Bloody Basin Road - Exit 259, I-17

Tonight's campsite is a beautiful spot right off Crown King Road, and just a few miles west of I-17. The closest town is Cordes Lakes, Arizona.

Car Camping in The Verde Valley

It's a beautiful evening in the Verde Valley, near Cottonwood, tonight. So tranquil in the high desert at 3,755 feet elevation. Cottonwood began as a small adobe where soldiers took refuge in 1874. Soon, settlers began moving in, and created a place whose namesake is a circle of 16 cottonwood trees near the Verde River. The community was established in 1879 and incorporated in 1960. On an obscure note the Verde Valley was the setting for the sci-fi thriller movie Kingdom of the Spiders starring William Shatner.

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Car Camping at Vulture Peak

The last 3 nights I camped by Vulture Peak near Wickenburg, Arizona. This is a really peaceful place to camp during the week with a strong Verizon signal too. I like looking out my car windows while I try to go to sleep in the back of my Honda CRV. When the sun rises in the morning over the mountains, that's I when get up. I love the sun shining in my face when I open my eyes. When I owned a condo I often felt depressed in the morning, but now waking up in the desert is my morning therapy.

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Saguaro National Park West

Saguaro National Park is in southern Arizona. Its 2 sections are on either side of the city of Tucson. The park is named for the large saguaro cactus, native to its desert environment. These photos are from the Tucson Mountain District on the west side.

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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.

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Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Saguaro National Park West

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On May 24th, I was fortunate to have spotted this Western Diamondback Rattlesnake on the Sweetwater Trail at Sagauro National Park West. I had just happened to glance down at the trail, and there it was about four feet in front of me stretched across the trail and not rattling, until I got my camera out. They don’t like cameras, and it moved off the trail looking for a hiding place among the prickly pear cactus. Western Diamondbacks, have a hemotoxic venom, which means blood-damaging, but it turns out that the chemicals in the venom target all sorts of tissues, not just blood.

ranging from about 4,000' to over 9,000'.

Eastern Collard Lizard - Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial Trail

I saw this collard lizard while hiking the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial Trail near Yarnell, Arizona. They are widespread throughout the western United States. In the Sonoran Desert, it is found in Arizona, southeastern California, and northern Mexico, including eastern Baja California. These lizards often sit on large rocks basking in the sun and looking out for other individuals or food. Males are highly territorial and have stereotypical head-bobbing and push-up displays.