Schnebly Hill Dispersed Camping

Gate closed and locked by I-17 N exit

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

We came in off I-17 after dark. For the first few miles most sites were filled with 5th wheels/pull behind campers. We wanted the dispersed camping experience, so we drove approximately 6 miles in and picked a spot. After mile 3ish, the RVs and pull behinds dwindle. If you have 4x4, here’s where the fun begins (nothing major).

We woke up to an AMAZING view! After breaking down our rooftop tent, we continued down Schnebly Hill Rd (12miles). It leads to Merry-Go-Round and other hikes. I’d say you likely need 4x4, unless you’re an experienced off-roader driving a vehicle with some clearance.

We absolutely loved the experience four wheeling and camping.

This area was insanely crowded, but that’s to be expected in Sedona nowadays. At first I thought there were several caravans, because sites were lined with vehicles/rvs almost bumper to bumper, but then I realized that was almost every site for the first mile or two. We drove about 40 minutes and finally found a small private spot, but then within the hour we had neighbors. I personally was happy to head out for more privacy.

I took the exit off I-17. I went in a little over 1/2 mile, passing many camp spots along the way. In a 24-foot Class C RV, with a car in tow on tow dolly. Bumpy, just take it slow. Although I had 2-3 bars on my phone, my Winegard 360+ antenna hooked to internal router was intermittent. So I moved right to the first pull of super close to the I-17. Wi-wi full bars. Even so close to the freeway, only a little noise. Lots of day use people in their “dune buggy’s”, quads and motorcycles. Between the OHV and some high winds, gets pretty dusty. But beautiful views, lots of trees and fire wood (dead trees) all over the place.

Beautiful views & easy to find. Just follow dirt road all the way down past the water tanks (it might feel wrong, but you’re going the right way!). Several spots with fire pits not far from the Schnebly vista point. Some areas need a vehicle with larger clearance, if not 4wd. Pretty accessible nonetheless.

Drove up here, got off exit 320 from the 1-17, currently the entrance is closed as of 3/10/22.

We took the Schnebly Hill rd exit in downtown Sedona. We decided not to take the I-17 route because we wanted an off-roaring experience. The I-17 route and the Sedona route both lead to the Schnebly hill vista outlook. The Sedona route is SUPER BUMPY! We’re in a Ford Raptor and it took close to an hour or more to get to the top. If you take the 1-17 route you’ll get to the outlook in 15-20 min. Any suv and most cars can make the 1-17 route, but it gets bumpy the last .5 mile or so.

Pros of the Sedona route: Beautiful drive through Sedona, awesome views of Sedona on the way up. Extreme trail if you’re looking to go off-roading.

Pros of I-17 route: Smooth dirt roads, pine forest, faster route once you’re on Schnebly Hill rd. Most cars and SUVs can make the drive.

Camping is not allowed at the vista outlook. We found a few fire pits about a half mile away from the sign where we set up camp. No views from the campsite but the outlook was a short walk away.

This campsite was beautiful, problem was coming up the road from Sedona was quite the difficult road. A vehicle with high clearance and 4x4 is recommended for that. Coming from the 17, it was much easier. Overall nice place.

It had just rained and the road was pretty muddy so we did alot of sliding. We stayed one night on a Tuesday, there weren't very many people. The spaces are spread far apart that you don't even notice other people near by. The first 1-2 miles in you can hear the highway noise which wasn't awful when car camping, but if in a tent you will hear it for sure. If you go further up the road the noise goes away and it's much more peaceful. We are driving a front wheel 2 wheel drive kia sportage and we almost made it to the top but the mud was making it to difficult for us to keep going. It's a really pretty site. The coordinates are accurate.

Use the coordinates given to get you to Schenbly road. But continue on that road until you find a camping spot you prefer. Would recommend an AWD vehicle if you want a spot closer to the vista. The road gets much bumpier and rugged. We got there around 4 pm on a Saturday and got one of the last spots with a pretty good view. The spots are secluded enough you don’t see or notice your neighbors when you farther down the road. Good fire rings, cell service available, and space around the campsites to roam and explore the area. Awesome camping spot! Definitely recommend.

Thank you to another user that posted the coordinates are incorrect! I will confirm to take 17 North and Exit at 320 Schnebly Hill Road, follow the road veer to the left and drive over the cattle gate. The further one drives in more campsites are visible. Also, driving down a dirt road will reveal more. Lots of options. This is a popular spot, arrive early to set up your apot. Mostly avid travels in big campers and RVs that stay for a while. Dirt toad with some large rocks, I did fine with a 2 wheel drive Honda CRV. This is a road that leads to Sedona, it is active with traffic even late at night. Popular with ATVs, so can get noisy. Sat morning is really loud in this road with ATV adventurers. Depending on your campsite, you can hear highway traffic all night. Agree with previous poster entey to this BLM parcel is easy from 17. I have Verizon cell service, had 2 bars, enough for phone calls and texting.

My Jeep Renegade made it up the front side of the mountain like a champ. The backside is like a fire road, we say a Honda Civic drive up the easy side with no problems. The front side is only for 4x4 high clearance vehicles. The campsite was breathtaking.

Off the beaten path, plenty of camping available.