Searching for a dispersed camping spot near Munds Park? The Dyrt provides you with a diverse selection of places to camp, from dispersed backcountry camping to boondocking, and everything in-between. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campsite for your Arizona camping adventure.
It is labelled as East Pocket on a map, but known to locals as “The End of The World,” the perfect nickname to describe this climactic viewpoint. Flagstaff sits upon a lofty plateau carpeted in high-elevation pine forest, but just south of town, the bottom drops out. Below a craggy rim of volcanic rock, the land takes a precipitous plunge into an entirely different world of red rock and sandstone towers. This is the realm of Sedona, and End of The World overlooks all of it.
Pumphouse Wash (Forest Road 237) is__a popular dispersed camping area in the ponderosa pine forest__along SR 89A, midway between Flagstaff and Sedona, Arizona. The area is__conveniently located near__Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, Flagstaff, Woody Mountain Road, Lake Mary, and a variety of recreation sites. It is a popular alternative to traditional campgrounds for visitors to Oak Creek Canyon and the Flagstaff area.There are four campsite loops, each containing__between__11 and__26 signed and numbered sites. The site offers__excellent camping opportunities for large groups as well as families and individuals.__Most sites offer partial to full shade beneath towering ponderosa pine trees, and are generally flat, making it easy to set up tents or campers. Each site has parking and a campfire ring. There is no trash service, so if you pack it in, pack it out. There are no restroom facilities. Portable toilets are highly recommended.FR 237 and the camping loop roads are well maintained and suitable for passenger cars.__Photo tour from this site [Flickr].
Please check the website for the most up to date information about closings and bans.
Dispersed camping is permitted off of FR 618 on FR 689 prior to FR 645A (see Motor Vehicle Map)
Dispersed camping has increased throughout the Flagstaff wildland urban interface in the past several years. In many areas, this has caused resource impacts such as soil compaction and erosion, loss of vegetation, increased fire risk, displacement of wildlife, and accumulation of trash and human waste. To help prevent unacceptable resource damage, disturbance to wildlife and reduce fire risk from dispersed camping, the Forest Service has designated 14 campsites along the Freidlein Prairie road for dispersed camping. Camping and campfires are allowed only at designated sites along Freidlein Prairie Road. There is a map in the area showing site locations. All designated campsites along Freidlein Prairie (FR 522) are located on the south side of the road, with the exception of campsite #1 and #3. Signs have been placed along the road when entering and leaving the designated camping area. The designated campsites are marked with a brown vertical fiberglass post with a site number and a "Designated Campsite" decal. Each designated dispersed campsite has a place to park, fire ring, a place for a tent and no fees. Once you have found a designated site you will find another fiberglass sign that reads "Camp within 50 feet of this post to reduce impact to forest vegetation. Please take all of your trash with you and leave only one fire ring." The east end of Freidlein Prairie Road (approximately 1.5 miles) has a seasonal camping closure for campsites 10 through 14. This seasonal camping closure means campsites 10 through14 will be closed to camping from March 1 to August 31 to reduce disturbance to Mexican spotted owls during the breeding season. This area has traditionally been used by Mexican spotted owls for nesting and a pair of owls are being impacted by increased recreational use and are failing to reproduce. Most sites cannot accommodate RV. Seasonal closures or fire restrictions/closures may be in place. During both Stage 1 and Stage 2 Fire Restrictions, campfires are prohibited at this site. Gas operated devices with an on/off switch are allowed.
Dispersed Camping Guidelines: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coconino/home/?cid=stelprdb5313448
Guide
This was our first time boondocking in the forest of Williams, AZ. A friend told us about the free dispersed camping along Dog Town Rd. which is only about 5 miles outside of the cute town of Williams. There are many spots available to boondocks amidst the cool pines and forest. Tent camping, RV's, 4x4s, were everywhere. We give this area 4 stars only because recent logging in the area left some areas with ugly burn piles and stacks of burned wood. Otherwise, it was a great location.
Close to the Grand Canyon, Bearizona, Route 66, Dog Town Lake, Coleman Lake, Flagstaff, Lava Tubes Cave, Deer Park
Scout
As of May 1, 2023 the Coconino National Forest Service has closed down many dispersed camping areas around the city of Flagstaff. This area is included in that. You can still drive off-road and explore during the day when the Walnut Canyon National Monument is open, but no camping and no camp fires are allowed.
Scout
This is a good dispersed camping spot with lots of sites and vegetation to keep you hidden. Flat level terrain.
Traveler
Just a nice dispersed camping spot, easy access off the main road, and not too far out of Sedona. Loved this spot!
Guide
Nice dispersed camping spot just off the AZT. Plenty of room and nice spots, flat with awesome views north of the San Francisco Peaks.
Traveler
Corroborate the most recent reviews. Giving it a 3 becuz we've had such gr8 times there and last time showed up at nite to discover all the spread out dispersed sites were now mining claims but we stayed anyway. Not all the sites have signs stating (as of Aug 22) the mining claim, but are blocked off by rocks. Def a hassle to park so far away from where u would wanna camp. Obvs ur own discretion. Did prompt some reading on mining claims on federal land blm land and it seems pretty screwed. Jus the thought they might be destroying this beautiful location for whatever mining purpose, also not good cuz it's so close to ancient cliff dwellings. Truly still wildin in the west when it comes to mining.
Traveler
This was one of the quickest and easiest dispersed camping spots I've set up in. In the morning, it's super easy to get back onto the road, hit the trails, or head into Flagstaff.
Guide
What an awesome area with an endless amount of spots to set up camp at. Like others my wife and I drove way past the turn to the dispersed camping area and made our way down to the water. But like Boss Ross always said, that turned out to be a happy mistake because it was so beautiful down there. We felt like we were in Colorado. We went to the end and turned around and ended up finding a camping spot in a very secluded area that over looked the cliff. Also, I did not know the Arizona Trail goes right through this area. RAD!! Over all, an epic spot and we will be back. Next time we will try and find that overlook spot of the view of the reservoir.
Scout
It was your typical dispersed camping experience at ~6500 feet. Pine trees. Cool nights. Beautiful place. Schnebly Hill seems like a campground more geared toward off-roaders though. We saw at least 40 ATVs, Polaris, quads, etc...and we were only there for 24 hours. The Foxboro Lake was bone dry but the dam was still neat to check out. About 15 minutes north is Munds Park and Pinewood...go there for an even more off the beaten path experience. It was pleasant but I wouldn't recommend if you're really looking to get away from PEOPLE. Its a great outdoors spot if you just want some fresh air mountain vibes. PS - Please bury your toilet paper after wiping and while you're at it bury your poop! Ladies, we dont like to see tampon applicators left in the wild. Be better humans in the wild PLEASE!
Traveler
We opted to come up Schnebly Hill Rd from the west side (downtown Sedona). If you take this approach, a 4x4 with high clearance is a must. Bonus if you have some off-roading experience. There were some pretty gnarly rock patches that required some skill to traverse safely (thanks to my husband!) We camped at two different spots along the road on consecutive nights. Both nights were relatively quiet with only a few vehicles passing. Secluded, quiet, beautiful, flat - overall the perfect dispersed camping spots! If you drive in from the I-17 side, the spots get really sweet about 5-6 miles in. Not suitable for RVs but perfect for RTT or tent camping
Guide
Dispersed camping down a long, dirt road overlooking beautiful canyon and Sedona red rock. Rock fire rings at some sites, but signs indicated camp fires were not allowed. This is a very popular camping spot, so arrive early or try to camp during the week. Off-road vehicle recommended. We encountered many mosquitoes and bees, so bring big spray.
Traveler
Road is well maintained, plenty of dispersed camping spots. We have a 26 ft class c RV and there was plenty of spots for us. There were a lot of ATVs and dirt bikes which were pretty noisy but other than that this place was great. Verizon and ATT both have cell service. 1-2 bars of LTE.
Guide
Great dispersed camping spot close to Sedona!
Heads up we camped a little further down on Beaverhead Rd where there were more open spots and an easier dirt road to drive onto. Plenty of spots to choose from which was surprising on a holiday week (Christmas to New Years). The camping was a lot quieter than I expected even though there were a bunch of other campers. Everyone seemed to be able to find a spot far enough from another to have a secluded space.
The location is super convenient from Oak Village and downtown Sedona. There is even a back way on highway 89 if you find yourself in West Sedona and don't want to drive through traffic to get to highway 179.
Legend
Boondocking off a forest rd. There are a number of camping spots off a forest rd. Most are level. Good cell reception. There's a lake that has a nice trail and campground.
LegendWe stopped here for the night after spending all day in Sedona. Sedona turned out to be incredibly crowded and busy when we were there, and there was no room for us anywhere even to pull over and park somewhere. Definitely not the mystical healing relaxing place I'd heard so much about.
We thought at least if Sedona was a disappointment, hopefully the surrounding dispersed camping land would be beautiful. However, all the Forest Service land surrounding Sedona that we thought would be great to boondock on had roads that were way too rough and rutted for us in our 26ft motorhome.
So we stopped here at this spot for the night, at the very beginning of FS Rd 525 (Loy Butte Rd), along with lots of other RVs and vans and busses, and left first thing in the morning. The area was really crowded, but we were pleasantly surprised at how quiet and respectful everyone staying here was.
Good cell reception.
Ranger
Nice national forest dispersed sites with many level camping areas most with firepits. Very busy In early Aug. Quiet In The pines. A fair amount of trash at several sites: folks enjoy the free sites but pick up your trash!(and other peoples if you see it)
Traveler
Free camping only next to the road with a quarter mile stretch to pick with 2 spots. Car traveling on bumpy dirt roads with dust on camp sites. I rather pay 27 dollars to save my vehicle from damage and dust.
ScoutDispersed camping along this road with a convenient location to Fossil Creek and Wet Beaver Creek trails. The campsite was clean and had a fire ring, no facilities so pack out what you pack in! The one we picked had a great view and the STARS WERE INSANE
ScoutHad a great time, dispersed camping, free spot, lots of spots, clean. Just a short drive to some great watering holes. Took a star off because there was no water within walking distance, and not much of a view from our spot. I also took a star off because it was busy and loud.
RangerAbout the same as camping on the west side of the hwy. There’s a ton of traffic, no respect from other campers who blast music, trash the forest, fire off guns at all hours, and overall not a great vibe.
Camped here over 2 days and the land, trees and forest are beautiful all around so IF you can find a secluded area you’ll be ok.
NO CELL service so take that into consideration when dispersed camping
ScoutIn order to decrease the risk of wildfires, the city of Flagstaff has placed a ban on dispersed camping within a certain perimeter near the city and this site now falls within this banned zone. A friendly ranger was parked there to divert campers and help guide to other dispersed camping options
TravelerThis is a nice spot for a free camping trip. There is no bathrooms, there is no place to get water, and as others have said it does get dirty. That being said most people pick up after themselves so most of the sites are clean and the area is quite beautiful. We used this place after we could not get a camping spot in oak creek canyon, and we did notice that it was quite a bit colder than down in the canyon at night. Designated sites were sporadically spaced out so some were close together but there was generally a decent amount of space for each site. It was a busy weekend and there was still plenty of open sites on Saturdaynight, and it looked like most people packed up and left in the morning, so I imagine there's always sites available.
The only real negative was that the sites where people left trash looked destroyed, animals got into the trash bags and made a mess. There was a big party camping just down the way from us who blasted music until 1 AM, and it didn't bother us--the space is wade enough that the music wasn't too loud--but if you like your nature to be more peaceful then you might run into that problem. There was also some people practicing shooting nearby so we could hear the occasional pop-pop-pop in the distance but the area was for the most part peaceful, just families enjoying nature.
If you're looking for a quick and FREE option last minute where you dont have to check in and there aren't too many rules and you don't mind the noise other people make, this is a great spot. Just please pack out your trash.
Scout
Dispersed Camping Sedona
Legend
Easy access to great dispersed camping. Although this is a big area, it’s busy and good spots fill up fast! We were here just after a rainstorm and the road was slippery and muddy. We didn’t have too much trouble in our FWD van but be aware that the road changes drastically in the rain! Stayed for a few days, hiked around and had a lovely stay. Was clean and trash free and everyone was pretty quiet and respectful.
Scout
Rough paved roads, but our Recvan did fine. We saw an Elk, it saw us, we walked back quickly. The surroundings are mainly bushes and rocks. Free camping with total solitude. AT&T and Tmobile both show good service. Verizon is unknown.
Traveler
We love this area for dispersed camping. Easy access from I-17, beautiful views, wildlife, nice weather!
ScoutCamped here for two nights in two different spots. Both were great, plenty of distance between me and other campers, quiet and peaceful. There were some motor bikes and ATV’s over the weekend but nothing crazy. Good free camping that is easy to access and peaceful!
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Munds Park, Arizona, where nature lovers can find serene spots away from the crowds. With stunning views and a variety of landscapes, these areas offer a perfect escape for outdoor enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Munds Park, AZ is Edge of the World (East Pocket) with a 4.5-star rating from 48 reviews.
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