Best RV Parks & Resorts near Portal, AZ

Alaskan RV Park is conveniently located off of I-10 at Exit 366 near Bowie. The park features affordable RV sites at $20/night. The sites are all spacious pull-throughs. There is a dump station on site($10), and water refill available (based on tank size, but not more than $20). The park is handicap accessible and pet friendly. No breed restrictions. Tenting is also available. There are showers and laundry available. Alaskan RV Park is Bowie's best kept secret as it was the site of the Sideman Jamboree each year and featured music from country stars. The park hopes to bring music back to the stage in the future.

Bonita Canyon CG- Chiricahua NM: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)

Overall Rating: Campsites in outer loop are more nicely spaced(rate 4) and trailer adds to privacy. Inner loop sites are often a bit close (rate 3). Price 2024: $ 10 w interagency Usage during visit: Very full, especially weekends.
Site Privacy: No Site Spacing: Outside sites are spacious Pad surface: Gravel Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Very quiet.
Outside Road Noise: None Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: No Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: No Potable Water Available: Yes. Spigots are scattered, locations clearly marked Generators: Allowed, but other than ours, I never heard one. Bathroom: Built by CCC. Clean and rustic. I like them. Showers: No Pull Throughs: I didn’t notice any Cell Service (AT&T): No. WiFi at the visitor center Setting: Woods Recent Weather: 70s to low 80s.
Solar: At our site with good positioning, we were able to bring in 12amps per day with 400 watt fixed panels.
Insects: None now Host: Yes, 2 couples Rig Size: Limited to 24’.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that the Male showers/restroom was under construction and not usable.

Gravel drive-through and back-in spots for RVs with 30 or 50 amp connections, water and sewer. Two tent spots. North of Willcox, but the city is small enough that the whole town is within walking distance (we walked to the center of town in about 15 minutes).

This is basically an old trailer park that has been upgraded to accommodate RVs around the perimeter and a couple of tents near the park/restroom area.

The shower/restroom area also has laundry facilities.

We didn't go into the rec room, but were told it has a pool table and a book/video exchange-type library.

The Rodeo grounds are a short drive across the freeway (don't follow your GPS if it tells you to use airport road - take the route that uses Rex Allen Drive) at Quail park (about 2 miles away - straight shot).  This is a very convenient park to the Rodeo Grounds.

This park, as was all of Willcox (even though it was Rex Allen Days weekend) is VERY QUIET. Didn't see anyone other than a couple of dog walkers in the morning and the staff when we checked in.

I have Verizon and management stated Verizon is the best in this small town and look at my screen shot, it's no joke. He said all other carriers suck.

This is on top of their 2 free wifi access they provide which are already fast! So if you need to get work done and reliant on good internet speeds, you've found the spot.

Place is a mix of mobile homes and RV park. Each site has their own picnic table and FHU. Water spigot is on the ground, not elevated. Laundry, showers, rec room (pool table, full kitchen, DVDs, books) and BBQ grill are included. Cats roaming everywhere. Fairly flat gravel parking. Management had to put me in a 50 amp site (#9) because their 30 amp sites were full at no extra charge. He even let me borrow the 50/30 amp converter as I didn't have one. Management lives in a mobile home near office and it was nice as he is available after regular hours.

Quiet place overall. If you come on trash day (Tuesday), you might get woken up by it if you're in our site as it's next to the alley.

As stated, very small town. We had dinner at Isabella's South Of The Border. Food wasn't as great as the reviews but decent for the area. Fun tip: Isabella is the wife of the owner of The Big Tex BBQ.

Various Oaks and Alligator Junipers abound at this cute little National Forest campground tucked in the Dragoon Mountains, another of Arizona’s beautiful “Islands in the Sky.”  Named for the late Apache leader, Chief Cochise, this campground sits at the base of a few absolutely gorgeous hiking trails and rock climbing areas.

Each site has a good amount of space but oddly a small amount of space for tents and RV’s longer than 24 feet won’t fit in most of the sites.  There is no privacy in between sites, but each site has good tree coverage (almost too much for our solar suitcase on an extension cord). Each site has a huge cement picnic table, fire ring, and grill and there are a couple composting toilets.  There was no drinking water available at the campground (the website says there is water), but there is a creek you can pull water from for filtering, so come prepared.

Important note:  If there is rain in the forecast, be aware that you may get stuck in this campground for a couple of days, as you have to cross numerous washes on the road to/from the campground. We were there for 3 days before it was safe to pull a small camper across the “death wash” that grew to 6 feet high and 20 feet wide during a 24-hour rain event!

If approved by congress, Chiricahua National Monument will become Arizona's fourth National Park.  While the current monument  is a compact area geographically,  it definitely has the uniqueness of a national park and warrants the added protections.  It will however make a very special place more popular, so you might want to visit sooner than later. 

If you camp in a tent, van, micro-camper, or small travel trailer you will find Bonita Canyon Campground to be a memorable and wonderful place.  Don't try to bring any big rigs as they simply won't fit.  Reservations are a must. 

The campground is small, beautiful, shaded and right in the middle of some incredible scenery providing easy access to the fantastic hiking and wildlife viewing that is all around you.  Hosts were professional and friendly, bathhouse small but super clean, and the site boundaries were mostly marked with fences which is somewhat unique.  This is an old CCC built campground.  From the campground you can easily walk to the foundations of the original camp located nearby.  

Pay attention to fire regulations and status.  If permitted, campfires are limited to the raised grills (no rings) but you can bring your own solo type camp stove. You will need to bring your own wood and ice.  Pay attention to your fuel levels in your vehicle as this is a remote place.  

This is premier birdwatching country.  If you can, I would highly recommend taking  one of the guided walks provided by the rangers and park biologists.  We learned a bunch and I am not even "a birder" and enjoyed it.  The nearby visitor center will have the details. 

The Arizona Coatimundi's are a very unique mammal and frequently visit the campground.  Deer, turkeys, quail, and other wildlife are in abundance and easy to see from the hikes.  The views of the night sky are unparalleled. 

A short drive away provides access to some incredible trails for hiking or simply viewing the surrounding Wilderness areas.  The rock features found in this area make it unique. 

This continues to be one of our favorite places in Arizona to camp and hike.

There are some campgrounds that just stick out in your mind for their beauty, location, and proximity to other cool stuff.  Sunny Flat is one of them. As the name implies, here’s a place where you can put out your solar panel and charge up. But the experience re-charges more than just your camper batteries.   We could probably spend an entire season in this place.

Located on the eastern side of the Chiricahuan Mountains, in the Coronado National Forest, Sunny Flat lies tucked in a wide basin surrounded by stunning rock out croppings. Each site offers a picnic table, sun shelter, and fire ring. The pit toilets were clean and well-maintained, and the potable water on-site was delicious. But it just feels like you’re tucked away into a little nook of forested landscape in an otherwise spare desert location. Here is an oasis that welcomes migrating birds, a habitat for bears and mountain lions and a break from the heat of the valley. 

Hiking and mountain biking opportunities are plenty, as well as birding locations. During the hummingbird migration, several sites within the town of Portal, AZ, offer opportunities to observe some of your favorites.

The closest town with anything other than a convenience store is a long way away, so come prepared with groceries...and fill up on gas.