AZ Camping Question

Guys,

I want to do a little get away this weekend and do some camping!

Criteria:

no official campground/pay for a site type stuff
2WD friendly trails or sand
site on or near the water
as close to scottsdale/PHX as possible (less than 3 hr drive pref.)


Bonus:
able to do some target shooting


Can you please provide me info/directions/tips/tricks on where to go do this???

 

Lake pleasant is my best one for you. Idk about target shooting though. Ill let the more experienced AZ guys around here give you better suggestions.

 

i know a spot that i go target shooting thats literally right next to lake pleasant.

 

Lake Pleasant would be miserable for camping with the heat. You need to get up north! Here are 2 favorite destinations of mine when I need to get away:

Mogollon Rim - 1/2 hour east of Payson. There are 3 or 4 lakes you can camp nearby (Woods Canyon, Bear Canyon, Knoll Lake, etc.) Most of the camp areas around those lakes have no fees (Woods Canyon's Spillway campground does charge you though)

Crown King - Horsethief Basin lake can be reached with 2wd very easily. Small lake you can fish in, but fees apply if you camp in their campground. Plenty of camping places in the entire Crown King area. This spot is only 1 hour north of Phoenix off of the I-17

 

We like to go up to the mogion rim during the summer, it's nice and cool up there ~8000 ft elevation. Plenty of places for dispersed camping and most of the fireroads are 2wd friendly.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coconino/home?cid=stelprdb5313620

 

As far as I know you can't shoot at Lake Pleasant. My wife did a calendar shoot for 'girls with guns' and they wouldn't allow her to shoot out there.. We had to drive a few miles away, then got to blow shit up.

 

You can't shoot in the Lake Pleasant Regional Park, which extends just a short perimeter out from the lake. Basically, if you're near the water, you can't shoot. If you're a mile away (especially to the North) or more, you can shoot/hunt/blow stuff up.

 

Thanks for clearing that up!

 

And of course you have to observe the eagle nesting area over on the n/e side by the Agua Fria for 6 months out of the year. I went to go quail hunting back there and had to turn around.

 

Sedona is a great spot as well. Closest would be Crown King, but If your looking for 'off the grid' type camping.. sedona would be better and farther north would be even better

 

thanks guys,

I did a recon of Saguaro Lake area today after work....

I didn't feel like airing down and/or potentially getting stuck this evening so didnt go too far in after that gate....curious where that sandy road goes back by the culdesac!

Also, signs say gates close at sunset...LAME!

Whats that all about.....

 

That's sandy cut off past the cattle guard is what takes you to butcher jones OHV. That was a great area until they bulldozed it all and anyone with a civic can go back there now. You can access the numerous coves at saguaro lake, play in the sandy wash, or.. well thats it now.

 

Fixed. Welcome to New Mexico II

 

Lol. So true unfortunately

 

Agreed! New Mexico is ALMOST as dirty as old Mexico.