Twin Peaks Campground - Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

I had four days off work from Sprouts, so I headed south to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. I camped at site #194 for two nights.

Site #194

Painted Rock Petroglyph Campground

Painted Rock Petroglyph Site, approximately 90 miles southwest of Phoenix, provides visitors the opportunity to view an archaeological site containing hundreds of figures and designs carved into rocks, known as petroglyphs. The campground offers visitors 59 individual campsites.

I camped here the night before my hike up Klothos Temple in the Muggins Mountain Wilderness.

My campsite.

Jim Kortsen West Pinal Park - Stanfield, AZ

The Jim Kortsen West Pinal Park is a 160 acre community park located near the community of Stanfield, and right off interstate 8. The campground makes a convenient overnight stop for $10. I camped here for the night before driving to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

 

Mingus Mountain Campground - Arizona

I camped at Mingus Mountain Campground at 7,500 feet elevation to escape the heat of the Verde Valley. Only 18 miles from Cottonwood but 4,000 feet higher.

Homolovi State Park - Winslow, AZ

This is a really nice state park that I always visit when I plan on going to the Petrified Forest National Park. I really like the high desert and big sky here.  "Homolovi" is Hopi for "Place of the Little Hills."

Site #44

Site #44

Twin Peaks Campground - Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

My campsite.

Jim Kortsen West Pinal Park - Stanfield, AZ

Camped at West Pinal Park Campground last night. On my way to the Coronado National Forest today, to go hiking near the border. Even though it's right by I-8 and route 84 it is very quiet. I was the only one in the campground. Been here many times while traveling, and always nearly empty. Nice place for one night.

I drove here last night from Walmart in Peoria. It's a one hour drive south, and the drive is nice after 10pm, and I don't have to deal with heavy traffic in Phoenix. Got four days off from work. So nice to get away from Walmart.

 

Bog Springs Campground - Santa Rita Mountains

The following week I returned to the Santa Rita Mountains to escape the heat of the Valley, and hike up Pete Mountain. I'm really tired of the blazing desert heat. Turns out it was the hottest July on record for Phoenix. I had 3 days off from Walmart, and I desperately needed to get out of town to higher elevation. When I drove up into Madera Canyon my depression rapidly slipped away. I was at peace among the oaks, alligator juniper, and pinyon pine. These sky islands are a biotic wonderland.

Bog Springs Campground - Santa Rita Mountains

I camped at Bog Springs Campground in the Santa Rita Mountains for 2 nights. It was so nice to escape the desert heat of Phoenix. The unrelenting days above 110 degrees were making me depressed. I needed the cool mountain air.

Gilbert Ray Campground - Tucson, Arizona

Gilbert Ray Campground is located in the Tucson Mountain Park, 13 miles west of Tucson. It has a 130 RV sites and 5 tent sites. I always enjoy staying here during the off season, and even a couple times in the summer under the scorching heat of the desert sun. It's peaceful in the summer.

Golden Gate Mountain

Lee's Ferry Campground - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Lee's Ferry is a beautiful campground located in Marble Canyon. It has no hook-ups and reservations cannot be made. It has a modern bathroom and potable water. However it is hot in the summer at 3,100 feet elevation along the Colorado River.

DeMotte Campground - Kaibab National Forest

On July 30th - August 1st, I camped at the DeMotte Campground located within 7 miles of the north entrance of Grand Canyon National Park. It was so nice to get away from the 105 degree heat of Wickenburg. Here the nights on the North Rim were a pleasant 45 degrees, and daytime highs just barely approached 80 degrees.

Site 32

Bog Springs Campground

The last two nights I camped at Bog Springs Campground in Madera Canyon. It's a beautiful oasis situated in the Santa Rita Mountains at 5,060 feet among the agaves, junipers, and oak trees. The summer temperatures are perfect for camping, and only 14 miles from Green Valley. There was only one other camper here on Sunday night, and on Monday I had the whole campground to myself. I like these cheap National Forest campgrounds on week days.

Gilbert Ray Campground

Normally I don't camp in the Sonoran Desert in the summer. It was 102 degrees when I set up my tent yesterday. However, on Saturday, I am attending a lecture on Scorpions of the Tucson Mountains and Avra Valley by herpetologist and scorpion expert, Larry Jones, at Saguaro National Park West. The presentation is in the morning, followed by a hike at night with Jones, looking for scorpions and snakes.

Here I am in the desert eating spinach fried in olive oil and sprinkled with garlic salt and melted Parmesan cheese. It's so good I eat it almost every night.

Lower Wolf Creek Campground

Today I decided to go a little lower in elevation.  I'm down to 5,948 feet in the Bradshaw Mountains from last night at Mingus Mountain at 7,627 feet. I wanted the night to be just a bit warmer, so I made an adjustment of dropping 1,679 feet and headed to Prescott. It's so nice to be able to choose different ecosystems, and different temperatures, without even having to drive far. It's located on the banks of Wolf Creek, among boulders, walnut, oak, and pine trees.

Mingus Mountain Campground

I decided to escape the heat of the Verde Valley, and set up camp on Mingus Mountain. This is the highest campground in the Black Hills at 7,627 feet elevation, and it's about 15 degrees cooler than the valley below. It was 97 degrees this afternoon in Cottonwood, so I went to the public pool for a swim, did some grocery shopping, and then decided to camp in the mixed Conifer Forest atop Mingus Mountain in the Prescott National Forest. Since it is June, I don't usually camp below 3,000 feet, and the perfect temperature is between 5,000 and 8,000 feet during the summer.

Lower Wolf Creek Campground - Prescott National Forest

I'm enjoying a good Ray Bradbury novel called The Illustrated Man. I've read several of his books and short stories. They're always insightful, and often dystopian tales that get you thinking.  This campground is in the Prescott National Forest at an elevation of 5,960 feet so it is much cooler than the 112 degree heat in Phoenix. On beautiful nights like these in the mountains I forget I have OCD.

Gilbert Ray Campground

This is my Marmot Limestone 4 person tent at Gilbert Ray Campground. In terms of scenery and being close to Saguaro National Park West and the many hiking trails this place cannot be beat, and only $10 per night for tent camping. I just spent 6 days here, and hardly any campers here for Memorial Day Weekend. The busy season is January through April.

Click on image for a larger photo

Homolovi State Park - Winslow, Arizona

Homolovi State Park is located about one mile north of Winslow. The park has preseved over 300 Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites. Two of the sites are open to visitors. The park sits at an elevation of 4,900 feet, and is the closest campground to Petrified Forest National Park.

Haulapai Mountain Campground - Kingman, AZ

 Haulapai Mountain Park is a beautiful place for camping and hiking.