites Insects: None during our visit Host: Yes.
Rig Size: Large rigs are no problem Sites: a bit more secluded , less solar:8,10, 14 Better Solar and a bit more secluded : 7,9, 5,6

We had a wonderful stay at Canyon Vista Campground. It's remarkably close to the city, Flagstaff, but tucked away in the forest, it feels remote. We went in June 2019, and it wasn't crowded at all. The hosts were absolutely wonderful. They came by and checked that we had everything we needed and offered us water. They gave us a general idea of the campground. They had installed little motion sensor lights in the bathroom, so you don't have to fumble with phones or flashlights to use the loo. They have a box of reading materials, books, maps, etc. like a little free library set up. They had 5 wonderful dogs, all leashed, controlled and super friendly and adorable. A few are trained therapy dogs, just wonderful sweet, quiet dogs. It was so clear to me that the hosts really took pride in making sure their guests had a good experience at the campground. I don't think I've ever stayed at a campground where the hosts went so out of their way to make sure I felt at home. I highly recommend this campground to travelers, or locals who just want a chance of scenery, just minutes from the city!

Great location, 5min to Flagstaff, shares property w/high ropes course and amphitheatre. Only 3 stars because campsites are small and crowded together—hopefully you like your neighbors... Ours were loud and drunk till 1:30am even though that isnt the norm, as the rest of the camping families were quiet by 11pm. Also the bathrooms are just porta-potties, same as you’d see at concerts. We usually opt for dispersed camping with no amenities at all, so we’re not princesses by any means; however, we expected at least some kind of flush toilet and hand washing sink for this nightly price rate. So we give 3 stars to this campground all in all.

We would give negative stars if possible to our specific campsite: (D17). DO NOT STAY AT D17! In the center of the space is a giant sewer access point, a big cement well with metal manhole cover. IT STUNK! For a campground that doesn’t offer any plumbing, why did we have a giant sewer in our campsite?! So we moved our tents back into the woods, maybe 20 feet back from our “designated” area. Of course we got told by the very curt host to move our tents back up front right near the sewer. Ugh! If we had any other spots to move to we would have! RentIng this space out to folks who want a lovely weekend out in the fresh air is cheap and deceptive.

We spent 3 nights here, using our camp spot as a"command center" for exploring the area around Cottonwood(including Sedona, Jerome, Montezuma's Castle, Tuzigoot, etc. etc.) We kept busy and were really not"home" during many daylight hours, but it was a great base to return to each evening. Dead Horse Ranch State Park has A LOT of camping spots, and can accomodate pretty much any vehicle. We were in a pull through site(31) that we really liked. The only surprise was that our nicely blacktopped spot was not very level...we had to put two blocks under the front passenger tire and one under the rear passenger tire. Hardly the end of the world though. One night we were there was Monday night, and folks were outside enjoying grilling and watching the game. But nothing ever got anything close to rowdy. It was a very quiet campground, and even though every site was full, and honestly, the space between sites is only about average, we never felt squeezed in or encroached upon. Every site has a picnic table and a grill. The electric and water hookups were fine(water pressure not the best I've ever had, but more than okay). Because it's such a busy place for camping, the two dump stations on the way out of the park DO sometimes have a wait. And one of them doesn't have access to water, which is tough when you prefer to also backflush your black tank.

The park itself is lovely, but unless you like fishing, probably won't hold you there too long. It's more as a quiet, inexpensive pretty place to stay rather than a destination in and of itself. We walked around a couple of lagoons and enjoyed some bird activity...but I would say don't think of this place as the be-all, end-all of your trip. But you're 30ish minutes to Sedona, 20ish minutes to Jerome, etc. We would certainly stay here again.

The campground is being totally overhauled. It looks great so far and the facilities are very clean and nice. there is a nice big pool. the major thing missing are trees for shade and some privacy. there are only a few spots with nice big trees, all other sites have nothing. Which is OK in the Arizona winter, but not when it is still hot.

We were here when it as really slow, not sure what it will like when the campground is full.