Best Campgrounds near Lake Montezuma, AZ

It was very private.  I don't think anybody was camping anywhere near me.  On the weekend, a few kids would drive up and drink at the end of a road that wasn't too far away, but they drove by.  I stayed for 3 nights and visited Sedona, the Village of Oak Creek, Cottonwood, Montezuma Castle, Motezuma ('s?) Well.  The red dirt reminded me of the red clay in Georgia.

The sun can be brutal during the daytime, so if I stayed here again, I'd put up a good tarp for blocking it.  It was quiet at night, but not really dark enough for incredible stargazing. Likewise, one day, while hiking in Sedona, it seemed cool.  Sure enough, within 45 minutes, the sun was skin-burningly bright, and even my big hat wasn't enough to save me.  

A drive into town for necessities was just a quick jaunt (10 minutes?) 

If you want to get away to a site that is fairly secluded but still be near the trappings of town, go here.  Also, visit Sedona while you're here.

It did exactly what we wanted. Quiet, private, and a ba-jillion stars. We pulled a 16ft trailer with out issue. And by we, I mean my husband :)

Free dispersed campground. I saw every type of rig from Class A to tents. The views were the highlight of this location.

Found a great spot. Quiet, mostly trash free. But was a big mistake to bring trailer up due to road conditions. Lots of hiking and bicycling.

Friendly and informative staff. Clean warm restrooms (stayed durning March). Lots of hot water. Mini gym if needed. Close to historic district.

Beautiful camping area. The hot springs are a little hidden behind some bushes north of the bridge. I would recommend staying multiple nights here.

As noted here in other review, sites are close together, and ours was level enough for a night. I'm guessing a lot of Snowbirds are here. There are LOTS of big rigs, large 5th wheels (saw the biggest, longest 5th wheel we've ever seen here). Lots of rules/regs. to keep it orderly. It is safe. We did not use onsite bathrooms/showers but inside clubhouse was clean. There are laundry facilities. There is hwy noise from I-17 which is close. There is WiFi service, and pretty good food truck in mornings/lunch ("Fork in the Road").

An irksome issue: We booked a site on their website and in several places it says UNLESS you pay an extra fee they reserve the right to move you wherever they want. And, we were moved. For us it was not a big deal but it comes across as a nickle & dime issue.

Regarding day trip to Sedona from here: Per reviews we read online, be aware if you have a trailer/5th wheel or larger class C to check roads/hwy in and out of Sedona. We drove north on I-17 to the Hwy 179 exit to Sedona. To leave Sedona, we backtracked that same route and took I-17 to Flagstaff). Per reviews there are tight switchbacks on Hwy that goes directly from Sedona north to Flagstaff.

Lots of little pine tree saplings, rock formations, prairie grass. Loved the smell of the pine and sound of the wind in the trees.

Okay overall - basically a big dirt lot with people constantly coming and going. Please- check the weather before you get here. I have a 2wd van and made the mistake of parking in the back of the lot. It rained for the next several days, and the dirt lot transformed into a mud pit. This is not normal mud - it's wet concrete mud. I was stuck here for 4 days before somehow making it out due to pure desperation. I realize this is all human error on my part, but something to be aware of. FYI - the only way through the mud is the pedal to the medal it the whole time. I won't be back.

Convenient location between Cottonwood and Sedona. I drove past the big lot to a smaller area that offered more privacy. However, there was a good amount of garbage including hygiene products scattered all over. I tried to clean up most of it, but still not pleasant. I'd stop by for a night or so. You do need to buy a AZ permit per the signage.

GPS: 34.763833, -111.966719

Dirt lot that gets full every night. Even in March. Close to good OHV areas and only 8 miles south of downtown, which is great.

The Bloody Bath access road was an easy drive (F250 SD with a truck camper). Washboards were easy to navigate but watch your speed on the down hill turns. We initially selected the site closest to Bloody Bath Road but decided to move further back to a site about a 1/4 mile in. The road (trail) back to the final site was a bit washed out (dry) with some deep ruts but again easily navigated in our truck. A 2WD Van or a SUV could easily access the site. The site was quiet. The biggest bummer was the amount of trash and empty beer cans strewn around the site. Real bummer.

Good place to stay for one night if you are passing through. A little sketchy with some abandoned vehicles. Be extra careful with big rigs, there are some very tight spaces, but overall it was a good place for boondocking for the night.